John's Testimony

After attending Florida Bible College for a year, John toured for two years with the Internationals. This music ministry presented concerts in the USA, Canada, and Europe in order to share the gospel of Christ and encourage believers in their spiritual walk. During the first year of touring John met Linda, a singer in the group, who grew up in Levittown, PA. They were married in 1978 and are now blessed with five children. Linda holds an Associate of Arts degree in music from Bucks County Community College.

After the Internationals, John completed his bachelor's degree in biblical literature at Northeastern Bible College, Essex Fells, N.J., then enrolled at Biblical Theological Seminary in Hatfield, PA. where he completed the M.Div. degree in 1981.

From '82-'89 John served as Associate Pastor at Peoples Church of Montreal. The church is a multi-ethnic congregation of 300 located in the center of this major city. The church sent him on short term missionary trips to Indonesia ('85) and India ('87).

From 1989 through July, 2001, John served as pastor of Winona Gospel Church in Stoney Creek (across Lake Ontario from Toronto). The church is affiliated with Associated Gospel Churches of Canada. God blessed the ministry in Winona over the years with the assistance of L.K. Redinger as Minister-at-Large and John Bryan as Assistant Pastor.

In '96 John and Linda attended Charles Solomon's Institute of Exchanged Life Counseling in Pigeon Forge, TN. This solidified the helpful teaching in Dr. Solomon's books that have been so influential in John's life and pastoral counseling over the last 15 years: Handbook to Happiness, The Handbook of Acceptance, The Ins and Outs of Rejection, and Handbook for Christ-Centered Counseling.

In 2000 he became an instructor with Grace Fellowship Intl., helping with 3 Institutes. In the fall, Trans World Radio started using a recorded script of Grace Notes for a weekly episode of their MemCare by Radio program, which is sponsored by GFI. In August, 2001 John left the pastorate in Ontario and moved with his family to Tennessee where he now serves full time with Grace Fellowship International as Executive Director. The Woodwards are supported through the gifts of God's people. John counsels at the GFI center in person and by telephone.He also serves as director of GFI Counseling Institute--a distance education program leading to a diploma in biblical counseling. John is available to give conferences, including The Abundant Life, Promised Land Living, and Stress Resolution.

(Dr. Solomon's primary focus is on GFI's international works in India, Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, Kenya, and Germany. Other countries have trained workers using this model of counseling in various ministries.)

John earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in Discipleship Counseling at Luther Rice Seminary in Lithonia GA, graduating in May 2005. During this course of study he wrote a book on Trichotomy in Exchanged Life Counseling (see Theological Papers) and a manual on How to Create and Manage Web sites for Ministries (see E-books section).

John writes Grace Notes and is editor of GraceNotebook.com. Reader's prayers for his family, personal growth, and ministry would be greatly appreciated.