IONA COMMUNITY NORTH AMERICA

John is a native of Glasgow in Scotland. He started his career in production and sales and served with I.C.I. Ltd, a multi-national chemical company, before becoming a minister of the Church of Scotland.

In 1993 he transferred to the PC(USA) and has served congregations in California, Arkansas, Florida, and Maryland.

John holds qualifications in Business Studies from Slough College of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts in History of Modern Design & Architecture from the Open University, Milton Keynes, and a Bachelor of Divinity, Joint Honors in Systematic & Practical Theology, from Trinity College, University of Glasgow. He has been a Member of the Iona Community since 1988 and is President of the Iona Community - New World Foundation USA.

He lives in Crystal Lake,Illinois, with his wife Louise. John is passionate about building community and mutual understanding between disparate groups in our society; social justice; care and support of the bereaved and hurting. He believes that diversity is one of God's greatest gifts and that we tend to turn this into a barrier rather than a bridge. He is interested in classic rock, art and architecture and history and trying to keep up with his kids.

Nancy is a retired nurse educator/consultant. She lives in London, Ontario, Canada with her husband Garry, daughter Elsbeth, who is an adult on the Autism Spectrum, and two cats. Nancy is an avid reader, gardener and a cook. Since 2013, Nancy has been sending out daily prayers to Iona Community Members and Associates as a way of sending light into the world.

Anissa is Pastor of New Vision United Church of Christ and also works as a spiritual director, song leader and worship specialist. She was a vollunteer on Iona during the summer of 2005. She resides in Canton, Ohio with her wife (also a pastor), two dogs and two cats.

Most of my working career was in marketing, strategic planning, and capital campaign counseling to nonprofit organisations in the northeast United States. My first contact with the Iona Community was in 2012 when my husband, Bobby and I retired and came to the Abbey as residential volunteers. I became an Associate Member in 2013 and started working on the Capital Appeal team. Surrounded by family, including five grandchildren, we live in Pemaquid Harbor, Maine and enjoy hiking, sailing, skiing, skating and pickle ball (as we are getting a bit too old for tennis).

Bill Klein, NWF secretary, is a retired Presbyterian Church USA pastor living In Glasgow, VA. He has been involved with the Iona Community since working as a year-long intern in 1976-77.

Merle Longwood is an Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at Siena College in Loudonville (Albany), New York. He is a lay theologian in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has been an Associate in the Iona Community since 2003. He is active in the Northeast Region of the Iona Community in the United States and is a member of the North Country Family Group and the Southern New England Family Group.  

Katharine M. Preston, is an ecumenical lay preacher and writer, concentrating on issues of social justice and the climate crisis. She and her husband, John Bingham, live on a farm in Essex, New York and are active Associate Members of the Iona Community.

Kathryn Sparks Carpenter is a dancer and clinical massage therapist with a degree in theology. She was called into a ministry of liturgical dance in 1995 while working as a vollie on Iona. She then led and taught dance at Wesley Theological Seminary for 20 years.

Kathryn has served as an elder and deacon in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She and her husband, William, make their home in Adamstown, MD.