Dr. John E. Sims received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois in 1969.  After completion of his obligation to the U.S. Army, he attended St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri; graduating in 1974 with a Master of Divinity degree.  He received his Doctoral degree in 1989 in the field of Wesleyan Studies. 

He’s been very involved in Archives and History for many decades; chairing Archives and History committees of the former Southern Illinois and Illinois Great Rivers conferences, as well as membership on the jurisdictional and national levels of our denomination. He is a past President of the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church, our denomination’s official history group.

Since ordination, he’s served churches in Jerseyville, Grayville, Alton, Edwardsville, and St. Joseph before being appointed to Urbana 1^st  UMC in January of 2004. In addition to parish ministry, he was a police chaplain for many years and taught at the University of Illinois Police Training Institute in the field of ethics.  He is a certified Disaster Chaplain with the National Transportation Safety Board, the American Red Cross, and the Department of Homeland Security.  He is also Support Chaplain with the Emergency Support Services Team of Champaign County.  He is also chaplain of the Champaign, Illinois, Fire Department. 

After the disaster on 9/11, John was sent to New York City to assist victims’ families in the aftermath of that tragedy; spending time ministering at and near Ground Zero to the needs of victims’ families of all faiths, as well as workers at the disaster site.

John and his wife, Sharon, have been married for over 35 years. Sharon is Director of Human Resources for Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana, a United Methodist Women’s agency. 

They have two children. Their daughter, Emelie, is married and has two small children. Their son, Adam, was killed in a traffic accident in 1998.

His interests include Methodist history, model railroading, reading, collecting ancient Byzantine coinage, and spending quality time with Sharon and their daughter’s family.