Our Pastors

Pastor Gwendolyn Johnson-Bond’s Biography

The Rev. Gwendolyn Johnson-Bond grew up in the Bronxdale Housing Project, Bronx, New
York, the oldest of five children. When she was 11 years old, her neighbor and friend, Ethel
Coston, invited her to attend Sunday School with her at Church of the Abiding Presence, a
Lutheran mission congregation in the community. Through this congregation’s ministry and
former pastor, the Rev. Harry Fullilove, and his wife Ruth, Gwen was introduced to and accepted
the love and power and justice of Jesus Christ for her life.
Gwen attended Augsburg College, a Lutheran-related institution in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
graduating with a B.A. in elementary education and a minor in biology. She returned to New
York City and taught for three years as an elementary school teacher at St. Peter’s Lutheran
School in the South Bronx.
Gwen experienced a sense of call as she considered her own faith journey and recognized the
need for African-American pastors willing to serve in urban congregations of the Lutheran
church as shepherds, role models, and advocates for justice. She enrolled at Union Theological
Seminary in New York with an interest in urban ministry and liberation theology, interned at
Advent Lutheran Church in North Philadelphia, and spent a required Lutheran identity semester
at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. She graduated from Union in
1980.
Ordained in 1981, Gwen and her husband of 43 years, the Rev. Neil A. Bond, have pastored
together in team ministries at Immanuel Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia until 1986; at a
new Lutheran mission in Baltimore, Maryland until 1988; and, since 1989, at their present
location, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in the West Oak Lane community of
Philadelphia. They have two children: Samuel, age 36, living in the Harlem community of New
York City; and Amanda, age 32, living in the Boston area. A nephew, Matthew Johnson, age 21,
has been a welcomed member of the family and at home in the parsonage since he was a little
boy.
Gwen was one of the earliest African-American Lutheran women ordained to lead and serve as
pastors. She served her denomination as an elected member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania
Synod Council, as a delegate to national denominational assemblies, as a dean to one of the
Synod’s conference areas, as a member of the synod’s Christian Education Committee, and as a
chaplain to seminary students. She was a preacher years ago at the national convention
celebrating 20 years of ordination of women in the Lutheran Church. Gwen supports the African
Descent Lutheran Association and once served as president of Congregations Organized for
Public Engagement. She loves to praise God in song and formerly directed an a cappella choir
that sang for the early services at St. Peter’s.
Short in stature and long in experience, quiet by nature and always a compassionate listener,
Pastor Gwen has felt blessed to be a Christian and privileged to lead by serving. She has remained firmly rooted in the African-American urban community, committed to invite new
people and to try new ideas, and ever hopeful for her Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
denomination.

Pastor Neil A. Bond’s Biography
The Rev. Neil A. Bond was born on Friday the 13th. Maybe that explains it. His sister, two years
older, was far more scholarly and remembered what she read; his brother, a year younger, was a
more successful competitive runner who could explain scientific and mechanical things. Neil
was the one with a sense of humor, basically a good kid but “Watch that mouth!” As a child he
was sometimes lonely, often reading, physically active, a thinker and a dreamer.
Neil grew up primarily in the Reading, Pennsylvania area, living in both the rural country and a
small borough; there was also an influential three-year elementary school period spent in
suburbia near Schenectady, New York. His parents and upbringing were humble and Christian
and full of love.
Neil graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1972 with an A.B. in English. He began his
seminary career at Hamma School of Theology, then a Lutheran seminary in Springfield, Ohio;
he received an M.Div. degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1978.
No doubt influenced by the blessing of two years of an African-American roommate from
Emanuel Lutheran Church in South Philadelphia, by a seminary internship under the supervision
of the Rev. Sherman Hicks at Concordia-Bethany Church in Buffalo, New York, and by his
Christian upbringing, Neil was led by the Holy Spirit to venture into urban ministry and to live
and serve in the African American community. He was ordained on February 25, 1979 and
began serving as Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia. He met his future
wife, Seminarian Gwendolyn Johnson, at the Center City Lutheran Parish coalition weekly
pastors’ Bible Study meetings. They married in 1980. For 2½ years Neil served as Pastor of
Immanuel, then he and newly-ordained Gwen were called by the Southeastern Pennsylvania
Synod as Co-Pastors of Immanuel sharing one call, one salary. At the time, this was considered
radical and of questionable sustainability. But the marriage, the single call, and the single salary
have all continued to the present, and Neil and Gwen have been blessed by their life and work
together… to this very moment here at St. Peter’s in West Oak Lane.
Neil has lived on this earth for almost 74 years, been a baptized Christian for all but the first 2½
months of his life, been employed doing something for 62 years, been an avid runner and, now, a
slower walker for 59 years, been an ordained Lutheran pastor for more than 45 years, been
married for almost 44 years, been a parent for 36 years, and been a Co-Pastor of St. Peter’s for
35 years. To this day he is not a great organizer and not a lover of meetings. He has especially
enjoyed planning and creating worship services over the years of his ministry, as well as trying
to teach and trying to preach. He marvels at God’s blessings of a positive family heritage, a
Christian upbringing, educational opportunity, good health, a wonderful wife and ministry partner, children who have successfully reached adulthood, and a wonderful life and ministry
lived out in the African-American communities in which he has served.

Life and Ministry Together at St. Peter’s
Pastors Gwen and Neil began their ministry as Co-Pastors of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church on July 1, 1989 and are still leading and serving here 35 years later. Although a few
ordained clergy served at St. Peter’s for brief periods in the past as assistant pastors or in urban
training programs before their arrival, Pastors Gwen and Neil are generally considered as only
the fourth primary servant leaders to serve as the Pastors of St. Peter’s in its 94 years of existence
since its organization on February 9, 1930. Their predecessors were: the Rev. Clarence W.
Rhoda (June, 1931 to November, 1945); the Rev. G. Edward Knapp (September, 1946 to June,
1979); and the Rev. Mark S. Livermore (July, 1979 to September, 1988). Each pastor brought
unique gifts for ministry and a strong dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Throughout their ministry, Pastor Gwen and Pastor Neil have served both the members of the
congregation and the larger West Oak Lane community. They have performed numerous
community weddings and funerals. Hundreds of children and youth participated at St. Peter’s
and were taught and encouraged in programs and activities such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kids
Club, Youth Group, Summer Day Camp, Vacation Bible School, Confirmation Class, and
Afterschool Program. As parents of children who attended Philadelphia public schools, the
Pastors were highly involved in Pennypacker Elementary School and Masterman Middle and
High School during those years.
Pastors Neil and Gwen worked alongside church members in launching and growing a number of
food ministries that served the West Oak Lane community. These include Senior Food Boxes,
Food Share, Whole Foods fresh produce distribution, and Summer Meals for Children.
Pastors Gwen and Neil have always advocated opening the doors of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
to the larger community. They believed that in this way the congregation and property not only
became a blessing to others, but it also received blessing from its neighbors. Over the years the
congregation welcomed and hosted several day cares, Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Joy
Unlimited Youth Mass Choir, Agape Dance Group, Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation,
Philadelphia School District Parent Co-op Nursery, YouthBuild Charter School, Brenda Lee
Dance Group, Philadanco Dance Group, Oak Lane Wildcat Cheerleaders, Lutheran Social
Services, Concerned Black Men, community dance aerobics, community bingo, girls S.T.E.M.
program, African drumming, several martial arts training programs, various community events
and programs, area Girl Scout leaders, several neighborhood block committees and a high school
home and school association, the West Oak Lane Branch Library annual “Spelling Bee”,
countless Eastern Star events, and numerous neighbor rentals for baby showers, weddings,
funerals, and birthday parties. For decades St. Peter’s was a busy voting site for two precincts,

stopped right after Barack Obama’s overwhelming first Presidential election victory in our
building (over 1,000 votes for Obama at our two poll sites, less than 20 votes for his opponent).
For decades, then City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker sponsored an annual community “Town
Hall” meeting here.

Fourteen years ago, the Pastors were granted a Lily Foundation sabbatical of four months. They
traveled to Namibia and South Africa, from Maine to Alabama, to Puerto Rico, across country by
car to California and back. When they returned, there was a refreshed spirit, and the congregation
and the community benefited from their expanded world view.
Many people in the neighborhood know and remember the kind spirit, warm hugs, listening ears,
and beautiful singing voice of Pastor Gwen. Many people in the neighborhood know and
remember the early morning runs, calm and steady presence, snow shoveling, and helping hands
of Pastor Neil. After all these years, they are meeting grandchildren of the once little
grandchildren that they ministered to in various ways. After all these years, they and this
congregation continue to be a familiar presence and a beacon of stability.
Today we give thanks that these extraordinary Pastors answered the call 35 years ago to
exemplify and demonstrate God’s love, peace, and joy both at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church and in the West Oak Lane Community. We commend the Rev. Gwendolyn Johnson-
Bond and the Rev. Neil A. Bond for their good work in this congregation, in the City of
Philadelphia, and beyond.