John grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his parents, Dave and Mary Kate O’Kain, instilled in him at an early age the importance of church attendance as well as faithful living and joyful obedience. Although he initially went to the University of Tennessee to follow in his older brother Mark’s and sister Laura’s footsteps and become a music major (both are now professional musicians), he found that his calling to ministry was leading him elsewhere. He later graduated from Emory & Henry College with a degree in Religion & Church Music. During college summers, John worked as a youth intern at local churches in his hometown of Oak Ridge, and returned there after college as a youth pastor. In the intervening year between college and seminary John worked as youth pastor at Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church, and then attempted a childhood dream of walking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. In August of that year, John made it as far as Massachusetts on foot before the fall semester at Candler School of Theology began. During his final summer of seminary, John served as a coordinator at Camp Alta Mons in Shawsville, Virginia, where he met his wife, Kelley. Kelley now teaches algebra at Clover Junior High School. John has worked with youth and music throughout his years of ministry, most recently as the Associate Minister for Youth and Church Life at River Hills Community Church. He looks forward to using these and other talents with the students at Winthrop for God’s glory in the upcoming semester and for years in the future.

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