Pastor John Harris of Orlando, Florida, was welcomed into the gates of heaven on January 31, 2025, surrounded by his family and close friends. He was 82.

A proud Welshman, he was born to Richard and Dulcie Harris on March 5, 1942, and was raised in Newbridge, Wales alongside his sisters Rhyanon and Anita. He attended Newbridge School before going to work in the coal mines when he graduated at age 15. He served in the Royal Air Force from 1958 to 1964, during which time he met the love of his life, Dawn Mildred Harris (nee Shaw), to whom he was married for 60 years.

He gave his life to Christ at the age of 16 and was called to ministry in his late 20s, choosing to leave a successful career in insurance to answer God’s calling on his life. John spent the next decade ministering as a pastor at Kensington Temple and working with Life For the World Trust, a recovery ministry housed in a 50-room 17th century estate. He eventually served as the head of Pye Barn Trust, also a drug rehabilitation ministry, where Dawn served by his side.

In the early 1980s John started working with Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship and moved back to Portsmouth in the south of England, where he also served on staff at a local church. In 1984, he and his dear friend Terry Wiseman founded Staffwise to connect contractors with manufacturers, and in 1988 they brought Staffwise USA to Orlando, where he would find his second home.

He became actively involved in the ministry at First Baptist Church Orlando and would go on to join the staff as men’s minister in the early 1990s. He would later serve Downtown Baptist Church alongside his friend Jim Henry as associate pastor, overseeing senior adults and pastoral care, and served a similar role in the last years of his life at First Baptist Church Winter Garden. Throughout all his years of ministry, Dawn was his faithful partner and biggest supporter.

John was a man of immense faith, and he was deeply committed to the ministry of prayer. He remained involved in various ministries throughout his life, including Bridges International, a drug treatment program, and New Missions, which works to plant churches and schools in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He went on numerous mission trips throughout his life, including to Kenya and the Philippines.

An avid golfer, he enjoyed many years as a member at the Bay Hill Club. He and Dawn were proud to become American citizens in 2009. He loved traveling Europe and trips to his cabin in Georgia, fine food, and being with his friends and family. Of all his many accomplishments, nothing made him prouder than his role as a husband, father, and grandfather.

John is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Rhyanon. He is survived by his wife, Dawn; his children, Rebecca (Simon) Wallis and Matthew Harris; his grandchildren, Jonathan, Olivia, Isabella, and Emma; and his sister, Anita (Peter) Blanchett. 

TRIBUTE FROM COLIN DYE

Former Senior Minister Kensington Temple, Notting Hill, London, UK (1991-2021).

Former staff member The Chase, Drug Rehabilitation Centre, Clapham, London, UK (1977 – 1979).

It is hard to overstate the impact that Richard John Harris and his wife Dawn have had on my life. Known to us simply as John Harris he was a true Barnabas, a consoler and encourager, a man of genuine compassion and strength. He was Welsh (never to be confused with an Englishman) and he carried the typical passion of the Welsh into everything he did, not the least, passion for the Welsh national rugby team! 

John and Dawn gave me my first ministry position as a team member in The Chase, a Christian Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Ministry. I was fresh out of Theological College, naïve and wet behind the ears, with no ministry experience to speak of, but John took a chance on me. Together, we saw scores of young people find Christ as Saviour and permanently delivered from drug and alcohol addictions and other social problems.

While working with John and Dawn, I met and married my wife Amanda. They took charge of our wedding and even gave us a place to stay for our honeymoon. It is wonderful to have people believe in you and help you make a start in life, in marriage and in ministry. John was just that kind of person.

My abiding memories of John will be his open, generous and large-hearted approach to people in desperate need. Whether it be the homeless, the addicted or those in prison. But he was no man’s fool. He was firm, even adamant when necessary, and yet was always fair, knowing when to be gentle. In whatever role he was fulfilling at heart he was a pastor. Gifted with people, he had top grade communication skills and a keen insight into the human condition. He was outstanding in applying practical wisdom to people with problems, and they came from far and wide to seek his advice and counsel.

Above all, John was a lover of Christ and his gospel. He never lost an opportunity to share God’s love with those he met. We will miss him greatly. A dear colleague, trusted friend and advisor. Meeting him and Dawn recently in London, together with my wife Amanda, John was as interested as ever in what we were now doing for the Lord, offering his on-going support and encouragement.

Our deepest condolences of course go to Dawn, to Rebecca and to Matthew and to all John’s friends and family. May the peace and presence of Jesus be with us all.

Colin and Amanda Dye

London, February 2025