His Faith & Ministry

Unique John Willis’ Trademarks

Standing at street corners to do chalk art

Carrying and giving out gospel tracts wherever he went

Caring for his semi-invalid parents and giving up the opportunity to get married

Travelling the world to share about Jesus’ love

Regularly writing cards and letters of encouragement to a mailing list of over 200 recipients in his own handwriting

Constantly reading, buying, lending and giving away tons of books

Becoming a pastor in Singapore at the age of 64, after retiring from a postal service job in Chicago.

Welcoming church members with a firm, warm handshake and personalized questions at the door of the church every Sunday

Following up on members who did not come to church

Visiting families during Chinese New Year with his ‘passport’ - two mandarin oranges

Calling members who were overseas to see if they were safe and going all the way to visit them at his own expense

Being available 24 hours a day to his ‘children’ (church members) and loving all 960 of them

Always listening, praying and pointing people to the Word of God

Counseling and solemnizing the marriages for over 200 couples and reminding them to love all each other every year thereafter

Tucking into chicken rice, turtle soup and durian, just like a typical Singaporean

Never owning a house but living frugally in a small non air-conditioned room in Church and giving all he had saved to two Bible colleges

Going for mission trips until he could no longer do so (at the age of 92) because of poor health.

Seeing the elderly care hospital where he stayed during the last stage of his life as his mission field

Being an effective testimony for God and being concerned that everyone he met knew the truth of the Gospel

Influencing many to love and serve as Jesus would