John Pantry

John trained as a recording engineer and worked for some years in the music business, contributing to many hit records for various artists. He also met with some success as a songwriter and in one memorable month there were six singles by different secular artists released, all singing his songs. He appeared with Kenny Everett on Radio 1, worked on the early Bee Gees albums as well as time spent with the Stones, the Kinks, the Small Faces, the Who and many others. Following his conversion to Christianity his first Christian production was "Light Up The Fire" which made it to the UK charts. He spent a year working for Maranatha Music in California and on his return to Britain began touring internationally as a singer and speaker releasing a dozen Christian albums. In 1989 he was accepted by the Anglican Church for ordination and after training at Oak Hill College, was ordained in 1993. In 1995 he joined the work at Premier Radio.

At weekends he works as a non-stipendiary Curate and is married to Jackie. They live on an island where access is often prevented by a high tide, have three children, six grandchildren, two dogs and nine fish.

Fact box:

• John has visited 31 countries in the past few years
• He'd really like to be a house builder and has personally renovated a cottage and built two extensions on houses
• One of his daughters was born on Christmas day
• Last year he ministered at his son's wedding
• He's currently writing a new musical setting for a communion service