Very Rev. Fr. John Finley

Very Reverend Father John Finley (attached) was born in McAlester, Oklahoma and moved to Goleta in 1977. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma Baptist University; an S.T.M. from St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology; and a Master of Arts in musicology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Fr. John is attached to the altar of St. Athanasius Orthodox Church. Ordained to the priesthood in 1997, and elevated to the rank of archpriest in 2004, he has been an active field staff member of the Department of Missions and Evangelism for the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America since 1996, establishing numerous mission churches in the US and Canada. His career includes music performance, conducting, and composition; piano tuning; academic lecturing, teaching, and administration; published writings; and parish leadership.

Fr. John is a staff member of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, serving as Chairman of the Department of Missions and Evangelism since 2016.  https://www.missionsandevangelism.com/

Fr. John is married to Khouria Jan Finley, the father of three grown children, and a grandfather. His hobbies include fishing, golf, and cooking.