John Kanter was born in Los Angeles to Jewish parents. At age 16, he trusted Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, as Savior.

John began attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 1986 and graduated in 1991. While at Moody, he was active in Jewish evangelism and discipleship through the ministry of two messianic congregations in the Chicago suburbs. Later, as he worked toward his degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, which he received in 1997, John co-pastored the Adat Shalom Messianic Congregation in north Dallas.

Since 1992, John has served as a missionary with CJF Ministries. Presently as a national missionary (a work in which he is preaching and teaching in over 100 churches a year), John raises prayer and financial support for CJFM missionaries in Israel. Also, through his speaking he seeks to exhort, encourage, and equip the predominantly Gentile church to live out their Romans 11:11 role of causing Jewish people to desire Jesus and the salvation He so freely offers.

John says, "My life verse is Ezra 7:10, because I deeply resonate with Ezra's central passion. Namely, to be the best student of the Word I can be, to be the best practitioner of the Word I can be, and to be the best communicator of the Word I can be, to the glory of God."

John is married to Terry, and they have a son, Stephen.