John S. Morton

Senior Minister

Growing in Faith to Love and Serve

Hamilton Staff

Hamilton Christian Church

Disciples of Christ

John S. Morton has been married to his wife, Sylvia, for 37 years.   They have one son, John, who is 24.

 

Prior to entering the ministry, John spent 28 years in corporate work in various engineering, marketing, and sales support roles with Kodak, Danka, and Ricoh Corporations.

 

John is a Vietnam Air Force veteran serving from 1970-74.  As he says, fortunately, his overseas time was spent in Germany.

 

As a lay person, John has always been very active in every congregation where he has been a member.  Since 1983, he has been a deacon, elder, moderator, and served on many committees in Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ churches.  He currently serves on the area board of SEGA, the Southeast Gateway Area of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.)

 

John was raised in the Russian Orthodox Church and began attending a Disciples of Christ Christian Church as a teenager when he started dating his wife, Sylvia.

 

His second career began in earnest in the spring of 2005 when he entered Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.  He completed his studies in May 2008 and received a Master of Divinity Degree.  On August 31, 2008, he was ordained at St. Charles Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) where he, Sylvia, and John have been members since moving to the area in 1993.

 

John has dual standing in both the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ.

 

As a licensed minister, John has served student pastorates in three congregations in Marine, Moro, and Edwardsville, IL.  He was also the transitional pastor in one of these churches.

 

John has also completed the intensive specialized training in CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Veterans Hospital in St. Louis.  He has served the last 3 ½ years as a volunteer at a terminal cancer hospice facility working with residents and supporting their families.  He is also active in Meals on Wheels.

 

He enjoys most sports and hopes to have time to play golf again.  John and Sylvia enjoy going for long walks when weather permits.