While pursuing pre-med and theology at Pacific Union College, John Owens began to sing on weekends with the Heritage Singers. After marrying Catherine in 1999 and graduating from PUC, the couple moved to Loma Linda where John worked as a youth pastor at Azure Hills SDA Church for a year before beginning medicine. After a year of medical school, John began to write songs, and began to work with Scott Reed and Marc Judd on some of their songs. From this union came John's first full-length solo album, Return.

John and Catherine live with Lily, their Welsh Terrier, in Redlands California