Biography

 Personal Statistics

     Birthday:                October 22, 1959

     Height:                   6'2 when he stands up straight (which is almost never)

     Weight:                  Between 215 & 230 depending on the time of the year and how much he has eaten

     Bats:    Right        Throws:    Right        Writes:    Left        Shoots:    Left        Drives:    Right         Putts:    Left

     Drums:    Right                 (Not ambidextrous, just really messed up)

     Marital Status:      Euphorically married to Heather, 4 Kids aged 21, 23,25 & 27. A son in-law, a daughter in-law, and 3 grandkids

                                       that he adores!

                                   

 

 Responsibilities

                                       Director of Outreach and Discipleship and Bethel Pentecostal Church http://www.bethel.ca

                                       Host of Late Night Counsell and other shows, on the AM 580/CFRA http://www.cfra.com

 

  History
                           

      * Born in Wallaceburg Ontario

      * Father was the late Jack Counsell, a very successful PAOC (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada) pastor who passed away in 1989 at the age of 59

      * Mother remarried and lives in Brantford, Ontario.

      * Has a brother in St. Catharines, a sister in Windsor, 3 nieces and 2 nephews

      * Moved to Owen Sound in 1961

      * Moved to Windsor in 1966. This is where John's love for "all things Detroit" began, including the Tigers winning the World Series in '68 and '84.  As a matter of fact it

      has been proven that the Tigers can't win unless John is living in Windsor

      * Moved to Montreal in 1970

      * Moved to St. Catharines in 1974

      * Moved back to Windsor in 1977, worked at Ford Motor Company '77 to '79

      * Enrolled in Eastern Pentecostal Bible College, 1979

      * Met future wife Heather Sept. 1980

      * Filled in for departed youth pastor at his father's church University Gospel Temple, now "Parkwood Gospel Temple" in Windsor in the summer of '81, decided to finish

     out college education via correspondence.

      * Married Heather Oct/81, stayed on staff at father's church   

      * Started doing talk radio on AM 580/CKWW in Windsor Jan/82

      * First child born and deceased in Windsor, Oct. 8/82

      * Second child born in Windsor Oct/83

      * Moved back to St.Catharines joined the staff of Central Gospel Temple, now "Central Community Church" as youth pastor, July/85, started broadcasting

     immediately on AM710/CJRN, Niagara Falls, later moved to     AM610/CKTB, St. Catharines

     * Third Child Born Dec/85

      * Received ordination from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada May/87

      * Fourth Child Born Apr/88

      * Fifth Child Born Aug/89

      * Moved to Neepawa, Manitoba Oct/90 to assume senior pastor duties at Calvary Chapel

      * Moved to Brandon, Manitoba Nov/92 to assumed Senior Pastor duties at Bethel Christian Assembly

      * Started Late Night Counsell on AM 580/CFRA, Sunday Nights, 11-Midnight, from Brandon, MB, Sept/98

      * Moved to Ottawa Jan/99, and assumed senior pastor duties at Parkway Road Church in Greely

      * Sept/99 Late Night Counsell goes to 10-Midnight, weeknights

     * Joined Bethel Pentecostal Church October 2005

       * First grandson born! October '09

 

Loves:
  • Jesus Christ
  • His Wife & growing family
  • Ottawa and everything about it, even the lame/bad stuff

Likes:
Drums Hot Wheels Music Stores
Home Depot Canadian Tire Toys R Us
Lee Valley Tools Second Cup Coffee Jeff Beck
Led Zeppelin The Blues Brothers David Letterman
Robert Randolph The Office Frank Mahovlich
Steve Yzerman Daniel Alfredsson Golfing
Ottawa Senators Detroit Red Wings Sandy Koufax
Darren Helm Detroit Tigers Baseball History
Detroit Lions Buffalo Bills Toyotas
Michigan Wolverines Subarus Jim Rome
Superheroes The Natural Iron Man
Golf Tennis Road Trips
Hockey Scrabble Trivia
Designing hockey uniforms Taco Bell Mr. Submarine
Harvey's Red Lobster
 Anybody who doesn't like the Leafs
Any team playing against the Leafs

Dislikes:
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Short hair
  • Reality TV
  • Climate Change Wackos
  • Designated hitters
  • Artificial turf

Misses:
  • His Dad
  • Johnny Carson
  • Hudson's in downtown Detroit
  • Old Tiger Stadium
  • His pitching arm
  • Mark Fydrich
  • The Brooklyn Dodgers
  • The Winnipeg Jets

 


Favourite Quotes

                           

       "The older I get, the less I understand God, but the more I trust Him" Corrie Ten Boom

       "The scriptures that bug me the most are the ones I understand" Mark Twain

       "I am very suspicious of holiness that doesn't laugh" Ken Bombay

       "The will of God will never lead you, where the grace of God can't keep you" William Carey

       "The heart of the problem is usually a problem with the heart" That "announcer guy" on Late Night Counsell

       "Faithfulness, not Success" a plaque on Chuck Colson's desk

       "I am not moved by what I see or hear, I am moved by what I believe" Smith Wigglesworth

       "If you're willing to do the ridiculous, God can do the impossible" Unknown

       "Good composers borrow what great composers have stolen" Mozart

       "Dwell on the past and you'll lose an eye, forget the past and you'll lose both eyes" Alexander Solzhenytsn

       "Democracy counts heads without asking: What is in those heads?" Unknown

       "Worry is the manifestation of time not spent with God" Unknown

       "It is more important that one hears from God than He hear from you" Unknown

       "Don't try to be humble, you're not that good" Golda Meir

       "Trust in God's promises to you, not your promises to Him" Unknown

       "The only way you can lose with God is to quit" Unknown

       "Evangelism: one beggar telling another beggar where to get food" Bob Taitinger

       "Nobody ever went to Heaven whose heart wasn't there already" Unknown

       "Be a servant, there's less competition" Unknown

       "If we let go what is in our hand HE will let go what is in his hand... and his hand is a lot bigger than ours!" Lee Ezell

       "We don't see things the way they are, we see things the way WE are" Unknown

       "The most important people in the Kingdom of God are those are not yet in that Kingdom" David Blakely

       "You need God a lot more than you need his answer" Unknown

Favourite Writers

      * CS Lewis
      * Anthony Campolo
      * Jack Hayford

Heroes

    * Heather Counsell
    * Deitrich Bonhoeffer
    * Aimee Semple McPherson
    * St.Francis of Asissi
    * Guillermo Savanarola
    * Jon Hus
    * Martin Luther
    * John Wesley