In 1994, Jon graduated from Cal State Fullerton with degrees in Child Development and Psychology. In 2000, he graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary and was ordained into the Presbyterian Church (USA). For six years, he served as Pastor of Family Ministries at Overlake Park Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, WA. In 2007, he became chaplain/director of CrossBridge Mental Health Ministry. In Fall 2009, Jon joined the staff of First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue as a chaplain in the Congregational Care department.
Personal
Jon lives in Bellevue, Washington with his wonderful wife Michelle, fun loving nine year old daughter Karah, affectionately co-dependent dog, and power mongering cat. Jon enjoys hiking, swimming, reading, classic movies, and time with family and friends. Jon & Michelle have family on both the east and west coast and enjoy spending time on both coasts.
Faith has played an important role in Jon’s life. Jon’s mother has a vibrant faith and it was her influence that first led him to God and faith in Jesus Christ. Since he was eleven, Jon has experienced a personal relationship with God. While he has grown in education and understanding, it is his close relationship with God which has been a constant comfort and guide.
Jon enjoys both traditional and modern forms of worship. There is comfort and stability found in the traditions, liturgy, and music of the Presbyterian Church; and there is a vibrancy and youthfulness found in modern expression. What is most important, is not pitting one style of worship over another, but seeing how individuals are drawn closer to God through these differing styles. Contemplative prayer and spiritual disciplines also open up new avenues to experience God closer.
Jon grew up in a family affected by mental illness and has seen firsthand its effects upon the family. While feeling a strong calling towards family ministry, God has opened up opportunities for Jon to use his family experience and his gifts in pastoral care. He enjoys the many opportunities he has to listen to individuals and see God’s hand at work in their lives.
Family Perspective
Whether it is working in pastoral care, teaching, preaching, or leading programs, Jon works within a family ministry context. Primary to his work is an understanding that it is in our relationships that God’s healing happens. Our relationship with God, our family, and our community has a deep impact upon our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. By supporting these relationships, we find effectiveness, satisfaction, and purpose as Christians. When these are ignored, we find isolation, loneliness, and fruitlessness.
The Church
The local church is an extension of the family. Throughout our lifetime, church is a place where we can be fostered in our Christian education and encouraged in our walk with Christ. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, church is a place to fellowship with God and other Christians. It is a place to find love, assistance, encouragement, and truth.
It is also a place for rejuvenation. We live in a stressful world where brokenness is rampant. Every day the media relays the suffering that exists around us. Human suffering is not new. What is new is the erosion of primary support bases people once turned to during times of personal trouble: the church, family, and our faith.
Without these support bases where should we turn? Many unfortunately turn to fleeting idols such as work, money, or casual relationships in order to fill a void in their lives. Because these cannot fill the chasm between the human heart and God, they eventually find themselves depressed, disappointed, and still yearning for more.
Therefore, it is in this need that the Church finds its greatest purpose. The redemption and wholeness found in Jesus Christ is God’s gift to the world and the Church is the means God has organized to deliver this gift. By the power of the Holy Spirit, churches can become places of transformation and renewal for the community.
Mental Health Chaplaincy
Mental health chaplaincy is an expression of pastoral and congregational care within the Church. It is also an extension of family ministry because mental illness affects not just individuals but the whole family. When one person is in crisis in a family, the whole family is in crisis. Often mental illness hinders the healthy functioning of a family.
Added to the impairment of the family is the personal and cultural stigma that mental illness holds within our society. Unfortunately, many Christians have carried this stigma into their churches. Furthermore, Christianity has not always responded well to mental illness, where it has been blamed on the sinfulness of the victim or upon demon possession. This has caused many family members to fear seeking help at their church for fear of rejection. Therefore, instead of being a place of healing and rejuvenation, the church becomes a place of isolation and separation.
In mainline denominations, there has been wider acceptance of the physical and medical issues surrounding mental illness. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons what has resulted is that mental illness has been passed on to psychiatric and psychological professionals without consideration that mental illness affects one’s relationship with God.
Mental health chaplaincy is a response to the pastoral and congregational care needs of individuals and families suffering with mental illness. Because mental illness affects the whole person: physically, emotionally, and spiritually, mental health chaplaincy is a holistic approach working alongside and in consultation with medical and counseling professionals. It is not a replacement for professional counseling and medical care.
Because faith questions for mental illness sufferers is largely ignored, chaplaincy is an outreach both to the outside community and to the community of faith. It is the goal of mental health chaplaincy that mental illness sufferers and their families be welcomed within their faith communities. Another goal is to provide support and education so that families and individuals can understand the different steps on the path towards recovery. Finally, it is the goal of mental health chaplaincy to help train caring individuals so that they can reach out to those suffering from mental illness. Just as Jesus reached out to the world, we can lend a hand and ear to those suffering around us.