Dear St. John’s,
I am pleased to announce that after a long and thorough search, we have called a new Director of Youth & Family Ministries.
Tyree Jordan comes to us with a wealth of experience with young people and a deep, abiding faith. Having spent most of his career as a middle school educator, he truly understands the complexity of what young people face in today’s world and what it means to mentor and form them in positive ways as they grow. Creative, insightful, relatable, and kind, Tyree will be a wonderful addition to our St. John’s team.
Tyree begins at St. John’s on June 1.
The Director of Youth & Family Ministries is more than a “youth minister.” This role is meant to oversee, organize, and support the many ministries we offer our young people at St. John’s, from birth to graduation. While Tyree will work directly with our teens to build faith and community, he will also recruit, organize, and support the many adult volunteers and programs it takes to love our children and form them spiritually.
Our rigorous discernment process included two applicants; was overseen by Corinna Strayer, Steve Rogers, Kelly Kibbey Smith, and Mtr. Leslie; and included multiple interviews with several other adults and youth from St. John’s. Thank you so much to all who dedicated your time to this process!
Grace and peace,
The Rev. Lonnie Lacy
ABOUT TYREE: Tyree and his wife, Heather, were married right here at St. John’s almost exactly 16 years ago. They have two wonderful kids, Carolina and Tiago. The whole family is excited to be back in their hometown surrounded by relatives and friends.
Tyree has been a teacher for 15 years (mostly middle school science and math) in and around Tallahassee but also New Orleans, Nashville, and Luanda. He considers himself a lifelong learner and has studied philosophy at Florida State and education at Vanderbilt. Tyree believes that we are all on a sacred journey and that St. John’s is a fantastic place to experience what it means to be a follower of Jesus. He looks forward to deepening his relationships with the youth and families of our community and working together to support our growth in faith, hope, and love. In his free time, Tyree enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outside. (You might remember he received a Chef’s Choice Honorable Mention at this year’s Chili Cook-Off!)
Tyree invites everyone to participate in this ministry so we can all benefit from each other’s experience.
