Pentecostal Worship Center's
Leaders
Bishop John Wade
Founder & Senior Pastor
Bishop J. W. Wade, II is a native of Jacksonville, Florida.
He received his AA degree at Florida State College of Jacksonville. He attended the University of South Florida in Tampa and Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL completing his bachelor’s degree in biology and minors in chemistry and mathematics. He attended medical school in Cleveland, Ohio graduating from Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine with a doctoral degree in medicine and afterwards completed his residency in Podo-Orthopedics, Sports Medicine & Pediatrics.
During his tenure in Cleveland, he attended and received his seminary training at Christ United Theological Seminary School and was mentored and spiritually fathered by the late Arch-bishop J. Delano Ellis, II of the Pentecostal Church of Christ. He served as a Deacon, The Elder for the St. Jude Parish Pastor, Minister of Worship, Assistant Pastor and the Bishop of Convocation for the Pentecostal Churches of Christ. He was later promoted as First Assistant to the Presiding Bishop. He Served as the chairman for the Board of Holy Orders and on the Advisory Board for the Joint College of Bishop in Cleveland OH during the lifespan of his father in the Lord. Bishop Wade served Arc-Bishop Ellis for 30 years, until his “Elijah departed.”
Bishop Wade is the establishmentarian and president of the International Leadership College of Bishops & Pastors. He is the Presider of Worship Center International and the founder and Sr. Pastor of the Pentecostal Worship Center in Panama City, Florida. He is the CEO of Leadership for Life, and His mission is to “Restore the Family and Develop One Leader at a Time.” In addition to his ministerial duties, he is an anatomy professor for Gulf Coast State College and Pre-Med director at MHS. He’s a national speaker for churches, colleges and leadership institutions.
Overseer Marie Wade
Executive Pastor
Elder Wade was born on March 25th to the late Ms. Betty Lee Wallace, the last of four siblings. She was reared and raised in Jacksonville, Florida by her mother and stepfather, Alfonzo Eugene Jenkins.
Elder Wade attended local schools in Jacksonville, Florida graduating in 1984 from Englewood High School. When Elder Wade was sixteen years of age, she attended Philippian Community Church, pastored and founded by the late Bishop Laurence Charles Callahan. It was under his pastorate that she received salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
On August 24, 1985, Elder Wade married her high school sweetheart, the now, Bishop J. W. Wade, II. As she traveled from various cities with her husband, she continued to pursue her college education. She acquired her AA degree in Tampa, Florida from Hillsborough Community College and she completed her B.S. degree in Biology at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. In addition to her educational pursuits in Tallahassee, Elder Wade gave birth to her first son, Johnny Willie Wade, III (Jay).
In 1991 she and her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where her husband attended medical school. During her seven-year stay in Cleveland, Elder Wade worked as a laboratory technician and advanced to become a sales account manager for SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories. It was in Cleveland that she gave birth to her next two children, Jonathan Wesley Wade and Joshua William Wade.
In 1997 Elder Wade and her family moved back to Florida in hopes to open a medical practice. Medicine took precedence during the first six months of their stay but the Lord impressed upon Bishop Wade to start a ministry, Pentecostal Worship Center, which both he and Elder Wade have pastored since August 17, 1997. During the Holy Convocation in August of 1999, Elder Wade was ordained an Elder in the Lord’s church by her spiritual father, Bishop J. Delano Ellis, II. She serves as the Pastor of the Worship Center and is the chairlady of the Women’s Department and Virtuous Women’s Ministry.
In November 1999 Elder Wade gave birth to her fourth child and only daughter, Makayla Marie Wade. She homeschooled all of her children through high school and supported and encouraged them through college. Her greatest joy in life is being their mother, Bishop Wade’s wife, and “Glam-Ma” to her first and only grandchild, Dallas Jay Wade. From 2009 – 2020 she was an independent distributor of Premier Designs Jewelry where she enjoyed helping women discover the “jewel” inside of them.
Pastor Walter Grier
Associate Pastor
Walter Grier was born and raised in Dayton Ohio. The second of three boys by John and Marcella Grier. After completing high school, he joined the military, serving in the United States Air Force for over 20 years. During that time, he served in numerous stateside assignments and was stationed overseas in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
He retired from the Air Force in April 1996 at Tyndall AFB, located in Panama City, Florida. After retiring, he went back home to Dayton Ohio, where he worked on the military base for 18 months before returning to Panama City, Florida in 1997.
Walter worked for the military contractor on Tyndall AFB and attended 1st Providence Community Missionary Baptist Church where he served on the Steward Board and as assistant Sunday school superintendent.
In October 2000 Walter received an invitation to hear a man teach and preach; he relates it to “The woman at the well experience” because his fiancé was the one who told him he needed to hear this man speak. That word was spoken at The Pentecostal Worship Center, by the then, Overseer John W. Wade. Walter heard the Word and continued to attend services there, after attending the morning service at Providence. This continued until February 2001, when he resigned from Providence and became a member of Pentecostal Worship Center.
Walter served in the sound booth ministry and on the deacon board. In the fall of 2001, he was assigned as Captain of the Apostolic Knights of Pentecost under the leadership of Bishop J.D. Ellis and General (Overseer Carl W. Weeden), for the southeast diocese.
Nine months later he was given the opportunity to serve as adjutant to the then Overseer Wade. Capt. Grier worked with the men’s ministry under the guidance of Arch Deacon Johnny W. Wade, Sr, whose wisdom and direction did not just give spiritual guidance, but provided valuable life lessons that would help Capt. Grier on his spiritual journey.
Capt. Grier attended training sessions at the Adjutant Academy during the yearly meetings of the Joint College of African American Pentecostal Bishops. He attended ministerial and leadership classes and became a licensed minister. He was also promoted to the rank of Major in the Apostolic Knights for the national assembly. He was later promoted to chief adjutant for Bishop John W. Wade.
On December 9th, 2010, Major Grier was ordained as an elder for the Pentecostal Worship Center and served as assistant pastor to Senior Pastor J. W. Wade and Pastor S. Marie Wade. He served until he was released to co-pastor with his wife in starting Goshen Evangelistic Ministries. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in Aspotolic Knights for the Global Empowerment Fellowship of Christian Churches by Bishop Carl W. Weeden.
Elder Grier has been married to Overseer Phyllis Grier for 24 years. Together they have 6 children and 8 grandchildren. Elder Grier is also a volunteer chaplain for the Bay County Sheriff’s Department and serves the Bay County Department of Juvenile Justice as a volunteer that provides spiritual counseling and a church service for the young men there.
Elder Grier is a member of the advisory board for The International Leadership College of Bishops & Pastors. Immediately following this year’s National Gathering, Bishop Wade appointed Elder Grier to the office of Overseer-Designate. The appointment ceremony will take place at the National Gathering 2026.
Elder LaShonda Nash
Minister of Worship
Elder LaShonda Nash was born on July 7th to Jacklon Page & Curtis Smith. She was born and raised in Panama City, FL.
LaShonda attended schools in Panama City, FL, graduating in the year 2000 from Rutherford High School, Home of the RAMS. LaShonda was raised in the church at Kings Plaza Church of God under the Leadership of the Late Bishop Ernest Page, III. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior at a young age. In her teenage years, she attended and joined Pentecostal Worship Center under the Leadership of Bishop John & Overseer Marie Wade. She began serving as a drummer, then an adjutant, and now serves as the minister of worship for the Worship Center.
Along with her many gifts, God has also called her to minister in song.
On December 25th, 2016 LaShonda was ordained an elder in the Lord’s Church. It was after this date she started to flourish in ministry as a leader and psalmist. She’s a worshiper at heart. LaShonda’s saying is “Always have a song in your heart.”
She is the CEO of (KKD) Kingdom Kustom Designs, LLC in Panama City, FL – “Graphic Designing Where Concepts Become Creations, and Your Idea is our Creative Canvas.”
She has two children, Janiyah and Gabriel Nash who are the love and light of her life. LaShonda is a devoted mother, aunt, sister, worker and friend who plays an essential role in the lives of many.
LaShonda’s Favorite Quote: “When you’re happy you enjoy music; but when you’re sad you understand the lyrics.” By Frank Ocean