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John Siburt | Bible, Missions and Ministry

Like father, like son.

Anyone looking for a good example of that adage needn't look beyond Dr. Charles Siburt and his son, John.

I was drawn to ACU's excellent reputation as a school that maintains academic rigor without compromising its vision of training students for Christian service around the world.

The elder Siburt is vice president for church relations, Frazer Professor of Church Enrichment, director of the doctor of ministry program, and director of the Center for Church Enrichment at ACU.

The younger Siburt doesn't have quite as extensive a resume yet, but it's obvious the two share the same interests. John Siburt earned a bachelor of arts degree in Bible/pulpit ministry from ACU in 1996 and added master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees in 1999 and 2005.

For the past seven years, John has been the preaching minister at Richardson East Church of Christ in Richardson.

John grew up in Abilene and chose to attend ACU. But he doesn't mention his father's presence on the faculty or his stature among his colleagues when talking about choosing ACU. Instead, John sounds just like graduates who had no parents on the faculty at ACU.

"I was drawn to ACU's excellent reputation as a school that maintains academic rigor without compromising its vision of training students for Christian service around the world," he said.

No doubt, dad put in a few plugs for ACU during John’s younger years. If he did, it didn’t take John long to learn that father knows best.

John touts the knowledge and skills he gained as an undergraduate and graduate student at ACU as tools he needed to be effective in congregational ministry. But there was more.

“My ACU experience provided not only technical expertise for the task of ministry but also the ability to theologically reflect on how to lead and adapt in a changing world,” he said.

John's life also was enriched in other ways at ACU. He met and married Sarah McKinney, a 1995 graduate with a degree in music education. They have two children, Katie, 7, and David, 5.

John credits his ACU experience with instilling in him a deep love for congregational ministry but also with giving him a glimpse of how the mission of God takes shape outside the walls of the church.

That experience has stirred his imagination in regards to how he can help Christians understand Christian service as something that expands beyond the borders of the local church.

With his campus days in the past, John said he continues to experience how the relationships he built at ACU affect his life.

"ACU provided me with a nurturing community that shares my sense of call," he said, "and continues to support me as a congregational minister."

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