Rev. John Hubbs Reflects on a Lifetime of Service

Published: July 30, 2026

Author: Liz Dowell

When Rev. John Hubbs ’86 first arrived at Greenville University, he already sensed God was calling him into ministry.

What he could not have imagined was where that calling would eventually lead.

Over the next four decades, Hubbs would serve as a Free Methodist pastor, an Air Force chaplain, an Army chaplain, and now as director and endorser of Free Methodist chaplains across the United States.

After 27 years of military service and retirement from the Army this year, Hubbs is stepping into a new chapter of ministry while continuing to encourage others to follow God's call wherever it leads.

His journey began long before his military career.

Growing up in a Free Methodist church in central Illinois, Hubbs discovered his love for ministry through music. As a teenager, he joined a Youth for Christ singing group that traveled to churches throughout the region.

While many of the students were nervous about speaking in front of congregations, Hubbs found himself energized by it.

"I began to sense God saying to me, 'This is where you belong,'" Hubbs said. "This is where you feel comfortable being in front of a congregation and talking to people."

That sense of calling continued to grow. At 18 years old, he preached his first sermon at his home church and received encouragement from those around him that ministry was where he belonged.

After high school, Hubbs enrolled at Greenville University, where he studied philosophy and religion. While classes helped prepare him academically, he credits one experience above all others with shaping his future ministry.

"By far, the biggest influence that I experienced was taking an internship and spending a semester at the Olive Branch Mission in Chicago while I was a student at Greenville," he said.

The experience gave him an opportunity to move beyond the classroom and learn ministry through direct service.

"I would encourage any college student, if they have an opportunity during their college years to do some kind of practical learning by living the experience, go for it," Hubbs said. "That time spent at the Olive Branch Mission was by far the most valuable thing I experienced during my four years of college."

Hubbs also remembers the influence of Greenville professors James Reinhardt and Frank Thompson, who helped affirm his calling.

"When you sense a calling yourself, it's important to have people you look up to acknowledge that you have what it takes to pursue that call," he said.

Following graduation from Greenville and later earning a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, Hubbs spent more than eight years serving Free Methodist congregations. Yet he found himself feeling drawn toward a different type of ministry.

A friend suggested military chaplaincy.

The opportunity opened a door Hubbs had never considered.

He first served nearly nine years as an Air Force chaplain before transferring to the Army during the height of the Iraq War. Over the next two decades, he served soldiers and families around the world, including deployments to Iraq and assignments in Korea.

Unlike traditional pastoral ministry, military chaplaincy placed Hubbs directly alongside the people he served.

"If your soldiers go to the field to train, you go with them," Hubbs said. "You're out there in the heat or the weather, sleeping in a one-man tent. You build a bond because you're sharing the experiences."

That shared experience became one of the most meaningful aspects of his ministry.

As a chaplain, Hubbs regularly counseled people from a wide variety of faith backgrounds and life experiences. Because chaplains offer complete confidentiality, service members often turn to him during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Now retired from the Army, Hubbs is bringing those experiences into his new role overseeing Free Methodist chaplain ministries.

The position allows him to support chaplains serving in hospitals, hospices, correctional facilities, police and fire departments, retirement communities, workplaces, universities, and the military.

For Hubbs, it is also an opportunity to help the next generation understand that ministry can take many forms.