John Nathanael Wilson
Business Affiliate
I help congregations create spaces where people can hear, participate, and belong. Thoughtful acoustics, discreet technology, and careful stewardship serve the life of the community.
I am John N. Wilson, president of VIATION, a sound and experience design practice focused on liturgical and historic sacred spaces. Based in Nashville, I maintain a long-standing practice in the Pacific Northwest, including work with congregations on Bainbridge Island and across Kitsap County, Washington.
I bring three decades of experience in music, technology, hospitality, and live production to this work. That experience informs how I think about welcome, attention, and what a space makes possible for the people who enter it.
For worshiping communities, my work centers on clear speech, congregational song, and technology that respects the architecture. I work with congregations, architects, and liturgical consultants to connect the needs of worship with decisions about acoustics, audiovisual systems, and budget.
Projects include Grace Episcopal Church and Island Church on Bainbridge Island, Faith Episcopal Church in Poulsbo, and Sylvan Way Baptist Church in Bremerton. Each engagement begins with understanding the community’s tradition and the character of its space.
I write about design, service, leadership, and technology at The Ledger, johnnwilson.com
APPROACH
President of VIATION; sound and experience designer specializing in sacred-space acoustics and audiovisual systems.
PHILOSOPHY
Every sacred space has a purpose shaped by the people who gather there, the tradition they practice, and the architecture they have inherited. My work begins with understanding those relationships. The design should honor what the space is and help it serve its community more fully.
I listen before I specify. How is the liturgy celebrated? Where does the spoken word originate? How do the congregation, choir, and instruments sound together? What needs to remain quiet? Those answers guide decisions about acoustics and technology, with respect for historic fabric, sacred art, and the visual character of the building.
Clear speech helps people participate. A congregation should hear itself singing. Sound reinforcement should support the natural voice and music of the space, while equipment and controls should fit the architecture and the abilities of the people who use them.
Stewardship is part of the design. A congregation’s budget represents trust and sacrifice, so recommendations must account for maintenance, future needs, and what the community can responsibly sustain. Sometimes that means working in stages, retaining what serves well, or waiting until the right work is possible.
Care is part of the craft, including the decisions no one will notice. The people who worship here now, and those who come after them, deserve that care.
TRADITIONS SERVED
I welcome work across traditions, focusing on liturgical and historic sacred spaces, with an appreciation for Orthodox worship and architecture. I design to honor each community’s tradition, the space’s character, and the worship it serves.
EDUCATION
Some college; no degree completed.
Olympic College: music studies.
Northwest College: coursework in biblical studies and scriptural interpretation within a B.A. program. I left before completing the program to start an IT company.
SERVICES
VIATION provides consulting, sound design, and audiovisual integration for liturgical and historic sacred spaces. Every project begins with understanding the community’s worship, the building’s character, and the needs of the people who use it.
Services include assessment of existing acoustics and systems; planning for speech intelligibility and musical reinforcement; audiovisual system design; loudspeaker placement and architectural integration; and coordination with architects, liturgical consultants, and artisans.
We help congregations establish priorities, evaluate options, and plan improvements within their budgets. Implementation can include installed sound, microphones, assistive listening, controls, networking, and supporting infrastructure, followed by system tuning and ongoing care.
Consulting and design guide the equipment choices. Recommendations follow from the needs of the space and its community.
SPECIALIZATION
Liturgical Consulting and Planning
PROJECTS
No projects yet.