The Institute for Spirituality and Health recognizes that humans are spiritual beings and that healthcare should reflect this reality. Our mission is to increase awareness of the role that spirituality plays in health and healing, in coping with chronic illness and in maintaining optimal health.
President and C.E.O. of the Institute Dr. John K. Graham is both a physician and a priest. He received his M.D. Degree from Tulane Medical School in New Orleans and is board-certified in two medical specialties – otolaryngology and plastic & reconstructive surgery. John was in the private practice of medicine in Shreveport, LA for twenty years and was founder of the Plastic Surgery Center there. He received national media exposure in 1977 when he used his microsurgery training to successfully replant the totally amputated arm of a 4 year old boy. The story was told in an article in Guideposts magazine.
In 1990, John left the practice of medicine and responded to God’s call to the priesthood. He attended Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA and received his Master of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. In 2001 he received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Following ordination to the priesthood, John served at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Austin, TX, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Houston and, for twelve years (1998-2010), as Sr. Associate Rector at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston.
At St. Martin’s, John established several ministries: Men’s Covenant Group; a Prayer Ministry Team; a Christian Meditation Group; a Spirituality-in-Art class; and the Order of St. Luke the Physician — a lay ministry for healing prayer. John served as chaplain for Daughters of the King, Cursillo, the Men of St. Martin’s, and the Single Adult class. For ten years he led retreats to Laity Lodge in Kerrville, TX and for three years taught Men’s Life, a 22-week class to strengthen men in their marriage, family, and at work. Having been a chaplain to Spirituality-in-Art, John lead annual group tours to Italy and France. In 2009, John also served as chaplain on St. Martin’s mission trip to Amistad Orphanage in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
In the diocese of Texas, John was a founding member of the Board of Directors of St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, a ministry to the medically under-served in the region. He also was a member of the Board of Directors of El Buen Samaritano, a ministry to the medically under-served Hispanic community in Austin, TX. John served as Spiritual Director for Cursillo in the Diocese of Texas and as Alternate Deputy to the 2003 General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Minneapolis, MN.
Dr. Graham retired from active ministry in November of 2009. He spent a year at Open Door Mission where he served as a Pastoral Counselor. During this time he completed a two-year fellowship in Psychotherapy at the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute. Following this he served at the InterFace Samaritan Counseling Center in Houston and presently is Spiritual Director to the Inter-Face Staff.
On March 17, 2010, John was elected President and C.E.O. of the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center. His passion is to see the integration of spirituality and medicine, which he believes alone can bring optimum health to people. In this area of his interest, John has given talks to churches and civic groups throughtout the region and has served as a Keynote Speaker at several medical conventions sharing our current understanding of the connection between spirituality and health.
Dr. Graham is the author of two books, Mold Me and Shape Me, and most recently, Graham Crackers and Milk: Food for the Heart and Soul. He and his wife, Pat, have five grown children and eighteen grandchildren. Contact Information
Phone: 713-797-0600
Email: