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Reverend John W. Zehring
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John Zehring, the 17th Senior Pastor of South Church in Andover, has served as Senior Pastor of churches in Rhode Island (Kingston) and in Maine (Augusta).
John loves tending the flock at South Church and is passionate about preaching, teaching, visiting, being among the people and encouraging our people to grow in their spiritual faith. Faith, family and friends are his passions, along with the sea, a cottage in Maine, kayaking, skiing, snowshoeing, home remodeling, travel, reading by the fireplace and writing. A jazz and swing drummer, he plays with the Jazz Disciples. Favorite justice issues include world hunger, domestic abuse, non-violent resolution of conflict, environmental stewardship, and care for the ones Jesus called the least of these. Married forty-one years, Donna and John grew up in Springfield, Pennsylvania where they attended junior and senior high school together. They have two adult children and five grandchildren.
Before entering parish ministry, John served more than twenty years in the senior administration of colleges and a seminary and has taught Church Administration, Psychology, Creative Writing, and Communications. For the past few years he served on the Adjunct Faculty at Bryant University where he taught Public Speaking. He holds graduate degrees from two seminaries (Princeton Theological Seminary and the Earlham School of Religion) and a third graduate degree in counseling from Rider University.
In the Rhode Island Conference, John chaired the Church and Ministry Committee and was Preacher at the Annual Meeting of the Conference. He served on the search committees for the Rhode Island Conference Minister and for the Executive Minister of the RI State Council of Churches.
He is author of articles in magazines and journals, and nine books, including You Can Run a Capital Campaign (Abingdon Press) and WORKING SMART: the Handbook for New Managers (Garrett Park Press). While working in theological education, he was a consultant to Lilly Endowment and served as Founding Editor of Seminary Development News, a publication for presidents, vice presidents, and trustees in theological education, published by the Association of Theological Schools.
Favorite food: Chinese, dark chocolate
Favorite music: Radios are always playing Classical
Favorite chapter of the bible: Psalm 23
Favorite philosopher: D. Elton Trueblood (my mentor)
Favorite bible scholars: Bruce Metzger (Princeton), William Barclay (Glasgow)
Favorite hymns: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. Great Is Thy Faithfulness. You Have Come Down To The Lakeshore. This Is My Father's World. When Peace Like A River. This Is My Song. Go Now in Peace. Most of the rest.
Favorite magazines: Coastal Living. This Old House. Christian Century.
Favorite colors: blue, maroon
Favorite stores: Home Depot and Lowes, especially the tools section.
Favorite mode of travel: cruising.
Favorite kind of relaxing: a) anything with the grandchildren. b) sitting for hours in the cushioned Adirondack chairs by the bay with friends, watching the tide come in and go out, and looking forward to Donna making homemade pizza on the BBQ grill.
Favorite part of the ministry: being there when needed most, representing the presence of God.