Pearce

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Pearce
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Born in Ambler, Pennsylvania, on May 1, 1947, to Walter Bowden Pearce and Clara Elizabeth McIlroy Pearce, John Ellis Pearce was baptized and later confirmed at the Upper Dublin Evangelical Lutheran Church, where he remained a member until 1977.

John attended school in the Borough of Ambler and the Township of Upper Dublin, then attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he earned an A.B. degree in history.  After graduation, he earned his master of divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, then added a teaching certification from Glassboro State College in New Jersey.

In 1977 John was called to be the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Barnegat Light, New Jersey.  At that time, Zion was a dying congregation, and the church was about to close its doors.  John spent the next 30 years growing and strengthening Zion Lutheran into the healthy church it is today.

Anyone who spent more than a very short time with John soon realized that he enjoyed music and he loved to sing.  He was no musical snob, and delighted in singing everything from folk to rock to Hayden to Bach.  He was able to give scope to his talents as part of the Island Singers, a musical group from Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

In 2008, Pastor John retired and moved to Woodbine, where his strong singing voice and wise, loving sermons supported the congregation. He was pastor-in-charge at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church from June 2008 to November 2019, when failing health forced him to retire.

John’s commitment to serving others began early in his life when he became active in Boy Scouts, a connection which was maintained into adulthood.  As a youth he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, was inducted into the Order of the Arrow.  Even during his internship as a pastor, he continued to be active in the Order, assuming the responsibility for the ceremonies, costuming, and songs in the local lodge.

John was an active member of Masonic lodges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  He was also very active with the Kiwanis Clubs in New Jersey and Camden County and treasured the many friends he met at the meetings in St. Marys.

History, especially Revolutionary American history, was always a touchstone in John’s life; natural for someone who grew up close to Philadelphia, the headquarters of the American Revolution.  John was a man who continued throughout his life to educate himself about history.  He was concerned that so much was being lost to development and to neglect, and so he took it upon himself to preserve some of the history of the Pine Barrens.  He did that through the book that over the course of several years he lovingly researched and wrote, “Heart of the Pines, Ghostly Voices of the Pine Barrens,” published in 2000 by the Batsto Citizens Committee, Inc.

John is survived by his closest friends, Vincent Laganella and Dudley Lewis, and by the many people in his churches and communities who benefitted from his guidance, wisdom and faith.

While John always understood the grief that families and friends feel on the death of a loved one, he always maintained that we should rejoice in the fact that at the moment of their death, they are being welcomed with open arms by a loving God.

A memorial service will be held for John at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 30. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Woodbine (209 Bedell Ave.).  Due to the current pandemic, it is recommended that everyone wear a mask.