The Reverend John Nader was reared in the United Methodist Church. Growing up at Westcliff United Methodist Church (now Arborlawn UMC), John served as Youth Council President and as a youth on the church Vision Team. As a youth, he also engaged in summer missions and youth choir. John graduated from Southwest Christian School in 1997.
Upon entering college at Stephen F. Austin State University, John pledged the Christian Fraternity, Brothers Under Christ, where he served as Pledge Trainer, Vice President, and Chaplin. While attending SFA, John was also actively involved in Campus Crusade for Christ and Grace Bible Church.
In 2002, John began parish work as the Youth Director at Benbrook United Methodist Church where he served for three years. Afterwards, John moved to Corsicana to be the Youth Director at First United Methodist Church. It was during this time that he became active in Conference Council on Youth Ministry; serving as a volunteer with youth. That experience brought John to the Jurisdictional Youth Rally in Louisiana.
John entered Seminary at Brite Divinity School – Texas Christian University in the fall of 2006. It was then that he met his wife of ten years, Casey. As fellow seminary students, John and Casey were married in August of 2007 and “settled” in Fort Worth. It was then that John took a youth ministry position at Saint Barnabas UMC in Arlington, Texas.
With a devotion to his course load John decided in early 2008 to make a change to a part-time youth position at Ovilla United Methodist Church, where he served for three years. During this experience, John implemented a sustainable youth ministry model based on the model of family-based youth ministry. While at Ovilla UMC, John was commissioned as a Provisional Elder and appointed to Grace United Methodist Church in Copperas Cove as an Associate Pastor in 2011. At Grace UMC, John shared a pastoral care rotation, preached monthly, and oversaw small group ministry and ministry to youth adults.
John moved to pastor a two-point-charge in Navarro County at Saint Luke and Emhouse United Methodist Churches in 2013. During the transition to this appointment, John and Casey gave birth to their first daughter Adalyn. Here, John learned the rhythm of preaching weekly, making pastoral visits, community involvement, and raising a family. In the spring on 2015, John began work in prison ministry with Kairos of Texas and Epiphany Ministry. Also, during this appointment, John was ordained as an Elder in Full Connection in 2015. After serving as Senior Pastor in Hillsboro, John joined us here at Brock in July of 2018.
In 2016, after pastoring the Saint Luke and Emhouse churches for three years, John was invited to become the Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Hillsboro, Texas. During their time in Hillsboro, John and Casey have given birth to their second daughter Pieper. In the Hillsboro appointment, John has learned staff development, conflict management, the use of visual arts in worship, and gained experience as pastor of a county seat church. All of this prepared him for his appointment here at Brock UMC.
John is gifted in preaching, teaching, discernment, and community involvement. He has always carried a desire for ecumenicalism and working with people of all ages. John has a passion for leading worship, youth ministry, and mission work.
John is also blessed in marriage to Casey who is a part-time hospital chaplain and part-time employee at Weatherford College. Daughters Adalyn and Pieper are the joy of his life. John’s life priorities are as follows: Pilgrim, Partner, Parent, Pastor. This means that first and foremost he considers his relationship with God in Jesus Christ to be primary. Second is his relationship with his wife, and a close third is his relationship with his children. Only then, can John be the most effective, gifted, and spirit-led pastor God created him to be.