John Hughes
"God has been ever-present in my life since my earliest memories. I grew up in the church, and as a small child I loved to play preacher, standing behind my grandmother’s piano bench. In my early teens, we lived close to the church and I went to the church office every day after school. It was then that I began having serious times of prayer, often knelling in the empty sanctuary.
By the time I left home and went to university, I was seriously contemplating whether God was calling me into ordained ministry. I spoke with the chaplain at my university and talked about what courses I should take in preparation. As I was living in the US and ministry degrees are at the Masters level, I began studying both Psychology and Spanish.
After finishing my University courses, I decided to work for a few years before attending seminary. Working as a youth minister was a first step towards fulfilling my sense of call. I found working in the church to be the most rewarding experience I had ever had and along the way I continually felt affirmed by both God and the Church in my sense of call.
I began seminary in August 2004, and it was there that I met my wife Jennifer, and together we moved to Adelaide for my Internship at Brougham Place UC. At the end of the year we returned to Dallas so I could complete my studies at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas.
Upon receiving a call from the Synod and Presbytery of South Australia , my wife Jennifer and I returned to Adelaide in January 2009. Joining the pilgrimage of the Uniting Church has been an important step in my faith journey. I continue to be inspired and uplifted by the Spirit that breathes in and through the UCA."
