Betty Joyce Parks Ward, age 79, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on November 7, 2022. She was born February 5, 1943 in Scotland County, NC to Curtis H. and Katie Marsh Parks. She attended Holmes Bible College, Greenville, SC; Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH; and Central State University, Wilberforce, OH where she earned a B.S. in Education.
Joyce had an extensive career as a school teacher, having taught for 34 years in grades one through twelve. Her teaching experience included London City Schools, London, OH; Cleveland City Schools, Cleveland, TN; Fort Worth Independent School District; Fort Worth, TX, and Guilford County School System, NC.
Joyce and her husband, James, served together in ministry in the International Pentecostal Church of Christ where they pastored the headquarters church in London, OH, and in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. The family traveled across the Western North Carolina Conference of the IPHC conducting children’s crusades as the Ward Family Puppeteers and conducting teacher training seminars at the conference headquarters. James and Joyce pastored Worthville Pentecostal Holiness Church in Randleman, NC. During that time, she also served on the Women’s Ministries Board and as the Girls’ Auxiliary Director for the conference.
After retirement from teaching, Joyce and James began full-time missions ministry with the International Pentecostal Holiness Church in Guatemala. They served as career missionaries from November 2002 to 2010, and returned on occasion for short-term projects and the annual pastors conference. When Joyce was not spending time with her dear friends from North Pointe Pentecostal Holiness Church, she could be found gardening her extensive plant and flower collection or sitting on the park bench watching her fish swim in the pond.
Joyce was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 54 years, James Paul Ward, Sr., her parents, and her brother, Robert (Bobby) Parks. She is survived by her son, James P. Ward, Jr. (Joy) of Bavaria, Germany; her daughters, Joylita Terpstra (Tracy) of Cleveland, TN; and Janiese McKenzie (Aaron) of Jamestown, NC; grandchildren, Trés Ward (Rachael), Justin Ward (Elizabeth), Karis Moreland (Chase), Jaylyne Ward, Katherine Terpstra, Matthias Terpstra and Ashton McKenzie; and great-granddaughters Felicity and Nora Ward. She is also survived by her brother Curtis Parks (Dale) of Holly Springs, NC; sisters, Frances Partin of Black Mountain, NC, Darlene Odom (Franklin) of Cleveland, TN and Faye Nelon of Swannanoa, NC, and sister-in-law Marilyn Ward of Yukon, OK, and many nieces and nephews. Joyce, affectionately known as The Queen, will be deeply missed by family and a host of friends around the world, especially the precious people of Guatemala.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to International Pentecostal Holiness Church World Missions, Guatemala, P.O. Box 12609 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 (https://give.iphc.org/projects). Visitation will be held from 2:00 to 3:00 PM on Sunday, November 13 at North Pointe Pentecostal Holiness Church, 5225 High Point Rd, High Point, NC, followed by a memorial service at 3:00 PM. A graveside service will be held Monday, November 14 at 10:00 AM at Mountlawn Memorial Park, 196 Fan Key Rd, North Wilkesboro, NC. Online condolences may be offered at www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com.
