ken wilson online

I am an unrecovered Jesus freak, meaning I made my faith plunge as a young man into what was called, “The Jesus Movement.” Grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and now living in nearby Ann Arbor since attending the University of Michigan in 1970. Married for a very long time to Nancy, with five children and now five grands. Senior Pastor of Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor, which began in a UM dorm room before moving to our living room before trekking around the area to it’s current location. Active in national environmental initiatives involving people of faith and efforts to open dialog between said people and scientists who tend toward secularity in outlook. Vineyard Church in Ann Arbor is noted, if it is, for serving the poor, engaging those beyond the reach of contemporary Christianity, and exploring contemplative prayer, serving as online host for The Divine Hours™. Author, most recently of Jesus Brand Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back (Thomas Nelson, May 2008).

Member with Nancy, of the national board of Vineyard: A Community of Churches. Regional Overseers of the 100+ churches in the Great Lakes Region. (Vineyard selects active pastors of existing churches, to keep oversight to a minimum–primarily the facilitation of a relational network of leaders to offer support for pastors.)

Checkered Background: Graduate of the University of Michigan (1975) School of Nursing. Took classes at Ashland Theological Seminary for a few years, but preferred auto-didaction, which was also less expensive. Worked in nursing in pediatric rehabilitation and community mental health. Also did some editing professionally, before landing in the pastor business. From 1974 until 1990, active in a most fascinating ecumenical community involving Roman Catholics, Mainline Protestants, Orthodox, and Jesus freaks like himself that tended to check “none of the above” on religious surveys.

Author: of several books (mostly little) that are now out off print in the United States but floating around in different languages. Curiously, they are mainly read, if at all, by Roman Catholics. Except for Empowered Evangelicals (co-author with Rich Nathan) published in 1995 (Servant) and now republished by Ampelon. Bit by the writing bug again this past year (see above) and currently writing something with the working title, The Praying Brain: Mystically Wired, to be published by Thomas Nelson in 2009. Which is sneaking up on us all.

Environmental Concerns: Signer of An Urgent Call to Action: Scientists and Evangelicals Unite to Protect Creation, released January 7, 2007; also Evangelical Climate Initiative; and home mortgage. After undergoing an awakening to environmental concern, I helped launch www.creationcareforpastors.com. Currently working on something called The Friendship Project with Carl Safina, author of Song for the Blue Ocean that gets evangelical pastors and environmental scientists of a secular persuasion to consider how we might better care for the earth, a shared and sacred trust.

Odds & Ends: Did one year of a two year Internship in Ignatian Spirituality at Manresa Center in Birmingham, Michigan. Served on the Human Rights Commission for the City off Ann Arbor (2005-2007).

Even More Stunning Accomplishments: Second Chair Clarinet, Junior High District Band (catch that? district band, meaning the one that drew from several Junior Highs–hence second chair being even more impressive than it first sounds), City of Detroit Public Schools (catch that? public schools, not private–some real street credibility there.) Came in 16th in City Wide High School Cross Country Finals. Fifteen were “all city” conferring white stripe on letter sweater, which in turn conferred great success with the girls. I’m not ashamed to say, I cried in the shower afterwards. But got over it.