Meet John aka “PhillyGoLive”

Meet John AKA “Phillygolive” founder of The Common Ground Project USA and Founder/Host of The Common Ground Podcast.

John “PhillyGoLive” – Or Philly for short – spent most of his life in the city of Philadelphia. Philly is a culture all its own. They say, “You can take the boy out of Philly, but you can’t take Philly out of the boy.”

I grew up in the hood. My white family was one of the few left in the neighborhood when we moved. I’ve heard gunshots outside my house. I’ve heard the screams of a mother running down the block crying, “Not my baby!” I’ve seen a mob of people marching down the street, and I’ve had my brother and his friend rushed into the house during a shootout. I was once surrounded by a group of kids and had rocks thrown at me because of my skin color. I’ve had a knife pulled on me and been held up at gunpoint. I’ve been turned away from a restaurant because my friends were people of color. I’ve seen hate, and I’ve seen what hate can do.

But I also grew up in the Baptist church. Both these environments had a profound impact on me, and I wouldn’t change a thing about my life.

Family and Personal Life:

I’m divorced, and I have three beautiful, smart daughters. I met my ex-wife in Bible college, and we were married for 17 years. I’m the one who ended the marriage, and it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I felt like a failure—like I let down God, my ex-wife, my kids, and myself. It took me a long time to recover from that choice. Even now, I still feel like I failed, but I also believe I made the right decision. I still believe in marriage and would be open to it in the future, though I would advise anyone to be absolutely sure they’re with the right person before taking that step.

Church and Ministry:

In my late teens and early adulthood, I became very involved in the church. One of my proudest accomplishments came at 16, when my dad was running the youth group. I suggested to him that the youth should go on a camping trip. He liked the idea but told me that if I wanted it to happen, I’d need to make it happen. So, at 16, I planned the whole trip: I found the campsite, arranged transportation, created registration forms, calculated costs, set the schedule, prepared the menu, bought the food, and coordinated sleeping arrangements. The trip was a hit and became an annual event. Over time, it grew from a youth trip to a combined men’s and youth event, then to an entire church camping retreat. I became the unofficial Youth Pastor until I left the church during my senior year of college. I have been involved in youth ministry over the years. I have been an ordained deacon and preached many sermons. I have felt that God has me do ministry where ever I go. Whether online ministering to the LBGQT+ community or one on one driving rideshare.

Career and Personal Journey:

Throughout my life, I’ve worked a variety of jobs: technician, casino dealer, self-employed, manager at Cinemark, Wendy’s, and GM at The UPS Store. For the past five years, I’ve been doing ridesharing. A few years ago, I started the Common Ground Podcast on a social media app, which you can learn more about in the About section of the website. As far as ministry, I’ve been involved sporadically over the years. On February 2nd, 2020, I was ordained as a deacon at a local church, but the church closed shortly after due to COVID.

Faith and Beliefs:

My relationship with the church has been rocky at times, but my faith remains strong. I believe in the Bible, and I try to live my life according to the example of Jesus, who I see as the model for how we should live. I believe we are called to love all people—no exceptions. I don’t believe it’s our place to judge others. We all have our sins, and outward sin is no different from inward sin (the private things we do behind closed doors). Jesus was clear when he said, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). In another instance, he said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). The church should be a place of grace and mercy, not judgment and condemnation.

Let me be clear: I do believe we should preach against sin, but it shouldn’t be about attacking individuals. The Holy Spirit convicts, not us. If you ask my opinion, I’ll share it, but it’s important to remember that your journey with God is yours alone. My role is to love you, and I share this because, as the founder and host, I want you to know where I’m coming from and feel safe in this space. My goal is to show you love.

Political Views:

My political views have evolved over time. I grew up a Republican, but I became disenchanted with politics, feeling that none of the politicians truly cared about the people. I still get upset when I hear people just parroting the party line without thinking critically. To be honest, that still bothers me, because I really wish people would search for truth rather than accepting everything at face value. Today, I consider myself more independent/Libertarian.

I’m anti-war—war should be a last resort, and I mean the very last resort. I am personally pro-life. I also believe that we shouldn’t dictate what people can or can’t do with their own bodies. I think the pro-life movement, while well-intentioned, can hurt the Christian perspective more than it helps. Abortions are up since Roe V Wade was overturned. Here are two reasons why it the pro-life movement hurts church:

It alienates people who feel like the cause matters more than the person.
It allows the church to sit back and promote a cause rather than being actively involved in people’s lives. It’s easier to campaign for something than it is to build genuine relationships.

On the political side, I believe in smaller government and more fiscal responsibility.

Final Thoughts:

I truly love people. I want to see everyone happy and working together. My life has brought me to this point, and I’ve seen both hate and hopelessness. But I want more for you, for this city, for this state, and for this country. We are better when we come together. We can accomplish great things when we are unified.

Welcome to this part of my journey, and I hope it becomes part of yours as well.

Talk to you soon.