The Rev. Dr. John A. Nelson has served congregations in Conn., Mass., and N.Y. where hospitality has been and continues to be a cornerstone of his ministry. He has also been active in local and national groups working for economic justice and promoting peaceful solutions to poverty and abuse. While in seminary, he worked as a carpenter, a typesetter, and a chaplain in a program serving persons with HIV disease. After his studies he moved to Guatemala to join the International Team of Witness for Peace, a movement committed to nonviolence and to changing US policies that contribute to economic imbalance and social inequality. He is fluent in Spanish and has acted as a translator in various settings.
During a four-month sabbatical in 2014, John spent a good portion of the time taking cooking classes in Norway, Sicily, Greece, and NYC where he honed the culinary skills his mother taught all of his siblings and learned to prepare foods that his ancestors would have enjoyed. In addition to being an adventurous cook, he loves photography, opera, poetry, writing, word play of all kinds, and the theater (he developed skills as a lighting and scenic designer and director in college and summer stock). He is a proud stepfather to two adult daughters. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., he attended Middlebury College, Union Theological Seminary (NYC), and Chicago Theological Seminary.
