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The Rev. Dr. John E. Harnish became the Senior Pastor of our church July 1, 2005. Jack comes to us from serving five years as the Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Prior to that appointment he was the Associate General Secretary of the Division of Ordained Ministry with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, based in Nashville, Tennessee. In that role he was responsible for the denomination’s work in theological education, the training of pastors, and other issues related to ordained ministry. He was instrumental in the formation of the newest United Methodist seminaries in the world — those in Moscow and Tallinn, Estonia. He continues to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary in Estonia.

Jack’s earlier appointments in Michigan include Court Street United Methodist Church in Flint, Dexter United Methodist Church, and the Washington and Davis United Methodist Churches. He was ordained in the Western Pennsylvania Conference and served his first appointment there. His home town is Clarion, Pennsylvania. Jack has a BA in speech and drama from Asbury College and a Masters of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary awarded him a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1998. He has served as a delegate to several General Conferences and will be a delegate to the World Methodist Conference in Korea in 2006. He currently serves as a Trustee at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and on the Church Relations Council at Garrett.

Judy Harnish is an elementary principal at Cornerstone Elementary School in Dexter, Michigan. She is a native of Lapeer, Michigan, and a graduate of Asbury College and Eastern Kentucky University. Jack and Judy have two sons. Chris is an architect in New York City. David and his wife Kerri live in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where David is a high school teacher and Kerri is a librarian at Gettysburg College.

Jack and July love to travel and also love their “up north” home on Platte Lake. They love antiques - every piece of furniture has a story, beginning with the wooden wagon which originally belonged to Judy’s father. It has served as a coffee table in every one of their homes. They love theater, reading, and time with their kids.