Latest news with #St.John's
Miami Herald
a day ago
- General
- Miami Herald
For 37 years, he made a big impact at this small SoFla church. And drank a lot of coffee
When Hollywood pastor Terry Danger heard a same-sex couple planned to attend his Sunday service for the first time some 15 years ago, he decided to send a clear message. Danger went outside and changed the marquee at St. John's Lutheran Church to read, 'Everyone is welcome.' For long-time congregant and former church council leader Andy Hudson, that small but powerful gesture captured the lead-by-example qualities of Danger, the church's longtime lead pastor who is retiring this month. Hudson credits as him as one of the main reasons he and his wife chose St. John's when they moved to Florida more than 25 years ago. 'I love the fact that they want to participate in life,' Hudson said. 'This is not a come to church on Sunday and then do what you do the rest of the week. It's dude, we're here for all of it.' Danger (pronounced Dang-ger), 78, is retiring this month after 37 years at St. John's. The small church, located in the shadow of I-95 was founded in 1926, making it one of the oldest churches in Broward County. After a hurricane leveled the original building, St. John's members relocated to the current location on Van Buren. Around 1988, St. John's needed renovations and a new pastor willing to put in major work. That's when Danger came into the picture, moving from an inner city church in St. Paul, Minnesota to Hollywood. The church was then gutted and rebuilt to what it is today, including the preschool surrounding the sanctuary. At St. John's, Danger has inspired hundreds over the years to focus on the core tenets of Christianity. 'His message from the pulpit every single week is, what is Christianity about,' said Hudson. 'Jesus said take care of the widows, the orphans, the less fortunate among you. Love each other .. and that's really pretty much the essence of what we believe.' Danger has performed countless baptisms and helped people celebrate all of life's milestones from marriages to funerals. He is renowned for welcoming everyone, even furry friends, to church on Sundays. But Danger is perhaps most admired for his works outside of the church — everything from granting scholarships through Rotary Club of Hollywood to coaching softball at South Broward High School to serving on multiple boards, including the ethics board at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Congregants say he's helped people through their darkest times as a visiting pastor at a drug and alcohol facility. He's sat with people battling serious illness in hospitals and nursing homes, attempting to bring them peace at the end of their lives. He's been known to help friends in the community cut down trees and rebuild parts of their homes after storms. Church where all are welcome On a recent Friday a few weeks before his last service, Danger looked back on his long career as a pastor, which started at a 'little country church' in rural Minnesota 51 years ago. Danger moved to Hollywood in 1987 after the organist from his Minnesota church sold his turkey farm to move to the beach — and invited Danger to become the pastor at St. John's. He and his wife, Jana — a journalist who has worked at various newspapers, including the Miami Herald for over ten years — decided to stay in Hollywood and raise their family. 'He said to them, Well, I actually know a pastor who knows how to work. I'm a country boy. I know how to hammer and nail and do other things,' Danger said. St. John's is a Lutheran church, a group that was the first to split off from the Catholic Church during the Reformation. Many Lutheran churches, including St. John's, are a part of the 'Reconciling in Christ' designation, which means they welcome all people regardless of 'race, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, family status, health, faith tradition or economic circumstance,' according to the church's website. The church has a small group of LGBTQ members including one trans woman. As a minister, Danger has married at least one same-sex couple, which happened to be his own son and his partner. 'All people are welcome into God's community, period. We don't choose and we don't kick them out because they may be different,' Danger said. 'Christ didn't discriminate against the women at the well or the Canaanites or the other people. All people are welcome. And that's been the story of faith forever,' Danger said. Diminishing membership Danger isn't afraid to talk about his opinions on the world — outside of the pulpit, of course. But, his opinions on topics like politics (he doesn't care for President Trump) have caused at least one congregant to leave the church. Though, Danger doesn't see his views as particularly political — he's says worried for the state of the world, especially vulnerable populations like LGBTQ people and the rising cost of housing in Florida. But he said he never lets politics seep into his sermons. In fact, Danger said it's delivering the liturgy that he'll miss the most during retirement. 'I just love it. It's my thing. And maybe the stand up comedian part,' he said. 'I love preaching. That's fine. But my best thing is doing the liturgy and serving Holy Communion. And that just is something special for me, it means something special.' In recent years, St. John's has been struggling with declining membership, Danger said. The congregation has lost almost two-thirds of its membership since the COVID pandemic, from around 120 attendees in its heyday to 30-40 people currently. It's a trend many legacy churches are struggling with, as more modern megachurches continue to drawn in bigger crowds. Danger said he worries about the future of the church after his departure. 'I think people that are here are wonderful, but I'm worried about the church everywhere. I just don't know,' said Danger. 'Regular human beings' Long-time congregant Hudson said that it's the small, intimate moments that he'll miss the most — watching his kids throw the tennis ball with the Hudson family dog, Hemingway (who is also a frequent church-goer) in the church courtyard on Sundays, and attending Christmas pageants and Easter egg hunts with friends. For Hudson, it's his pastor's ability to be himself, flaws and all, that he appreciates as a congregant. 'He and Jana allow themselves to be seen as fallible, vulnerable, regular human beings,' Hudson said. 'He cares about the spiritual community, but he brings that down home Minnesota, salt-of-the-Earth to everything that he does and everything that he is. It's not a facade, it's just who he is.' After his last service on June 29, Danger plans to spend more time with his children and grandchildren as well as his dog, Lucia. He said he might even pick up old hobbies, like sailing or photography. One St. John's tradition that will surely be missed after Danger's retirement is the post-service coffee hour that happens each week. It's a time to bond person to person, cup to cup. 'In a world in which more and more people are alone, it's good to have a time to sit down with somebody and to have some coffee and listen to each other.' It also happens to be one of Danger's favorite ways to spend time with congregants and friends. 'For Lutherans, coffee is the third sacrament,' he said. 'Lutherans have two sacraments, baptism and Holy Communion, but coffee is darn close for a third.' This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Three St. John's stars go pro after signing NBA contracts following draft
Access the St. John's beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Zach Braziller about the inside buzz on St. John's. TRY IT NOW St. John's best season in 25 years didn't result in a draft pick, but shortly after it was over, three of the Red Storm's former stars — Kadary Richmond, RJ Luis and Aaron Scott — agreed to pro contracts. Luis, the Big East Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament, agreed to a two-way contract with the Jazz, according to a source. Richmond came to terms on a deal with the Wizards, while Scott agreed to attend summer league with the Celtics, according to sources. Deivon Smith still was waiting to decide on his next step. It was somewhat of a surprise that Luis, who was projected by some to be a mid-second-round pick, didn't get chosen in the two-day NBA Draft. 3 Kadary Richmond is going pro with the Wizards. Jason Szenes / New York Post He had a sensational junior year, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Multiple scouts felt he would wind up with a two-way deal but told The Post there were questions about his 3-point shot and decision-making. 'It's a tough thing, but he's gotta go from a star on his team to a role player,' an NBA scout familiar with Luis said. 'Tough transition, so he's probably going to have to get some G-League reps and go from there. Be a consistent shooter.' 3 RJ Luis Jr. was the Big East Player of the Year. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post When Luis declared for the draft in March, he also entered the transfer portal. The Miami native opted to stay in the draft, although he could've really cashed in by transferring. Top transfers this spring were getting upward of, and in some cases above, $2 million. 3 Aaron Scott reacts after scoring during St. John's Big East semifinal win at Madison Square Garden JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST This past season, an NBA two-way contract paid just south of $560,000. Luis and coach Rick Pitino had agreed it was best for both sides to go their separate ways when the Johnnies' season ended with a loss to Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 'The money in the NBA is night and day compared to college. It wasn't a hard decision,' Luis, who had 18 NBA workouts, said prior to the draft. 'My goal was to do the same thing at St. John's my sophomore year, but injuries held me back. I think I had an amazing year this year. [This was] ultimately the end goal, to play in the NBA and stick there.'
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
St. John's Coach Rick Pitino On NIL, Transfer Portal: 'Complaining is of No Value'
Rick Pitino took St. John's from being a team that was nowhere to be found in the NCAA Tournament conversation to a No. 2 seed in just two seasons. How did Pitino get the Red Storm to rise to prominence so quickly? Living in the reality of NIL and the transfer portal, rather than fighting it. "I felt the change was here and quitting, resigning, complaining is of no value," Pitino said about NIL on Wednesday's edition of "The Herd." "You have to win the day. You have to get the job done, and I just felt that 'Okay, we're going to use it to the best of our abilities at St. John's.' "So, we're an urban school; we're a computer school; we play in Madison Square Garden as our home court: How can we maximize our potential by embracing the NIL and the transfer portal? We went away from high school basketball players, although we have taken one or two to develop, but by and large we've gone after older players." Pitino also expressed that parents have never been more involved in the recruiting process than now. On the basketball front, Pitino explained what his practices look like. "We have player development sessions every morning, Monday through Friday, where we go three-to-four different sessions with four players, and we try to take players like a Donovan Mitchell, a Terry Rozier who maybe's not ranked top-20 or 25 in high school, and they've got a little bit of a weakness. Donovan Mitchell had a weakness with the arc on his jump shot. Everybody's got a weakness coming out that's not top 10, so we try to take those player development sessions and make the players better," Pitino said. "Our practices, yes, are very difficult, but I will say this: They're not long. We don't go more than two hours, but we go hard for two hours. We're up and down for two hours. If I make a comment or a correction, it's going to be within 12 seconds, and then we're moving on because conditioning is a gigantic part of our style of play." After going 20-13 in the 2023-24 season, Pitino and the Red Storm put together a 31-5 campaign highlighted by winning the Big East regular-season title with an 18-2 conference record, winning the Big East Tournament and claiming a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While St. John's was upset in the second round by No. 10 seed Arkansas, the 2024-25 season marked the first time in six years that the program had made the NCAA Tournament and the first time in 10 years that it had done so without having to play in the First Four round. On the personal front, Pitino won the 2024-25 Naismith, AP and Big East Coach of the Year awards. St. John's is Pitino's sixth full-time men's college basketball head-coaching gig, with the Hall of Famer previously coaching three seasons at Iona before leaving for Queens in March 2023. St. John's had a gargantuan transfer portal class this offseason, reeling in former five-star recruits and now sophomores Ian Jackson (previously of North Carolina) and Joson Sanon (previously of Arizona State), former Providence forward Bryce Hopkins, former Cincinnati forward Dillon Mitchell and former Stanford wing Oziyah Sellers, among others. 247Sports ranks St. John's transfer class as the best in men's college basketball. While the Red Storm have minimal returning players, they have big man and 2024-25 All-Big East honoree Zuby Ejiofor back for his senior season. Next season, St. John's will square off against SEC powerhouses Alabama and Kentucky, among other notable out-of-conference matchups. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Basketball Big East St. John's Red Storm recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Ex-St. John's star RJ Luis on cusp of NBA draft possibilities he once couldn't have imagined
Four years ago, RJ Luis Jr. couldn't have imagined this. Forget playing in the NBA. Even big-time college basketball was far from a given. Advertisement Luis held just two Division I scholarship offers, from Northeastern and Lamar University. He didn't want to settle, so the Miami native opted to do a prep year at Mount Zion Prep in Maryland. That's when everything changed. 'Once I went to prep school, I kind of made that jump and started to figure out myself and my work ethic,' he recalled in a phone interview with The Post. 'Everything just clicked. Since then, it's been a gradual [climb], improving and getting better as a player. Advertisement 'I wouldn't change it. The stuff that we go through in life is what makes us. It's just super cool to see all my hard work paying off.' The former St. John's star is on the cusp of a professional career, a projected second-round pick in this week's NBA Draft. He worked out for 18 teams and took part in the scouting combine in Chicago. The past few months have been a whirlwind for the 6-foot-7 wing. Advertisement 3 RJ Luis Jr. handles the ball during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine on May 15, 2025 NBAE via Getty Images In March, he became the first Johnnie to be named the Big East Player of the Year since Walter Berry in 1986. He led St. John's to its first Big East Tournament title since 2000 as the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Afterward, he called it the best week of his life. But the following weekend, second-seeded St. John's was upset by Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and Luis struggled through a nightmarish 3-for-17 shooting performance. Advertisement He was benched over the final 4:56 by coach Rick Pitino. 3 RJ Luis Jr. shoots a three point basket during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine on May 14, 2025 at Wintrust Arena. NBAE via Getty Images Luis declared for the NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal a week after that disappointment. There was some thought he could return to school — top transfers were getting upward of $3 million — but Luis opted to stick with his initial plan of going pro. 'The money in the NBA is night and day compared to college. It wasn't a hard decision,' Luis said. 'My goal was to do the same thing at St. John's my sophomore year, but injuries held me back. I think I had an amazing year this year. [This was] ultimately the end goal, to play in the NBA and stick there.' Luis has been a much-debated prospect in this draft. Teams like his athleticism, versatility and scoring ability. But his 3-point shot and decision-making need work. He will have the ball in his hands less frequently on the next level. 3 St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the team's opening NCAA Tournament game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 'It's a tough thing, but he's gotta go from a star on his team to a role player,' an NBA scout familiar with Luis said. 'Tough transition, so he's probably going to have to get some G-League reps, and go from there. Be a consistent shooter. Advertisement 'Is he one of the best 75 draft prospects in this draft and is he one of the best 500 players in the world, where he should be on some kind of NBA contract?' Said a second scout: 'He's going to have to make some modifications to his game. He's a two-way guy for sure, because he can score the ball. But he has to learn to score the ball on my terms, as opposed to his.' Luis has been somewhat of a target since that Arkansas loss. He was criticized for that performance and later questioned for not cashing in on his last year of college eligibility. He's heard the doubters. Advertisement 'One hundred percent, but that's how life is. You're always going to have people rooting against you,' Luis said. 'I'm fully positive. I know the amount of work I put in.' Luis has come a long way from those two Division I scholarship offers. His first season at St. John's was marred by injuries, a fractured left hand and nagging shin splints. He wasn't able to do much basketball-wise last summer following surgery on each shin, but still had a sensational junior season, leading the Johnnies to their best season in 25 years. If he is selected, he would become St. John's first player to hear his name called since Sir'Dominic Pointer (53rd overall by the Cavaliers) in 2015. 'It would be the same thing as winning the regular-season championship and Big East Tournament and getting a bid to the [NCAA] Tournament,' he said. 'To be able to leave my little bit of a legacy at St. John's, just make that fan base proud.'
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
"Not really a blowout" - St. John's guard Ian Jackson's prediction before Game 5 resurfaces after Oklahoma City Thunder's win
St. John's guard Ian Jackson's prediction before Game 5 resurfaces after Oklahoma City Thunder's win (Image Credit: Ian/Instagram) St. John's guard, Ian Jackson , touched on the topic of Game 5 prediction on his podcast, The Captain Jack Show. He called the Oklahoma City Thunder's performance in Game 2 'not really a blowout, but good one,' and speculated that the team will be continuing with their overhauling of the Pacers. The Oklahoma City Thunder has become the heavy favorite as the winners of the NBA Championship title after Game 5 win. They must be ready to stop the Pacers in Game 6 and seal the ring in their name. Ian Jackson's prediction before Game 5 resurfaced after Oklahoma City Thunder's win Who is going to be the winner of the upcoming NBA Finals games? Everyone was ready with their pick even before Game 5, and so was Ian Jackson, the current St. John's guard. He spoke his mind about the possible winner on his podcast, The Captain Jack Show. Talking about the combat between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, he said: 'Pacers had a later series, they played more games. They had a little more fight. We here now bro. Blow out game two. Not really a blow out but good one.' Ian Jackson's FIRST IMPRESSIONS of St. John's | Captain Jack Show Ep. 26 The comment demonstrates that he was heavily on the Thunder's side as he called the first win of the Indiana Pacers merely a fluke. Jackson's opinions are mirroring the thoughts of countless Thunder fans who have their hopes pinned on the team. Jackson said that he was 'jacking' whoever was winning, and in his opinion, it was the Thunder. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Pacers in Game 5 and won it. Not only that, they decorated their win with a couple of records, with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joining an elite club and Jalen Williams scoring his career-high 40 points. The Indiana Pacers' star Tyrese Haliburton did not live up to fans' expectations, ending his time with zero field goals in the fourth quarter. He was visibly off during Game 5's postgame presser and braved demeaning remarks from the reporters. He shrugged off the taunts recapping his fourth quarters' performance as 'zero buckets, zero shame and zero shits given.' The Oklahoma City Thunder had the tide in their favor from the start, and they did not allow the Pacers to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, as they had done in most of the earlier games. Also, Tyrese's calf injury was a vulnerable spot, which OKC cashed in on intelligently and scored a phenomenal win over the Pacers. The star performer, Jalen Williams shared how the court was shaking due to fans' frenzy as they witnessed their home team putting up a blockbuster performance. Oklahoma City Thunder eyes at Game 6 win, need to overcome Pacers' home advantage The Oklahoma City Thunder are now just a game away from making history. If they win Game 6, they will be the 2025 NBA Championship winners. It will be the first title as the Oklahoma City Thunder after their 1979 win when they had the identity as the Seattle Supersonics. The team was rechristened as the Oklahoma City Thunder when they moved to Oklahoma City. Hence, a history is about to be created if the Thunder restricts the Pacers in Game 6 and bags the title. All the Thunder players and game insiders like Ian Jackson are rooting for their success, and want the Game 6 and the title to go to the visiting side. The Thunder needs to be at the top of their game as they will be the visiting side in Game 6. The pressure to perform as a team on the road, despite the encouraging win in previous game, cannot be ignored. Also Read: Oklahoma City Thunder storm past Indiana Pacers in Game 5 to seize 3-2 NBA Finals lead, stand one win away from first-ever championship Ian Jackson is not wrong in pinning hopes on the Oklahoma City Thunder, as given the circumstances, it is a safe choice. How the team unfolds amidst all the expectations brewing up around them remains to be seen.
