The Reverend Dr. Cecil "Ted" Cole, Jr, Rector

Rev. Cole came to us from St. Mary’s Church in Anchorage, Alaska, where he served as senior-level associate to the rector in charge of youth and family ministry. Before that, he was assistant rector with a focus on youth ministry and then interim minister at Christ Church, in Plymouth, MA. He has served as a youth minister at both of the congregations, offering workshops on faith formation for children, youth and families, and leading youth ministry trips to Washington, D.C. and Malawi, Africa. He has run Family Nights with child-friendly Eucharists and supports the same Godly Play curriculum used at St John’s. He has lead a variety of different adult education programs, including bible studies and dream groups. He is well-versed in Ignatian spiritual practices, spiritual dream work and is a certified Appreciative Inquiry (“AI”) coach. He has always had a commitment to LGBTQ communities and equality for individuals and groups of all races and backgrounds.

He attended Middlebury College (BA, Philosophy and Religion), Harvard Divinity School (MTS), and Boston University (Ph.D., Philosophy of Religion). He grew up in New York City, the son of a black man and white woman born in 1968, attended NYC Public Schools through 8th grade and graduated from Xavier High School in 1986. Ted remains a die-hard Mets fan.

He lives in Hyde Park with his wife, Sage Cole, who is the pastor at the Swedenborg Chapel in Cambridge, Massachusetts and their two young sons.

ted@stjohns-jp.org

The REVERENd Dorie Goehring, M.Div., PhD Candidate, Assistant Rector

Dorie (she/her/hers) joined St. John’s as a curate in September 2023, and was named Assistant Rector on January 1, 2025. A Boston native of 10 years, via Pennsylvania and New York City, she was ordained a priest on January 5, 2023 here at St. John’s. She is a PhD candidate at Boston College in Comparative Theology, where she studies Christian and Muslim approaches to bioethics. She earned her M.Div. at Harvard Divinity School and her B.A. from Fordham University in New York City. She has previously served in various leadership roles at The Crossing and Grace Episcopal Church, Newton, and as a chaplain and clinical ethics committee member at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton. She has published widely, with academic articles in Brill (forthcoming), the Journal of South Asian and Middle East Studies, and the Science, Religion, and Culture Program at Harvard Divinity School, and has written for other publications including State of Formation, The Tempest, and INTER magazine. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching British television, drinking tea, rooting for Pittsburgh sports teams, and playing RPGs.

dorie@stjohns-jp.org

Harrison Lee, Music Director

Harrison Lee is a pianist, violinist, and composer. He began playing piano at the age of six. Growing up with a mainly self-taught background, Harrison had the opportunity of discovering his personal connection to music in experimental ways and through classical music. In 2020, Harrison received a Full Tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where he studied classical, pop, rock, film, and other contemporary genres. One of Harrison’s passions is making classical music more accessible to the general audience by rearranging it with modern genres such as rock and neoclassical. He studied composition and some film score during his time at Berklee.

Harrison has had extensive experience performing as a violinist and pianist for ensembles at Rutgers University and Berklee College of Music, including Rutgers Sinfonia and the Berklee Motion Picture Orchestra. He is also an instructor at Musicians Playground in Boston, and via his online following has worked with organizations such as Musescore and Raycon. Harrison believes strongly in the healing qualities of music, and is passionate about guiding others in finding solace and overcoming hardship through the sounds they resonate with.

harrison@stjohns-jp.org

Saw Min Thein, CHildren and Youth Ministry Coordinator

Saw Min Thein (he/him/his) joins St. John’s as a faith formation coordinator in October 2025. After graduating from medical school, Saw began his theological education in Myanmar (also known as Burma), his home country. He is passionate about theological education and has served as a Baptist minister since 2019. He earned his MBBS at the University of Medicine 2, Yangon, and his MDiv at the Myanmar Institute of Theology. Saw previously served as a faculty member for four years at Pwo Karen Theological Seminary in Yangon, Myanmar, before moving to the United States for further study. He earned his MTS at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, PA, in 2024. Most recently, he completed his STM at Boston University in May 2025. Saw’s research interests focus on comparative studies of religion, the intersection between religion and science, multiple religious belonging, and interfaith dialogue. Saw lives in Allston with his wife, Susan, who is studying for an MDiv at Boston University School of Theology, and their daughter, Nova. Saw is a supporter of the English soccer team, Liverpool FC.

saw@stjohns-jp.org

Carmen Powell, Parish Administrator

Bio forthcoming!

parish.admin@stjohns-jp.org