RICHFIELD: The Rev. John D. King heard God’s calling to pastoral ministry through the people he was serving.
“I believe that good leadership actively listens and is guided by the belief that the Spirit speaks in and through all believers,” said King, 53. “I began hearing my call to ministry in high school, while serving in leadership in a youth retreat program and continued experiencing a positive response from people in seminary that nudged me toward ministry.
“When I went to God, in prayer, I knew it was a calling.”
On Sunday, the Akron native will be installed as the senior pastor of Richfield United Church of Christ. The installation will take place during the 10:15 a.m. worship service at the church, 4340 W. Streetsboro Road.
King’s pastoral ministry in the United Church of Christ began in 2010, four years after he resigned from the Roman Catholic priesthood to marry.
Initially, he found work with an Akron-based engineering consultant company. While he was thankful for the job, he missed serving people.
Then, in 2009, he began serving as executive director of Stewart’s Caring Place, a wellness and educational resource center for cancer patients and their families in Fairlawn. A year later, he began getting his credentials for ministry in the United Church of Christ — the denomination that he and his wife, Katie MacKeigan, joined in 2007, the same year they were married.
Lengthy search
King was selected by the congregation from a pool of about 25 candidates, during a search process that began more than a year ago. He emerged as the frontrunner, in large part, because of his heart for missions and social justice and his ties to the Richfield community.
“He has a lot of really great experience. He lives in Richfield and he’s involved in the community,” said Jessie Monegan, who chaired the search committee. “He has so many good ideas to help us become more involved in the community, which is important to us as a church family and he is committed to mission work, which is part of our rich history as a congregation. And he has a history of growing churches.”
Will Hart, moderator at Richfield UCC, echoed Monegan’s sentiments. He expects the church, which attracts more than 100 people to two Sunday worship services, to experience growth and revitalization under his leadership.
“I believe a lot of positive things are going to happen and that he is going to lead by example,” Hart said. “He has a young family and by him bringing his family to church, he will encourage others to bring their families to church.
“His sermons are inspiring and he can relate to a wide range of people. He’s bilingual. He’s compassionate and a man of prayer and deep faith. He just brings a lot to the table.”
Before being called (in late June) as senior pastor at the Richfield church, King served as interim pastor at Strongsville UCC, where Sunday morning worship attendance increased by 18 percent in 18 months during his tenure. During his leadership as senior pastor at West Park UCC, where he began serving in 2012, the church experienced its largest new membership growth in 29 years.
Dedication to poor
As a priest, King served for a decade as a pastor to an impoverished population in El Salvador, where his work included street gang outreach, teaching ecological farming methods and implementing nutrition projects. He is one of two people to receive a commendation from the president of El Salvador for 2001 earthquake relief work. He also served as associate pastor at St. Hilary parish in Fairlawn.
King said he was drawn to the UCC by its commitment to equality, social justice and serving the poor.
“I grew up in the Vatican II church, which emphasized that the people are the church, community involvement and social justice,” he said. “After 18 years, it became clear that my beliefs and priorities had become so different from those of the hierarchy that I needed to separate myself,” King said.
“My love for my wife and my family has enriched and enlivened my ministry more than I can explain,” he added. “I’ve never experienced love as deeply as I have with my wife and kids.”
The Kings have two children, Maya MacKeigan-Moore, 14, and Ian, 6. Katie MacKeigan King works as a social worker in the North Royalton City School District.
“When I look back on all of my experiences, I believe they have made me a better person by enabling me to have a broader understanding of people,” King said. “It just feels right to be back into ministry. For me, ministry is not a job, it’s my vocation.”
For more information about the Richfield church, go to www.richfielducc.com or call 330-659-3532.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. She can be followed at www.twitter.com/ColetteMJenkins.