ALHAMBRA, CA (February 16, 2017) — Covenant minister John A. Wood died February 12 at the age of 62 after a battle with early-onset dementia.
John was born on June 29, 1954, in Rahway, New Jersey, to John and Alice Patricia “Pat” Wood.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Bible from Fletcher Hills Bible College and an MDiv from Talbot Theological Seminary.
John married Susan Carlson on February 18, 1985. She survives.
He served as the junior high pastor at Rolling Hills (California) Covenant Church; youth and family pastor at Buffalo (Minnesota) Covenant Church; pastor at Neighborhood Covenant Church in Rosemead, California; and pastor of Pisgah Family Worship Center in Los Angeles. After leaving full-time ministry, he served as a family counselor at need, in marketing, and in training and development.
The impact of John’s life and love upon the lives of junior high students and their families is immeasurable. His nine years as full-time junior high pastor touched over 500 youth, many of whom say that John changed the course of their lives and taught the Bible using illustrations they remember today.
John was serving at Neighborhood Covenant Church when a Hispanic Covenant congregation was forming and sought to rent from the established congregation. Rather than enter into a landlord-tenant relationship, the churches decided to merge into a single bilingual congregation. Each had separate worship services but shared a children’s ministry and held social events together. John proposed the idea and took a cut in hours and pay so that the church could provide Pastor Santiago Tezagüic the same Covenant benefits he had.
Survivors include an adopted daughter, Charissa Wood.
Viewing will be from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 3, at Oakdale Memorial Park and Mortuary in Glendora, California. A graveside service will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 4, at Oakdale. A memorial service will be conducted at Pasadena Covenant Church at 11 a.m., also on March 4.
