Rev. John Anderson, Pastor
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John Anderson came to St. John's in 1992, after serving in youth ministries, pastorates in Minneapolis, and as chaplain in a Scottish boarding school. His belief that the urban church is on the cutting edge of understanding God’s presence in the world is born out of his experience growing up in a suburban setting, while being nurtured in an urban church. He struggled with what seemed to be two different realities. Today, John sees San Francisco as a place where one is free to choose to live out the "suburban values" of self-sufficiency, isolation and the financial tail-chasing or to live an urban lifestyle engaging issues through community, involvement and justice. He believes it is a great and safe place to raise children, especially in the midst of diversity and opportunities, which need not rely on an affluent lifestyle.

John comes to St. John's with the conviction that God has mighty plans for us within this community and for God's kingdom. He is continually amazed at the accepting and vulnerable congregation of St. John’s and feels incredibly privileged to serve here. He pursued his Doctor of Ministry focusing on the need within our success-driven culture for adults to use playful expressions (as do children) such as; the freedom to fail, creativity, surprise, humor, wonder, self-expression, imagination, questioning and discovery, in order to grow in their faith.

John and Nancy McEvers Anderson have been married since 1973 and have three grown sons. John enjoys cycling, skiing, historical novels and film.

Rev. Theresa Cho, Pastor
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Theresa Cho is a Reno, Nevada native who graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Before coming to St. John’s in 2003, she completed a full-year chaplain residency program at UCSF Medical Center, where she provided pastoral and spiritual care to staff, patients, and family. She is active in all levels of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. from Presbyterian Youth Triennium to Presbyterian Peacemaking Conferences. She also has had a variety of life experiences that include teaching children with special needs and working in a multi-racial urban congregation in Chicago and Seoul, Korea. All this contributes to Theresa’s passion for ministry. Theresa describes the church as a welcoming community that honors the uniqueness of people and celebrates diversity.

She lives in San Francisco with her husband, InHo Kim, their children, Ian and Isabella, and their dog, Chewy.

Mezzo-soprano Karen Carle Irwin grew up in Stockton, California, and
graduated from Pacific Union College with a degree in Music
Education, and obtained a Master's Degree from San Francisco
Conservatory of Music in Vocal Performance.

She comes to St. John's from St. Denis Parish in Menlo Park, where
she was cantor, as well as choir director for St. Denis' mission
church, Our Lady of the Wayside. She loves singing and singers --
believing strongly that everyone is a singer -- and in the power of
music to unify and uplift.

As a performer, she has appeared in many oratorios, including
Handel's Messiah, Bach's Magnificat, Verdi's Requiem, Mozart's Mass
in C-minor, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, and Copland's In The Beginning, singing with the San Francisco City Chorus, Berkeley Community Chorus, Soli Deo
Glori, Quire Quodlibet, and the Community Music Center Orchestra and Chorus.

Karen has sung leading and supporting roles with many Bay Area opera
companies, including West Bay Opera, Sacramento Opera, Pocket Opera,
Mendocino Music Festival, and Bear Valley Music Festival. In the
fall of 2004 she created the role of Martha, in Alva Henderson's
"Nosferatu" for Rimrock Opera and Idaho Opera.

Currently Karen is a professional member of the San Francisco
Symphony Chorus. She teaches privately in her home in San Francisco,
where she lives with her husband, Jim, and stepson, Kent.

Cyril Deaconoff, born in Moscow, Russia, attended Gnesine State Music College and graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Composition and Choral Conducting). In December 2006, he completed his doctoral degree in Choral Conducting at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he also studied composition with Sven-David Sandström and organ with Sarah Read. His other composition teachers included Marina Kovaleva, Andrei Golovin, Alexander Pirumov, Yuri Butsko, and Roman Ledeniov. His choral composition “Two Choruses for Children’s Voices" with lyrics by Maikov received one of the prizes at the Pushkin Composition Contest in 1998 and was subsequently performed at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. A number of his works, including a choral ballade A Northern Tale, were performed at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

As an organist, Cyril worked in several churches in Indiana. An active choral and choral-orchestral conductor, he was one of only sixteen conductors chosen by the Chorus America to participate in the 2006 Beethoven conducting master class with the Philadelphia Singers, their music director David Hayes, and the music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Christoff Eschenbach. He taught at Carroll College, Wisconsin, and Indiana University. His recent conducting projects at Indiana University included a concert with the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble and orchestra entitled “American Tribute”, as well as a recording of his orchestral overture Symphonic Parallels. Several of his recent works, including Canticles of Love, Despair, and Hope; A Northern Tale; and Symphonic Parallels will soon be published by E.C. Schirmer.

Susie Moore grew up in Livermore, California, and graduated from University of the Pacific with a BA in Communication. Before coming to St. John’s in 1998 as the Coordinator of Ministries, Susie has a variety of experiences in administration and management in sales and employee relations.

After living eight years in San Francisco, Susie and Tyler now live in Tracy with their two sons Joshua (born 2000) and Samuel (born 2004). They enjoy doing things together as a family, such as camping, hiking, or hanging out at a park with the boys. When she has the time, Susie’s favorite hobbies are gardening, biking, and knitting.