John Henry Griffin Sr.

John Henry Griffin was born on June 22, 1940 in Amityville, (North Copiague Town of Babylon), Long Island, New York to Samuel Griffin, a well-known area carpenter, and Susan Elizabeth Arrington Griffin, a dedicated housewife.   

He attended Copiague Elementary School (now known as Susan G. Wiley Elementary School), Copiague Junior High School, both located in Copiague, Long Island, New York, and Amityville Memorial High School, in Amityville, New York.  He moved to Los Angeles, California in September 1957.  He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School on June 19, 1959.  After high school, he enrolled in the Drafting program at Los Angeles Trade Technical College and obtained an Associates Degree in Architectural Drafting on June 16, 1961.

During his twenty-one years in California, he worked for the Los Angeles Board of Education from May 27, 1960 to December 31, 1978 and held nine positions: Custodian, Senior Custodian, Head Custodian (Plant Manager I), Equipment Man, Engineering Aide, Maintenance Aide, Maintenance Helper Foreman (during which he supervised a crew of eighteen men), Building Engineer, and Maintenance Staff Aide (responsible for clerical and technical staff).  At 22, he became the youngest black supervisor in the Los Angeles Unified School District when he was promoted to Head Custodian/Plant Manager I.

He met his lifelong partner and wife, Joyce Evelyn English, in September 1957 at the Living Gospel Church in Los Angeles, where he and his family attended church.  He was attracted to her quiet spirit, intelligence, and dedication to the Lord.  On August 14, 1960, he proposed marriage and she gracefully accepted one week later on August 21st, with the blessing of both of her parents.  On June 22, 1961 at 11:00 am, they were married in a private ceremony at Abbey Wedding Chapel, in Los Angeles, California, by Reverend Frederick Grimes.  The ceremony was witnessed by Susan Griffin, John's mother, and George and Vivian English, Joyce's parents.

John really enjoyed being with his family as a child.  Mother Susan Griffin raised him in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  At an early age, he attended Glad Tidings Apostolic Church, Amityville #1 Church of God in Christ, and Mount Calvary Holy Church, where he sang in the Youth Choir.

At the age of thirteen, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour and walked in the footsteps of Jesus every since.       He began playing musical instruments at the age of twelve, even before he came to know the Lord, and was skilled in playing the accordion, organ, and keyboard.  His favorite songs were "He Will Do It Again", "It Is No Secret", "Don't Lose Your Vision of Jesus", "Have You Tried Jesus", and "Praise The Lord Everybody".  

On January 1, 1959, at the age of eighteen, he accepted his call to the ministry.  His sole purpose in becoming a minister was to win lost souls to Christ.  He took guidance during his early years in the ministry from Pastor P.H. Jefferson, Elder James W. Long, Elder Charles Andrews and Elder Harold Bell.  In 1973, he stepped out on faith and planted The Church of La Puente Body Of Christ Ministry, in La Puente, California, which later became The Church of Ontario, under the leadership of Pastor Isaac and First Lady Era Hill of Sun City, California.

His greatest joy in being a pastor was his ability to help young men and women, as well as young couples, to be educated well enough to become entrepreneurs themselves and to do the Lord's work.

In 1978, he felt the call of God and moved his family from La Puente, California to Pittsburg, Texas where he fellowshipped with long-time friends in the ministry, Brother Julius and Sister Birdie Hunter at their new church, Christ Today Holiness Church.  In 1982, he once again felt the call of God, and started a new church known as The Church Of Pittsburg, in the Center Point Community, in Pittsburg, Texas.  In 1982, he began the Fellowship Church meetings to strengthen small churches in the Body of Christ in Texas and Louisiana. Twelve churches participate in this fellowship of which he was the overseer and Bishop.  Until the Lord called him home, he continued to fellowship with the Living Gospel and its satellite assemblies in California, Texas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Virginia, now under the leadership of Bishop D.L. Jones.

After moving to Texas, he began working for Lone Star Steel Corporation on January 29, 1979, where his co-workers gave him the affectionate sobriquet "Preacher."  He developed a special relationship with Lone Star Steel CEO, William Howard Beasley III, throughout Beasley's tenure as president of the company.  Preacher invented a 24" V-roll (laminated unbreakable) called the "Soul Roll," which was installed and used by the company from March 26, 1999 thru March 26, 2001.  This invention rolled approximately 32 million feet of pipe and during the time of its use had only worn 5/16 of an inch in two years.  If he had been able to patent the "Soul Roll", he would have become an instant millionaire.  He retired from Lone Star Steel Corporation, now known as United States Steel, on January 29, 2008, after a twenty-nine year career of dedicated service as a millwright technician.

He was very active in the community and was a member of multiple organizations and spearheaded the formation and continuation of multiple others.  They are as follows: Adopt-A-Highway (president, 4 years), Center Point Memorial Cemetery Association, Inc. (president, over 20 years), Center Point Community Volunteer Fire Department (president, North East Texas) and the Conservation & Development Area (appointed Camp County representative by Judge Thomas Cravey).  In 2004, he received the Camp County Good Samaritan Award for his dedication and service to the community.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents and four of his siblings, Mickey Hicks, Alfred Hicks Sr., Gwendolyn J. Griffin, and Steven Griffin.
 
He leaves  to celebrate his life legacy his beautiful wife of 63 years, Mother Joyce Evelyn English Griffin; his four children,  Priscilla Marie Griffin Struggs (James Earl Struggs), John Henry "JAY" Griffin Jr. (Jan Monique Griffin), Diane Yvette Griffin Struggs, and Sharon Louise Griffin; fifteen grandchildren - Grathel Kennedy II, Genetia Seantea Kennedy Daniels (MarQuis Derrell Daniels), NaTisha Denise Struggs-Bell (Kevin Eugene Bell), John Henry "JAY" Griffin III (Kathy Sanchez Griffin), Justin Carl Griffin, Devonne Darnell Brown, Diele Shapre Brown Green (Charles David Green), Dianita Laverne Smith Baya (Kazungu Tony Baya), Christopher Moore, and Christian Rene Struggs; twenty-four great-grandchildren - Domonique LeJoyce Auston (Dai'von Auston), Brandice Ka'Niece Barber, Joseph Kinnard Barber, Elijah Kinnard Barber, Brandon Kinnard Barber II, Khloé Elise Bell, Kayla Bell, Karter Eugene Bell, Juliana Alexis Griffin, Khali Jhené Griffin, John Henry Griffin IV, Devin Abolencia Brown, Brieonna Shapre Green Wilkinson (Nathan Wilkinson), David "DJ" Bryant Green II, Emma Jaden Brown, Jas'Siyah Williams, Emmanuel D. Griffin, Amara E. Griffin, Alesiah Nicole Moore, Alexxa Elise "Stanka" Moore, Jaden Kitunga Baya, and Caleb Kazungu Baya;  five great- great grandchildren - Elijah O'Kieth Boyd, Righteous Jo'Earl Boyd, Legacy A'marion Boyd, Berlyn Joyce Barber, and Anthony Maxwell Wilkinson; two sisters, Della Louise Griffin Clinton and Ruth L. Griffin, two brothers, Stafford Griffin and Paul Griffin, four brothers-in-love, Herbert Lee English, George M. English, Tony English, Michael English; five sisters-in-love Joan English, Jewel Tentman, Melissa English, Paula Denise Brown, Marilyn English sisters-in-love, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

In spite of all of the success he realized in ministry during his life, he always liked to be called Brother John Griffin, not Bishop, Pastor, Elder, or Reverend.  His greatest joys were to know Jesus, his family, his children, and the tree of children that continue to be born.  At his own admission, he cherished his lovely wife and his ministry most in life, and his testimony was that he experienced the greatest miracle when the Lord allowed him to be able to walk after the August 2010 tractor accident.

His accomplishments were (1) the fact that he raised all of his children in the fear and admonition of the Lord; (2) the building of churches and fellowships in the Body of Christ Ministry, and (3) the fact that he was General Overseer over The Church of Pittsburg and Body of Christ Ministry Association.  He retired as pastor of The Church of Pittsburg in 2023 passing the mantle to his son-in-love Pastor James Struggs.  

His parting words for us today are as follows:
Purpose without direction ends in failure;
Purpose with direction always ends in success.

/s/ John Henry Griffin

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