Rev. John C. Lee - A Brief Biography
John Lee was born and raised in Indiana where he and his family actively
participated in the 1st Presbyterian Church of Evansville. He
attended the University of Evansville in Indiana, and received his BS in
Psychology in 1989. He received his teaching credential from San Francisco State
before entering the seminary at San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1997, He
graduated from SFTS in 2001, and was ordained on January 25th, 2003.
John has had much experience working with youth. He was a small group leader at several Montreal Youth conferences in both North Carolina and Colorado, leading small group gatherings and discussions at the weeklong youth conferences and serving as the evening worship director. John sang and played guitar in a band, which led the music at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium in July 2001, and he has been involved as a coordinator/director of several local youth ministries.
Beginning in September 2001, John served as Hospital Chaplain at Seton Medical Center, Coastside. He offered spiritual care to the patients at the acute medical center and the skilled nursing facility in Moss Beach. He served as chaplain in medical crisis situations and at times of death. John worked with the medical staff, helping to formulate holistic care plans for the patients. He helped coordinate the music for Mass at the Moss Beach facility, and he presided over funerals for long-term residents.
John has been trained in redevelopment and worked as a Redevelopment Consultant at the Ocean Avenue Presbyterian Church in San Francisco in 2001. He assisted the pastoral staff at Ocean Avenue in writing a redevelopment probe grant, and he helped to clarify the redevelopment process and support the staff as it networked with other resources.
John and his wife, Evelyn, welcomed a daughter, Solveig, into their Daly City home on July 14th, 2003. Evelyn was able to stay at home for the first few months of Solveig's life. In December 2003, when Evelyn returned to work at the Gap in San Bruno, John went on paternity leave and was home with Solveig.
John said he has always known that congregational ministry was where he was being led. "I believe I am called to serve a congregation that is faithfully discerning where God is leading them. My hope is this discernment is embodied in their worship, expressed in their prayer life, woven into their relationship and loving service with others around them, and rooted in their spiritual growth as individuals and as a congregation."
At the congregational meeting on June 27, 2004, John admitted that when he began the process of interviewing with various churches for the position of pastor, he remembered our church (from when he filled in for Rev. Elliot one Sunday), and always wanted to be our pastor.
Reverend Lee officially began as pastor for Bethany Presbyterian Church on September 7th, 2004. His first Sunday was September 12th, 2004.
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