Reverend Jonathan Speegle, Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Speegle is an elder in The United Methodist Church and, prior to his appointment to St. Luke, the pastor of Covenant UMC in Columbus, MS. (Covenant is a new congregation formed from the merger of two historic Columbus Churches). He is a member of The Order of Saint Luke, a Pastoral Care Specialist in the field of Bowen Family Systems Theory, and a past recipient of the United Methodist Women's Cross and Flame Award.

Dr. Speegle holds a PhD from Baylor University where he specialized in Christian Systematic Theology.  His education includes a MDiv from Beeson Divinity School and a BA from Samford University, as well as work at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

Dr. Speegle has been a Methodist preacher for over 17 years, serving in the Annual Conferences of North Alabama, Central Texas, and now Mississippi, where among other duties he serves on the Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue.  Preceding his assignment in Columbus, he was appointed to serve beyond the local Church as Visiting Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he taught The Christian Religion, Religion in America, Comparative Religion, and Introduction to Islam.

Jonathan is originally from Birmingham, Alabama, where he met and married his wife Lynn 29 years ago; they have one daughter, Tiffany, and one granddaughter, Izzy.  He is an avid Pilgrim Traveler, a director on the board of several non-profit organizations, and the owner of a seldom used but greatly treasured sailboat and motorcycle.