Meet the Rev. John Sundara

We are very excited to welcome the Rev. John Sundara to our clergy team at St. John the Divine! John will serve as vice rector, a new role that will oversee the implementation of our strategic plan, SJD 2030. He brings exceptional gifts for leadership, collaboration, and shepherding the good work already underway by our staff and vestry-led strategy teams.

What called you to ministry?

I was a pre-med student in university. One summer, I served as a missionary in Northern Africa and found it incredibly rewarding. It was exciting to take steps of faith, serve God, and see fruit in ministry. Through prayer and discernment with mentors, I discovered that God was calling me to serve him vocationally in full-time ministry. One thing led to another, and I earned my M. Div. (Hons) from Wycliffe College, Toronto, and was later ordained in the Episcopal Church. I’ve been in full-time ministry for 18 years, and 8 of those as a priest.

Tell us a little about your background.

My family is originally from southern India, and we are lifelong Anglican/Episcopalian going back a few generations. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada. My family of origin still lives in Vancouver. My wife, Naomi, is Canadian (just like me), and we met while serving as missionaries in a slum in Mumbai. Her father and her grandfather were priests. Two Canadians, Anglican background, with a passion for serving Christ, with the same sense of humor—it couldn’t get better than that. We’ve been married for 13 years and have three kids, with a fourth on the way. She is also a priest and currently serves as the chaplain at St. Martin’s preschool.

What are some of the spiritual needs you see in the world today, and how can the Church help people meet them?

We live in a distracted and noisy world. C.S. Lewis said, “we are far too easily pleased,” and he’s right. Our low expectations prevent us from fully experiencing all that God has in store for us. However, many people misinterpret how the Church communicates Jesus. In our desire to be relevant, we often make it sound like Jesus is just another add-on to an already busy and full life. He’s like a nice glass of wine to enhance a busy weekday dinner. However, the Church possesses the gifts of the Word and the Sacrament. And the more we learn to live into these gifts and share them with others, the more we learn how to follow the crucified and risen Jesus and invite the world to follow him, the more the world can experience all that God has in store for them.

What excites you most about coming to St. John the Divine?

A clear five-year plan that seeks for SJD to be "A Light for the City", a great rector and vestry, and an energetic clergy and leadership team!