John Howard

The Howard family came to Kansas in the 1850s as farmers and John Howard’s parents were both raised on farms. “After getting married, my parents moved to town and had seven children, of which I am the fourth. My dad was a concrete-truck driver until he retired.”

John was born in Lawrence, Kansas and went through school there, graduating from Lawrence High School. “Since my family came here the 1850s, I don’t enjoy moving around. I like to be around my relatives and hope to stay here the rest of my life.”

John started work at an early age. “My profession was always connected to the printing industry my entire life, mostly spent in the bindery and the press area. However, I started delivering newspapers at age 11 and continued to work my way up in the local newspaper in Lawrence and then into the printing industry and retired as a pressman at the University of Kansas.”

John and Nancy Sue (Thomas) married in 1960 and have been married for 53 years. “The highlight of my life was when a friend asked me to go on a blind date and that was the girl I married 13 months later.” John and Sue have two children, a son John Jr. (deceased) and a daughter, Sandra. They also have five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Sue had a great influence on John’s walk with Christ. “I became a part of GCI (WCG) in 1967, mostly through my wife and her family, especially by her example as a believing wife.”

John, who now serves GCI’s Topeka church as its pastor, was ordained an elder and commissioned as a bivocational pastor in November 2002. “Our minister left and I was asked to be on a three-person pastoral care team. But questions came up about my not being eligible to conduct communion since I was not an elder. Later I was ordained and attended pastoral training in Dallas.” Since then, John has received a diploma in Christian Ministry from Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM).

John says this about his wife’s involvement in ministry: “Sue is very supportive of the ministry I do. She is a lady with many abilities who is dedicated to serving Christ. I use her as a sounding board in some instances. But I do not always get the answer I want, because if I do not want the truth I don’t ask her. That last sentence is a joke but it is true.”

John says he’s a “pretty open person—what you see is what I am.” What he loves about GCI is “the friendliness of the leaders of GCI and the continuing education I have been given.” He credits retired district pastor Ray Meyer as someone who was a good mentor to him and helped him in ministry.

John’s most memorable moment as a pastor was “when I was asked to baptize a young couple who grew up in the church.” He also has several passions: “My family, preaching the gospel and playing music.”

John noted that he feels closest to God, “in the morning before everything gets involved in daily activities—my head is not clouded then by all that goes on the rest of the day.”