John F. Bargar was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, and has lived most of his life in Western Pennsylvania. After graduating from Meadville Senior High School, he went off to college and then was invited by “Uncle Sam” to tour the world via the U.S. Navy for six years.

John met his loving wife Lynne after leaving the Navy and rejoining the collegiate world. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, he entered the business world, working for a small company in Meadville for 18 years.

During those 18 years, John and Lynne raised two wonderful children, Joshua and Sarah. Joshua and Sarah have now completed their collegiate careers and have “left the nest.” John also graduated from Gannon University with a master’s degree in Business Administration, served as a Lay Speaker of the Saegertown UMC for 12 years, and enjoyed doing prison ministry for seven years at Albion SCI. John and Lynne maintain a residence in Saegertown since Lynne is a teacher with the Penncrest School District, and has been the treasurer of the Saegertown Library for several years. After all their married years together, they still enjoy Friday night “Date Night,” enjoying home-made gluten free pizza, movies, board games, and the kids when they stop by for a visit.

And then God called again! John left the business world, working as assistant chaplain at Wesbury United Methodist Retirement Community in Meadville and serving Shermansville and Palmer United Methodist Churches as a student pastor (2005-2008) and as an interim pastor of the Congregational Christian Church in Meadville. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Ashland Theological Seminary in 2007. John served under full-time appointment with the Pymatuning Charge (Jamestown, State Line, and Westford) in Franklin District for eight years (2008-2016), and the past two years as pastor of the Cochranton UMC in the Erie-Meadville District.

John’s passion is to make disciples for Jesus Christ, helping them to realize that asking Jesus to be Lord and Savior is only the beginning of an awesome adventure of life eternal in Christ Jesus. He enjoys his annual sojourn to Aldersgate Renewal Ministries’ Holy Spirit Conferences, playing a round of golf, and riding his bicycle on occasion. He is humbled to be able to serve in any capacity as a servant of the Lord.