The Reverend John A. Bookshaw was born in Hamilton, Ohio on April 4, 1953 to Alexander and Pauline(Turick) Bucsa (Bookshaw).  When John was very young the family moved to Zanesville, Ohio.  The family then moved to Fraser, Michigan where he entered kindergarten.  He graduated from Fraser High School in 1971.

John began his higher education at Macomb Community College, Mount Clemens, Michigan where he studied law enforcement and received an associate degree in 1974. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1975 from Northern Michigan University, where he majored in criminal justice and minored in political science.  Following graduation, he began a successful career in Detroit as a sales representative for Boise Cascade Office Products.  In the fall of 1978, he began studying for the ministry, graduating from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri in 1982.  (His vicarage year was at Faith, Grand Blanc, Michigan 1980-1981)

John’s first call was to Zion, in Holland, Michigan in 1982.  In May of 1988 he accepted a call from the Board of Mission Services of the LCMS to become an active duty Chaplain in the United States Army.  Upon completing Chaplain’s School in Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey he arrived at his first assignment at Ft. Polk, Louisiana.  In 1991, the Army sent him to Schweinfurt, Germany.

John returned to full-time parish ministry in 1993 to serve the congregation at First, in Charlotte, Michigan.  In 1998 he accepted a call to Holy Cross, Jenison, Michigan.  The year, 2002, he accepted a position with Crossways International as a presenter. June 2004, he was installed at St. Peter, Big Rapids, Michigan, where he currently serves as Senior Pastor.

John and the former Connie Wurth were married in September 1976.   They have three children, Stephen, Meghan, and Phillip.

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