John Eldon Hendricks

John Eldon Hendricks was born in Batavia, New York on March 25, 1933, to Fred and Melva Hendricks.  He was the youngest of 9 children.

After graduating from high school, he put himself through school by working at a funeral home. He graduated from Greenville College in 1954.  He attended Asbury Seminary and received both his Master of Arts and Doctor of Ministry from California Graduate School of Theology.  He also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Spring Arbor College.

He met and married the love of his life, Bobbie, in 1956, and they quickly accepted the call into ministry serving first as youth pastor in Dearborn, Michigan then as Senior Pastor in Ypsilanti, Michigan; St. Petersburg, FL; Spring Arbor, MI; Greenville, IL and Lakeland, FL. 

He loved people and never met a stranger. With a beautiful tenor voice, he traveled in a men’s quartet during college and the love of music stayed with him for life especially quartet music and hymns.  There wasn’t a hymn he didn’t know, and he could sing every verse by heart.

He was kind, caring and compassionate. He was a gifted writer, speaker and master of alliteration.  He had the ability to make the Word of God come alive as he shared deep truths from its scriptures.  He retired from full-time ministry at age 80 after faithfully serving as a pastor in the Free Methodist Church for 58 years.

He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many.  His faith became sight when he went to be with the Lord on Sunday, November 25, 2018.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Melva Hendricks, brothers – Fred, Ernie, Harold and Bob, and sisters Louise and Mary.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Bobbie, of the home; son - Mark Hendricks of Plymouth, MI; daughters - Marta and husband Mark Bane of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Mari and husband Steve Schippers of Howell, MI. Seven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren; one sister Genevieve Andrews of Lakeland, FL and one brother Herb Hendricks of North Chesterfield, VA, and a host of extended family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Light & Life Free Methodist Church in Lakeland, Florida on Friday, November 30,2018, at 3:00 p.m...  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his honor to the International Child Care Ministries of the Free Methodist Church via, http://bit.ly/ICCMjh.

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