Introduction

Biography

John was the son of Ol­iv­er Ketch­am and Sar­ah T. Sam­mis, and hus­band of Ma­ry L. Sam­mis.

He moved to Lo­gans­port, In­di­ana, around 1869, where he was a suc­cess­ful bu­si­ness­man and lat­er a sec­re­ta­ry for the Young Men’s Chris­tian As­so­cia­tion.

Feeling a call to the min­is­try, he at­tend­ed Mc­Corm­ick Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois, and Lane Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio.

He was or­dained a Pres­by­te­ri­an min­is­ter in 1880, and served in Glid­den, Io­wa; In­di­an­apo­lis, In­di­ana; Grand­ha­ven, Mi­chi­gan; Red Wing, Min­ne­so­ta; and Sul­li­van, In­di­ana.

In 1901, he moved to Ca­li­for­nia, where he taught at the Bi­ble Ins­ti­tute of Los An­ge­les (BIOLA) for the rest of his ca­reer.