GREENFIELD — The Rev. Ford D. Bond, pastor of Amity United Methodist Church, died Monday. He was 64.
Bond came to Amity in 2014. He had served various United Methodist congregations over the years since becoming a pastor in the denomination in 1997. He was first ordained by the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and founded Gateway Tabernacle in 1984.
Bond was also a teacher at Linton-Stockton High School from 1992-2016. His congregation saw that passion for teaching in his ministry.
He was a friend, mentor, spiritual leader and “a prolific writer of Biblical details,” according to a statement released from the church office. “He was a teacher at heart, and was enthusiastic about teaching people about the Lord. He motivated people to learn more, to advance their knowledge in the church and Jesus Christ.”
During Bond’s years at Amity, the church began livestreaming its services and posting them on YouTube.
Over the years, Bond was also part of outreach in the community and beyond.
He participated in a work trip in March 2018 to help Florida homeowners rebuild after hurricane devastation. The group worked at a home built nearly 3 feet off the ground that nevertheless had held several feet of water inside during Hurricane Irma. When the group came, the home’s walls were stripped down to the wooden studs.
“All these people are great people. They just lack insurance and money to put it together,” Bond said soon after the trip. “We want to expose our congregation to the needs of other places to show them we’re connected … Our purpose is to show Christ and help those that need help.”
In August 2018, Amity offered a community barbecue with food, games, children’s activities and free plants.
“Amity simply wants to let the community know, and those unchurched, that we are part of the community,” he wrote in an email before the event, “ready and able to minister to the needs of our neighbors, and willing to partner with other churches.”
According to the church’s statement, Bond “could see the potential in people and helped them grow and learn.
“He will be greatly missed.”
Bond’s survivors include his wife of 29 years, the Rev. Janis Bond, and the five grown children they had between them.
