We are blessed that Reverend John Cheek has come aboard as Renewal Center’s Board Chaplain as he brings a wealth of compassion, experience and knowledge in regard to the work that we do here at Renewal. In his first career, Reverend Cheek was a police officer, working for the Douglas Police Department, the Pima County Attorney’s Office, and the Tucson Police Department. Over the course of his 24-year career, he served as a patrol officer, investigator, in-service trainer academy instructor, field training instructor, and hostage negotiator.
While in his mid-forties, Reverend Cheek experienced a call to ordained ministry. During the 8 ½ years Reverend Cheek was attending Fuller Theological Seminary, John served Northminster Presbyterian Church in a non-ordained capacity. Subsequent to the completion of his M Div. degree, Reverend Cheek was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and served Northminster Presbyterian as an associate pastor for thirteen years. John has also served as an interim pastor, a transitional pastor, and a temporary pastor providing care during another Pastor’s sabbatical leave. Since 2011, Reverend Cheek has served as a volunteer on the National Response Team of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, primarily in the area of emotional and spiritual care. These experiences have led Reverend Cheek to specialize in caring for those who suffer from compassion fatigue, stress and caregiver burnout. In addition, Reverend Cheek due to his work in Disaster Recovery and Response, has received highly specialized training in trauma response and recovery.
In addition to the SWAT Analysis, Reverend Cheek as Board Chaplain will be available as needed to provide spiritual care to us. As he meets with each one of you, he will explain more about his role and learn more about you, your work, and your needs as a therapist both emotionally and spiritually.