John Diller (Teaching Elder)
Orange Park Presbyterian Church
Will you tell us a little bit about yourself?
When the full General Assembly meets in July, I will celebrate seven years at Orange Park. Truly, it is a celebration. Like most of us, we have had our challenges and through the wonders of the Spirit’s leading we have consistently found God’s light. I live in Orange Park with Regina, wonderful wife of over 26 years. Sarah is at St. John’s River and working at Urban Bean, John Reed is finishing up his junior year at UNF. There is always something interesting going on. OPPC supports my calling as a Chaplain for the Army Reserves. I have served for 18 years including two deployments to Iraq. I currently serve the Deployment Support Command, headquartered in Birmingham, AL, where I supervise 21 Chaplains, 11 Chaplain Candidates, and 23 Religious Affairs Specialists. When I am pretending not to think about church stuff, I like to fish, and I just took up watercolors…sort of.
Why did you apply to serve at the 225th General Assembly?
I applied to be a commissioner because a notice came out from the Presbytery office stating that they needed more applicants. It’s true, it was out of a sense of duty. I am certain though that a seed was planted when I attended a day at GA years ago in Pittsburgh. I remember sitting in on a committee discussion. The particular topic didn’t interest me at all, but I was encouraged by the thoughtful, articulate level of discussion. I had my picture taken with Mr. McFeeley too!
What is your committee assignment?
I will be serving on the Race and Gender Justice Committee.
What are you excited about and looking forward to?
I am looking forward to learning why I am a GA Commissioner for the Presbytery of St. Augustine in 2022. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be revealed to me, because the “why” has always been revealed in every mile of my journey. I do have some suspicions, but I will keep them to myself until they are either are or are not confirmed.
Is there anything else you would like to say?
I have been and continue to be optimistic about the Church. I do not fall into the trap of decline bias, rather I value the Spirit’s transformative activity. By the same token, many in our midst cannot find the way to healthily process the great losses of recent months and years. More than economics and status, I lament human loss…the loss of some kinds of humanity. Please, everyone who takes the time to read these bits of information about your commissioners- pray for us, sing songs for us, and trust that we are participating in the wonderful work of Jesus Christ for the sake of all people. We are praying for you too.