John M. Palmer was elected general secretary of the Assemblies of God at the 52nd General Council in August 2007. John is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the Executive Presbytery. As general secretary, John oversees the credentialing of ministers, church chartering, the collection of official statistics and the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.

Prior to his current post, John served as Executive Presbyter of the North Central Region and as an AG World Missions representative for the Africa Oasis Project, raising funds to dig wells in East Africa and plant churches in those same communities. In 2006, he founded Come Alongside Ministry, in order to provide encouragement, coaching and consultation to pastors and churches. John served as senior pastor of First Assembly of God, Des Moines, Iowa from 1985-2006. He pioneered New Life Assembly of God, Athens, Ohio from 1974-1985.

John holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and is a 1974 graduate of Central Bible College.

John is author of Equipping for Ministry, Stories to Keep you Looking Up and Keeping Up With the Jonahs, and has contributed to many others including: The Decisive Leader, The Pentecostal Pastor and Power for Living. He has also written numerous articles for Today’s Pentecostal Evangel.