• Introducing Our Ministers •
The Rev. Nathan F. Cole
Leading Tours Leads to the Ministry
T
he Rev. Nathan Field Cole grew up as the son of the Rev. Stephen and
Jennifer Cole, and was used to moving around the Church, so thoughts
of becoming a minister were always on his mind. But so was becoming a zoo
keeper.
It wasn’t until he was in college that he thought seriously about the ministry
and set his path. Now he is assistant to the pastor of the Carmel New Church in
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, where he lives with his wife, Vera (King) and their
six children: Otto, Eleora, Jasher, Corin, Marek and Aiona.
Being raised in a minister’s large family and moving about every six or
seven years, he was able to see and experience living in or visiting most of
the societies in North America before moving to Bryn Athyn for College and
Theological School.
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, then moved to Michigan and attended
Oak Arbor Elementary School from first to fifth Grade. Then the family moved
to San Diego, California, where he was home schooled, taking history and
science classes with other home-school families.
While living in California he worked part time in a pet store that
specialized in exotic birds. He enjoyed learning about parrots and the zoo
keeper side of things, as well as customer service. Later in college he worked in
a wood-working and cabinetry shop. He likes to joke that both of his first jobs
were dusty and hazardous to fingers.
167