John Eldon Rasey

Born to Byron and Vergie Lovella Wooten Rasey in Napoleon, Ohio, John Eldon Rasey discovered America on August 11, 1938. He would often share, “I was born on the kitchen table in time for lunch, and I haven’t been late for a meal since!” John loved to laugh and to make others smile and laugh as well. His sense of humor and gift of storytelling were woven into every message he preached over his sixty plus years of ministry for Christ.

After graduating from Napoleon High School in 1955, John turned down an opportunity to play football at Ohio State University for a career as a professional wrestler. However, God changed the course of John’s life when he heard Max Cohen, a Messianic Jew, share the Gospel. John accepted Christ as his Savior and shortly thereafter answered the call to prepare for the pastorate. John attended Otterbein College and Moody Bible Institute before enrolling at Trinity Bible College in Clearwater, Florida, where he met Charlotte Ruth Crenshaw, the love of his life. They were married in 1961 and soon moved from Ohio to Winston-Salem for John to attend Piedmont Bible College where he earned a Bachelor of Religious Education degree in 1966. John pastored Faith Baptist Church of Thomasville, NC, Cortland Trinity Baptist Church of Cortland, OH, and Bright Light Baptist Church of Robbins, NC, before returning to Piedmont Bible College where he served in various roles from 1980-1995. Following God’s leading to return to full-time pulpit ministry, John began a ministry as Revivalist, speaking in churches across the United States until his retirement. Whether speaking at a youth camp or to a group of senior citizens, John had a unique ability to relate to his hearers and to communicate the Truth of God’s Word with passion and precision. His presence commanded attention, and his message demanded action. His prayers reflected the close relationship he shared with his Heavenly Father as he spoke as he would to a friend. While he was a gifted speaker, it was his contagious joy, winsome personality, and gentle spirit that endeared him to so many. John was humbled by and grateful for God’s calling on his life as he so often echoed the words of Paul in I Timothy 1:12, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Even after his health began to fail, John’s ministry of encouragement and prayer continued as a faithful member of Bethel Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, NC. 

While John impacted many lives for Christ, his greatest ministry was that to his family, He loved his wife Charlotte and children Monya and Nathan. That love was not demonstrated by grand gestures but in the small moments and simple acts of everyday life. When Monya married Thurman Fain and Nathan married Lisa Carter, John embraced Thurman and Lisa not as in-laws but as his own children. As John became “Grampy” to Justin and Hannah and “Poogles” to Madison and Meredith, a heart full of love only grew larger. His playful spirit, storytelling, and pancake pyramids made visits with “Grampy and Grammy” and “Poogles and Mimi” a destination for all. However, the most important gift John gave his family was his godly example–a legacy of loving Christ and following hard after Him. John lived every day the sermon of his life, never contradicting any he shared from the pulpit. This enabled him to lead his family well and to guide them in Truth and wisdom. 

John went home to be with the Lord on March 23, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents, Byron Rasey and Vergie Lovella Wooten Rasey, brothers Byron Wooten Rasey, Bainbridge Ora Rasey, Cecil Weldon Rasey, and sister Sharon Kathleen Rasey Hopkins as well as his granddaughter Hannah Elizabeth Fain Stewart. He is survived by his wife Charlotte Rasey, children Monya (Thurman) Fain and Nathan (Lisa) Rasey, grandchildren Justin (Elizabeth) Fain, Madison Rasey, Meredith (Blaine) Camp, great-grandchildren Eldon, Rosemary, and Harrison Fain and Elsie Stewart, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. 

Friends are invited to celebrate John’s life at a memorial service Friday, March 29, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at Marshall Baptist Church, 5739 Old Rural Hall Road, Winston-Salem, NC, with visitation prior to the service from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

A quote often recited by John: “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” –C. T. Studd