John is not only our board secretary, he also serves on the development committee and occasionally writes “Looking into the lectionary” reflections when our editor is taking a break. John has been pastor of St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Houston since 2012. Ordained to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1991, John has also served congregations in suburban Philadelphia, northwest Ohio and Kerrville, Texas.
He received a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from Trinity University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa; a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary; and a Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In 2019, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Austin College.
John has published books of sermons and articles on liturgical practice. He has also contributed worship materials to various denominational resources. He has written several essays for the new multi-volume biblical commentary series, “Connections.” A member of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, John regularly serves on the leadership teams for national worship and music conferences in the PC(USA). For several years, he was an adjunct preaching instructor at Austin Seminary
John has served as a trustee of the Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville, Texas, and Schreiner University in Kerrville. He also he serves on the board of the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston.
We are grateful for John’s calm, wise counsel, his attention to detail and his willingness to take on additional responsibilities with grace and skill.
John is married to Deborah Burks, a former English professor who is now working on a novel set in sixteenth century London.
The Presbyterian Outlook Foundation is governed by a board of 15 directors. The Presbyterian Outlook is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3), funded through subscription sales, ad sales and donations.
