On October 6, 2019 St. John's welcomed Pastor Paul Braden as their Transition Pastor. He will serve as pastor on a part-time basis until a longer term option becomes available.
Pastor Paul is a native of the Lehigh Valley and grew up in Forks Township. His father, Eddie Braden, owned and operated Braden’s Flying Service at the Easton Airport (known now as Braden Air Park); so in addition to being a pastor, he is a pilot and flight instructor.
He graduated from Easton High School, and then attended Brown University and the Harvard Divinity School. After serving a parish in Rochester, NY for five years, he returned to Easton in 1976 and joined his father in the family business.
In 1997 Pastor Paul returned to the pastoral ministry and served at Salem, Bethlehem for 15 years, until retiring in June of 2012. Following that he served for four years as transition pastor at St. Timothy, Allentown; and then for about a year each at St. Mark, Bethlehem Township, St. Paul Third, Easton, and St. Paul, Fountain Hill.
He is married to Paula Herron, who with her brother, Demetri, owns and operates Herron Funeral Homes & Crematory with locations in Bethlehem and Allentown. Pastor Paul has three adult children: Elizabeth, Kathryn, and Matthew; and five grandchildren (three boys and two girls, ranging in age from 10 years to 1 year).