Jonathan spent 14 years of his formative age in Nashville, Tennessee, before he moved to Vancouver, Canada to pursue his graduate study in theology at the age of 24. Growing up in a conservative Christian home as a preacher’s son in the 50s into the 70s of the South, Mill Creek in his neighbourhood was a safe haven for him to expand his curiosity and love of nature, which was not an important issue in the church. It is through his childhood spent in the nature and quest for a God who loves what he created helped him become an advocate for God’s creation as a theologian very early on. After returning to Vancouver in 2006, Jonathan became actively involved in Brooksdale field centre of A Rocha Canada and taught courses on creation in partnership with A Rocha and Regent College.

Through Jonathan’s teaching, writing and preaching, many of his students became staff members of A Rocha in several countries, volunteers and donors. He also helped establishing partnership between his alma mater Duke University and A Rocha USA, and creating an online course on creation care and the Gospel for European Baptist Churches. Besides the many things he did to bring the love of creation back to the church and theological institutions, Jonathan used to say his proudest contribution to A Rocha was roping his wife, Soohwan, into this wonderful organization where she served as the Chair of Trustees for A Rocha International for several years.