Special Guest preacher on 23rd August. Rev Dr Johnathan Jones

Our special guest preacher at both services will be Rev Dr Johnathan Jones.

Rev. Dr. Johnathan Jones (Rev JJ) grew up in Gunnedah, NSW, before a journey of faith carried him from Australia to Scotland and, eventually, Alaska — though his heart has never strayed far from the community where it all began. It was at MCC Sydney that JJ first found a spiritual home that welcomed the whole of who he was, and it was there, serving as Youth Pastor from 2001 to 2004, that his lifelong calling to ministry and advocacy took root. MCC Sydney remains, in every sense that matters, his home church.

JJ holds a Bachelor of Theology from the Sydney College of Divinity, a Master of Arts in Applied Psychology (Sexuality and Gender Studies) from Adler University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. His doctoral thesis, “Honest, Healthy, and Whole: Queer Inclusion and the Body of Christ,” drew on Alfred Adler’s concept of Gemeinschaftsgefühl — community feeling — to create a practical tool any congregation can use to assess its own LGBTQ inclusivity.

His pastoral path has led him from Youth Pastor at MCC Sydney to Interim Pastor at MCC Edinburgh, Senior Pastor at MCC Anchorage, and now Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Anchorage — an Open and Affirming congregation within the National Association of Christian Congregational Churches and the Cal-West Association of Congregational Churches.

We are very excited to have Rev Johnathan with us during his short visit to Australia. Rev JJ is a fantastic preacher, and I encourage all members and friends of MCC Sydney to join us on the 23rd at either the morning or evening service as we welcome JJ home and get a chance to hear his dynamic preaching.

Blessings Rev Greg Smith