Rudy Rasmus is co-pastor with his wife Juanita, of St. John's Downtown in Houston, Texas. He is also an author, and global humanitarian with a passion for outreach to the world’s poorest citizens. He often says his primary spiritual gift is “hanging out.”

From his previous life of owning and operating a “borderline bordello,” Pastor Rudy and Juanita began St. John's with 9 existing members in 1992. The church has grown to over 9,000 members in twenty years (30% were formerly homeless, and 40% of the total membership are in church for the first time as adults) it is one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country. He attributes the success of the church to a compassionate group of people who have embraced the vision of tearing down the walls of classism, sexism, and racism and building bridges of unconditional love, universal recovery, and unprecedented hope. A recent in-house poll revealed the number one reason people attend St. John’s is because they can “feel the love” from the parking lot to the pew.

Rudy and Juanita have been married for twenty-eight years and are the proud parents of two daughters, Morgan and Ryan.