John Ballinger, an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren, is the third executive to be called in the Northern Ohio District since its formation in 1963. He holds degrees in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University in Ada and in pastoral ministry and church administration from Ashland Theological Seminary. He has continued his studies at Ashland and Bethany (Church of the Brethren) Theological Seminaries, the Alban Institute, and the Moody Bible Institute.

Prior to entering the ministry, John practiced hospital and retail pharmacy. He pastored congregations in Sheffield Lake and Ashland, served as a hospital chaplain, and led Master of Divinity study groups at Ashland Seminary. He is a 2003 graduate of Leadership Ashland (the leadership development program of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce), and currently serves as leadership practices instructor for the program. John and his wife Kathy are the parents of three grown children. They live in Jackson Township in northern Ashland County.

One of John's favorite church-related Bible passages is Ephesians 4:12-13, which reminds church leaders that "Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ." (from the New Living Translation)