John O’Connor

I'm a native Tennessean whose marriage to Molly has been hailed by many as "the upset of the century". I grew up in rural southeastern middle TN, went to school in Knoxville (go Vols!) and worked in Nashville for a few years before moving to former East Germany to help with a church plant for four years, which really lit a fire in me for global missions, the local church, and multicultural discipleship. Our son, Jack, was the best souvenir we could ever bring back stateside and his lovely sister, Finley, was added to the fold two years afterward. There has not been a dull moment since.

I was raised in a home that quietly preached Christ by their actions, but it took until college before the faith started to become my own. It was helpful to learn to study God's Word and grapple with how to live out my faith in the comfort of the buckle of America's Bible belt; without that foundation I would've been crushed in Germany's post-Christian context, where I was constantly confronted with the question "do you functionally believe what you say you believe?" That question has been something of an anthem for me ever since, and God uses it to challenge me in my relationships with others. Even (especially?) with those I'm closest with, I too often don't get it right, but in His mercy He is swift to forgive, which reminds me to do the same (Matthew 18:33).

When I have down time and I'm not eating tacos or hanging with my family, I can be found listening to podcasts (mostly theology or comedy), asking questions, playing drums, tinkering with technology, reading nonfiction, or daydreaming about a tropical beach.