John was born in China and grew up in an atheist background. After graduation from college in 1998, he was diagnosed with a serious heart problem and could die in a few years. He began to think about the meaning of life and how to face death. His brother shared the Gospel with him, and by God’s grace, he became a Christian in 2000 after one year’s struggle. He began to serve in his local churches in 2008 through preaching and teaching. In 2017, he was called by God for full-time ministry, so he went to study at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and got a Master of Divinity degree. He and his wife Addie have four children: Esther, Matthew, Lucy, and Tom. In 2021, his family moved to Spartanburg and served in the East Asian church.

张劲鹏牧师出生于中国，在一个无神论的背景中长大。1998 年大学毕业后，他被诊断患有严重的心脏疾病并且可能几年后去世。他开始思考生命的意义和如何面对死亡。他的哥哥向他传福音。因着神的恩典，他经历一年的挣扎后于 2000 年成为基督徒。2008 年，他开始在教会参与讲台事工。2017 年底，他蒙神呼召全职服侍。之后在美国肯塔基州的路易斯维尔的南方浸信会神学院就读，获得道学硕士学位。他与妻子许姐妹有四个孩子：恩许，恩异，恩言，和恩道。2021 年 1 月份，他们全家搬到 Spartanburg，开始在当地的华人事工。