SCHAUMBURG, Ill. –– John Machonis, a member of Our Redeemer’s UMC and advocate for Society of St. Andrew efforts to eliminate hunger, holds 22 U.S. patents and 14 technical papers in the field of chemical engineering.
The active United Methodist layman is also a member of the Circuit Rider Society, a group of men who annually pledge at least $1,500 to support men’s ministry around the world.
A 1963 chemical engineer graduate of Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute, Machonis worked in the plastic raw material industry for Mobil Chemical, Chemplex Co. and Morton Chemical.
In a career that ranged from research and development to business management, he concluded as partner and co-founder of Soaurus and MSI Technology, specialty plastic businesses.
Machonis and his wife, Edie, are involved in mission work through the Appalachian Service Project and a feeding program called Feed My Sheep in Maui, Hawaii. “Our family is dedicated to fighting M.S. through our daughter-in-law's foundation ’Crop for a Cause, Making M.S. a Memory’,” says Machonis.
A 36-year member of Our Redeemer's UMC, Machonis serves as a lay member to the Northern Illinois Conference and a member of the finance committee and treasurer of Our Redeemer’s UM Men. For 19 years, he has also led fund-raising efforts for the Society of St. Andrew.
Married to Edie for 49 years, the couple has two sons and two grandsons. They frequently play golf with their sons and grandsons and spend their winters in Maui.
Asked why he is a member of the Circuit Rider Society, Machonis says, “I believe it is the responsibility of all Christian men to lead their families to a relationship with Christ. This task cannot be accomplished alone. I find support within the United Methodist Men, be it at my church or at the district, conference or national level.”