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John brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and humor as pastor of Wildwood Christian Church. Most importantly, John loves Jesus and serving Him.
In early 2018, John was asked to step into the interim co-pastor, along with co-pastor and fellow elder Anthony Hawkins when the former pastor retired. After a few months, the congregation enjoyed the variety of the two different preaching styles of Pastor Anthony and Pastor John, the interim was dropped, and they still continue to switch off every week in bringing the message.
Pastor John has a teaching-style in his sermon presentation, which is loaded with stories, comedy, and engaging. Where Pastor Anthony’s preaching style is full of zeal, joy and his enthusiasm is infectious. I work very hard to make each sermon where you will be energized, learn something new, grow in your faith, laugh, and get to know the Lord better.
A successful career in nonprofit leadership, John retired from The Salvation Army in October 2019 as Director of Development. Previously, John served as Vice President of Leadership Giving for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Vice President of the National Pain Foundation, Executive Director of Development and Public Relations for The Salvation Army’s Intermountain Division, which served Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana, then with The Salvation Army’s Cascade Division overseeing fundraising in Oregon and Idaho, and was the Executive Director of one of the largest emergency shelters for abused and neglected children in South Carolina.
John’s education includes; Christian Life College, The Fund Raising School at Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, Maryville Academy as the first certified Family Treatment Parents for innovative therapeutic foster care program, and the State of Indiana certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
John and his wife, Kathy, have three grown children and ten grandchildren. John Sebby is well known for his sense of humor, original water-colored Christmas cards and thank-you notes as well as his dedication to providing services to those in need.
In the Summer of 1969, Anthony remembers having a Damascus Road type of experience when he was on his way to a summer job at a school on the far end of the Village of Cleves, Ohio. He remembers in his own way fellowshipping with God and a light came down from the sky and showed on him and he began to cry and unbeknown to him at that time his life had been blessed to do the work of Christ. Later he began to “Preach” to his friends. He didn’t have the knowledge or the power to do it at that time but the fire was lit.
Not fully appreciating what happened to him he went on and lived his life. Everything he did or thought he was big and bad enough to do. He felt like there was a restraint on his life. He could experience up to this point but no further and he gives thanks and praise to God for that because a lot of people that he hung out with were getting messed up, jacked up and tore down because of what they were into. This is not to say that He got away with stuff because he paid his dues for a foolish lifestyle.
At the age of Twenty-Four he left Addyston, OH and joined the Air Force, went to Texas for basic training and MOS Training. He was stationed at March Air Force Base which was in Moreno Valley California from December 1978 until April 1997. He lived there and experienced life to the fullest and met his future wife there. They had their share of life’s ups and downs. He started to feel the pull of God on his life again after he got out of the Service. Still living in the world doing what he thought he was big and bad enough to do. But, while doing all this he found his desire was to know God and learn about Him, so he started going to different Churches and spent a year with the Jehovah Witnesses and they said that he had to join or they would move on. They moved on and so did he. It never felt like the right fit for him.
The Summer of 1996 while being homeless with his past wife, he had a dream of being in a pulpit preaching. So, in April of 1997 he told his family that they were going to leave California. He didn’t know how because he wasn’t working but God made a way so he left them and moved back to Ohio, found a job and was able to move all of them back with him. God is a way maker & made it possible for them to be together.
It was at this time that he told the woman who had been by his side all through the early years that he couldn’t do God’s work until they got married so the following year June 1998 they were married.
April of 1999 their house was destroyed by a tornado while they were in it sleeping. No one got so much as a scratch on them, the house was tore up, no walls, the only thing standing was the bathroom. God was speaking to them and all those that had an ear to hear what He was saying.
He left the Methodist Church and joined the Early Church of God in Christ {Samaria} which was Pastored by J. Raglin. He grew under her watch care and that of the ECOGIC Movement which at that time was under Bishop Wilson {The year he left Methodist Church was 2000}.
He did his Trial Sermon in Atlanta that year from the Book of Isaiah 10:3 “Time of your Visitation”. 2005 he was called into the Prophetic, two years but he ran from it. He could not run far or fast enough to get away from the call, so in 2007 at Samaria, he told the Pastor about his calling. She told me that it was up to him to make the announcement. So, at the Conference in 2007 at Mount Calvary, he made the announcement and did a sermon which was out of Ezekiel 2: 2-10 and 3:18-22.
On December 7, 2014 his life was turned upside down with the death of his wife. He had been with her for 30+ years, and it was a gut shot of the worst kind for him and their children, but God was there through it all and they made it!
God had a woman waiting in the wings who was to be his Joshua. Peggy was his Moses “that was a revelation word”. Gina is his Joshua. They were entering into the Promise Land. They were Married in November of 2016. They moved to Georgia and he was planted at Wildwood Church where he would co-Preach.
He believes one of the Greatest Miracles in his life is that he has never been to Seminary or Bible College and God has led him to sources which he has learned from, those he believed the Holy Spirit set in front of him to teach and mentor him. He has always loved to dig in the word of God so that has been a blessing to him and the Bible says that your gifts will make room for you. (Proverbs 18:16) Through it all he says To God be the Glory Forever and ever, Amen
Because of his New Wife, his family has been extended, so he now has two more sons to go with the two daughters and one son and he was blessed with a daughter and son in law and grandchildren too. So he says he is Blessed Hallelujah Glory to God!