District Elder Garfield Parker

District Elder Garfield Parker, age 75, transitioned to his heavenly home on Christmas night, Thursday, December 25, 2025. He was born on April 22, 1950, in Monroeville, Alabama, the son of Arlestian Parker and Bernice Parker Rogers. He attended Booker T. Washington Schools, where he excelled in sports and music. He was a graduate of Springfield High School and Enon Bible College and retired from General Motors.

Garfield will always be remembered for his outgoing personality, never meeting a stranger, and touching many lives with his gift of helping and encouraging others. He was also known for his dedication and faithfulness to God, as well as his deep love for his family. He was the founder and pastor of Bethel Apostolic Church for over forty-seven years, as well as a faithful servant of the Ohio District Council and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., where he fulfilled various positions.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Sylvester and Charles Westery; and his sister, Carrie Parker.

He leaves to cherish his memory and legacy his wife of almost fifty-seven years, Teresa Ann Parker; his daughter, Marcie (Mark) Hall; and his God-given daughter, Dawn (Orlando) Adams. He is also survived by five grandchildren: NaCole (Chris) Jones, MarKae’ (Taj) Hogan, Kamryn (Jack) Sarpong, Jaden Parker Hall, and Londyn Adams; and seven great-grandchildren: Niylah, Seth, and Sire Jones; Kapri and Kortlynn Hogan; and Jaxon and Jianna Sarpong.

He is also survived by three sisters, Thelma Thompson and Daisy Parker, both of Mississippi, and Ella (Jason) Shufford of Alabama; and two brothers, Jimmy Lee Parker of Ohio and Frederick (Berta) Parker of Washington. He is further survived by three godchildren, Alisha Channels, David “Deuce” Merritt, and James “Buster” Brown, along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends.

As a testament to the man he was, many thought of him as a dad, uncle, brother, and grandpa.