“The one absolute constant in my life has been the Lord, while my wife has been huge to me as well.”
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles profiling the leaders of Cinnaminson’s places of worship. This week’s articles highlights the life and work of Pastor John Doll of Asbury Methodist Church.
At the age of 3, John William Doll was close with his religion, pretending to preach from the pulpit inside of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Spotswood. His mother was very involved with the church, serving on altar guild by cleaning and polishing various brass pieces on the altar.
Doll’s life changed in the second grade, when his father decided the family was going to attend church every Sunday. The East Brunswick native still remembers memories of being in Sunday School, learning the Ten Commandments and the parables of Jesus.
Fast forward to 2017, the 58-year-old is now in his 26th year of service with Asbury Methodist Church in Cinnaminson. Despite having thoughts at a young age of joining the ministry, Doll put his calling on the “back-burner” of his life.
“When I was in high school, I felt my calling to become a minister,” Doll said. “I discussed it with my current pastor at the time, and he encouraged me to continue pushing toward it. However, I decided on other things.”
Doll graduated from Richard Stockton College in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and pre-law.
He later became a car salesman for Honda, finding short success before again turning to God for help.
“After starting off strong, I began to struggle with that field,” Doll said. “God wanted me to become a minister, but I again went another direction instead.”
Doll owned a fish market for a short time, where he eventually met his wife, Gwen. The couple then moved to the inner city in Trenton, where John volunteered in prison ministry for two years before commuting to the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
“I earned my master’s in divinity in 1991, while also giving my time to Epworth United Methodist Church in Palmyra,” Doll said. “After also helping at the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital for two years, I joined Asbury Methodist in 1992 and have been here since. We have a loving community here, and I love working with these people.”
Doll praises his time at Asbury Methodist Church and considers it “a blessing” to have worked with many wonderful people. He also serves as the convener of the Tri Boro Clergy Association and serves as the chaplain for the Cinnaminson Police Department.
“Being a pastor is busy work for sure,” Doll said. “Other than being at church or serving the community, I enjoy swimming several times a week and doing weight training.”
Doll has a disability called Hereditary Paraplegia, which affects the way he walks, but he continues to do his best with God’s help. He has four sons; Aaron, Matthew, Robert and Joseph, all of whom are looking to achieve their own goals.
“I have the two G’s in my life, God and Gwen,” Doll said. “The one absolute constant in my life has been the Lord, while my wife has been huge to me as well.”
For more information regarding Asbury Methodist or Doll, check http://www.myasburyumc.com.
