In 1967 John H. Dyson, Jr. began a career as a salesman and manufacturer for his family’s business, Dyson Furniture Manufacturing Company of Little Rock, Arkansas. He concurrently served with the US Army Reserve from which he was honorably discharged in 1974, after six years of service with the 810 Station Hospital in Little Rock. With his 14 years of experience acquired while at Dyson Furniture, John began his own business endeavor in 1978. Dyson Custom Upholstery provided upholstery and custom designs to clients including Ethan Allen.
John began his formal education at Campbell Bible School in Little Rock, Arkansas, later taking General Studies at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock and State College of Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas. He completed 32 classroom hours of Liturgics, with Dr. Doug McGlynn of Church of the Ascension, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as Biblical Greek Studies through Andrewes Hall Seminary in Phoenix. He has attended Fuller Theological Seminary completing classes in Family Therapy and Church History and is certified to teach Veritas College, Modules 1-3. Pastor Dyson is currently working towards his Master of Divinity at Laud Hall Seminary.
Since beginning his ministry, Pastor Dyson has been called to serve at three churches, all of them in capital cities. He served from August, 1982 to September, 1984 as the Director of Music and Youth at the Apostolic Church in North Little Rock. In September of the same year, he began an 11-year ministry as an Associate Pastor and Youth Pastor for Christ Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his ordination from Global Christian Ministries in October 1988.
Pastor Dyson was called to the Arizona desert in 1995. He arrived in Phoenix to serve as Associate Pastor of The Valley Cathedral where he directed the Worship and Spiritual Life Department and Lay Ministry for 10 years. He also served as Interim Pastor for an 8-month period. During this time he was received as postulant in the Anglican Mission in America (December 2000) ordained into the AMiA Deaconate (January 2002) and ordained into the Anglican Priesthood (August 2003). Using his God-given gifts of teaching and exhortation, John now serves as the Senior Pastor of the newly birthed Desert Mission Anglican Church in Phoenix.
His wife, Barbara, is the Director of the Desert Mission Women’s Council and also serves as the Western Regional Coordinator for Ariel Ministries, administering discipleship classes. Barbara enjoys cooking, reading and gardening. Her gifts of hospitality and administration have proven to be a tremendous blessing in assisting John with his ministry. Barbara works in the legal department at Waste Management in Scottsdale.
As an avid golfer, Pastor Dyson enjoys the many landscapes that Arizona has to offer and is a former volunteer football coach at Phoenix Christian High School. John and Barbara were high school sweethearts and have been married for 36 years. They have two adult daughters, Neely and Erin, and a granddaughter named Savannah Grace.