On September 21, 1986, John Thomas Ward accompanied Father Allred to The Martin House prior to the events of the game, attempting to exorcise Amy Martin. This went poorly, resulting in the death of Amy's parents and Father Allred, while John fled.

The botched exorcism leaves John shaken psychologically and he was admitted to Yale Psychiatric (ironically the very same facility Amy Martin was put in) on November 30, 1986. There he was put under Dr. Spinel's care and was diagnosed with delusion. A month later on December 30, 1986 John felt his treatment had run its course and requested to be released.

On September 21, 1987, exactly one year after the failed exorcism, John decides to return to The Martins' house to finish what he started, despite his action having "not been approved by the Vatican." Before leaving, John sent a letter to his wife telling her his version of the story, claiming that what was reported to the public is not true and that Amy was indeed possessed.

Throughout the events of Faith and Faith: Chapter II, it is unclear whether what John witnesses is reality or if they are hallucinations he is suffering from, which would suggest that Amy was a normal girl "driven to violence by her dogmatic parents and old church rituals."

John frequently states that he is haunted by nightmares and visions. Much of his experiences seem surreal and impossible; exorcising demons, battling against inhuman creatures, seemingly burning alive before becoming a monster, etc. There are also notes from a psychiatric hospital disputing John's relation to the church, as well as his entire view of reality. Furthermore, in one of the available endings, there is a newspaper article explaining how Rome authorities outright confirmed John was never a member of the clergy.

Against this, John claims demonic possession does exist, and that he is being used as a scapegoat by the church to pin the deaths of the failed original exorcism on him.

It should be noted that all documents regarding John's supposed mental illness or illnesses can only be found after the endings, or in one case, after a secret boss battle.