Rev. John Harrison Fisher Bucks County Courier Times The Rev. John Harrison Fisher, age 53, of Bristol Borough, died Friday, March 28, 2003, in Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, following a brief illness. Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of Doris Bolden Fisher and the late Harrison M. Fisher.

John was raised in Bristol Borough and graduated from Bristol Borough High School in 1967. He went on to Tarkio College in Tarkio, Mo., graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1971.

His career spanned 31 years with the Bucks County Courier Times and Calkins Media, Inc. He started out as an investigative reporter, then as a columnist writing about the local music scene. In 2001, he was promoted to an executive position. He was currently working as local sales director for Calkins Interactive Media.

John was well known on the local music scene. His band, The John Fisher Band, a Motown horn band, played at many of the major venues in the tri-state area.

An ordained minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, John was working on his master of divinity degree at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He was the current pastor of Bensalem AME Church and responsible for restarting and restoring this historic church and congregation, which will be celebrating its 185th year.

In addition to his mother, John is survived by his wife of 27 years, Jan H. Fisher; three children, Dorian Lee Fisher of Bristol, Michael G. Sorangelo of Israel, and Barbara Ellen Giannone of Philadelphia; one brother, Jeffrey L. Fisher and his wife, Helen, of Bristol, Pa.; two grandchildren, Jennifer Rose and Michael Giannone Jr.; and his grandniece, Dixie Michelle Aycock.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewing on Friday, April 4, from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Molden Funeral Chapel Inc., Bristol Borough, and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until the time of the service at 11 a.m. at the Bethel AME Church, 254 Wood St., Bristol Borough. Interment will follow in Bristol Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Bristol Borough Community Action Group, 99 Wood St., Bristol, PA 19007, or to the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, 635 S. Clinton Ave., Trenton, NJ 08611, c/o Adoption Program.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2003

Answers

Thank you so much, my beloved sister in the Lord.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2003

You are most welcome my sister. I did receive your phone call as well as many other calls from across the country from those who are grieving the loss of rev. fisher. Thank you for calling me to make sure that I knew. I did know and I have been in prayer all weekend. God bless you.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2003

To Mrs Fisher and Family

I know these are trying times for you and your family. To bid farewell to somebody whom you have considered the strongest and uynder whose shadow one has been troding is very painful. However, we are taught and at times you and Rev. Fisher tried to comfort people in times like these, with the words "earths lost is heavens gain" and that one day when the trumpet of the Lord shal sound and time shall be no more, when the saved of earth shal gather on the other shore and the roll is called up yonder we'll meet him and oh what happy day it would be when we all will be part of the great multitued clothed in white.

Please accept our deepest, sincere and heartfelt condolences and may the Lord of peace grant you His peace and serenity to accept the things you can't change and comfort you through his grace and mercy. Form the Ebenezer and St John's AME Churches and the people of the entire Namibia Annual Conference.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2003

Dear Fisher Family "When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more..." goes the popular hymn, but I know that Jesus would stand at the gate to welcome Rev. Fisher to rest from his labours. We pray God's strength on the Fisher family and we want to pay tribute to this son of African Methodism who brought this denomination closer to those of us in the so-called overseas districts. We have been blessed by his labours and we thank God for this over-zealous ministry of called The AME Today. Many a times we have raised issues out of ignorance and we were blessed by all the contributors to Bulletin Board. We share in the loss of the Fisher family, but we know that Rev. John is a gain for heaven. May God bless strengthen your hearts, minds and souls in these times of sorrow. On behalf of the rank-and- file of the Namibia Annual Conference in the 15th Episcopal District.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2003

Thank You Rev. Denise

To Sister Jan and Family

Although I have never had the opportunity to meet Rev. John in person I am deeply struck by the loss of this great man. I am particularly thankful for his emails, especially when I have been struggling through the most difficult of times. For his words of encouragement I will always be grateful. I am, as many are from around the world, profoundly saddened by his untimely death and wish only God's grace and mercy for you during this time. We will never forget the man who single-handedly opened the conduit of communication for the members of the connectional AME Church.

Please know you have the prayers of my family during this most difficult hour. While I did not meet him personally I pray God will allow me the opportunity to meet him in heaven.

May God Bless you and comfort you in the love of your family.

Regards from across the water in Bermuda

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2003

To the Fisher Family: I discovered AME-today.com approximately 3 years ago and though I do not post to the Bulletin Board I have been extremely blessed by this site that Rev. Fisher has offered to the A.M.E. Community. My prayers are with you at this time, may God bless you and keep you is my prayer.

-- Anonymous, April 04, 2003