Obituary of Bishop Dr. Barbara A. Ward Farmer

Bishop Barbara Ward Farmer, D.D. In the early morning hours of Saturday, April 5, 2025, Bishop Dr. Barbara Ward Farmer, a beloved songbird, peacefully went home to be with the Lord. Known for her humility and grace, she touched the lives of many with her caring spirit and unwavering love. Barbara Ann Ward was born on September 5, 1950, to the late Bishop Lillian Ward and Elder Edward Ward Sr. in Philadelphia, PA. She was the second oldest of six children. She was baptized at the age of seven in the Delaware River and received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost at the age of eleven under the pastorate of the late Bishop L. Colene Williams of Holy Temple Church of the Living God in Penns Grove, New Jersey. From a very young age, Bishop Farmer loved to sing. She began performing Gospel music at the age of four and was affectionately known as "Little Miss Barbara Ann Ward." Her local talent soon attracted the attention of many artists, both local and international. At the tender age of eleven, she made her first recording, “I Am That I Am, By The Grace of God” and “What Do You Think About Jesus?” During this time, Bishop Ward was offered $500.00 per week to sing at a nightclub, but her parents, prioritizing her well-being, declined the offer. Bishop Farmer was born and raised in South Philadelphia and later moved to West Philadelphia, where she met Lawrence Farmer at the age of fifteen. The two lived across the street from each other and fell in love on Pine Street. Bishop Farmer was educated in the Philadelphia school system and graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1968. As a high school student, she exemplified a life of Christ while positively influencing her peers through humility and kindness. Due to her remarkable personality, she was elected Senior Class President. After graduation, she attended West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University of Pennsylvania). While pursuing her degree in education, her love for singing inspired her to start the West Chester Gospel Choir, which she directed until her graduation. In May 1972, Bishop Farmer graduated from West Chester with a degree in Spanish Education. A month later, in June 1972, she married her childhood sweetheart, Lawrence Farmer. Their love for each other was evident in every aspect of their lives, including education, ministry, music, business, and family. The Lord blessed them with 53 years of marriage, four children, and eight grandchildren! After graduating from college, Bishop Farmer began her teaching career at Wagner Junior High School in Philadelphia, where she established the Wagner Junior High Gospel Choir. While teaching, she sang, directed, and composed music for the choir. Affectionately known as Ms. Farmer, she traveled with the choir and performed at numerous churches and schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. This pioneering effort later opened doors for many other junior high and high schools to incorporate Gospel music into their extracurricular programs. Years later, Bishop Farmer and members of the Wagner Junior High School Gospel Choir formed the Wagner Alumni Gospel Choir, which subsequently recorded several albums. This achievement propelled them to superstar status, allowing them to tour, sing, and minister throughout the United States. Singing, directing the choir, and writing music about the Good News were clearly extensions of God's calling in her life. Her Christian influence was so profound that many of her students followed her into ministry and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Some became members of Faith Tabernacle Church under the pastorate of her mother, Bishop Lillian Ward, and later under her own leadership. Additionally, many of these students pursued clerical roles, becoming Bishops, Pastors, Elders, and outstanding men and women of God in the Body of Christ. In 1972, Bishop Farmer was called to preach and delivered her trial sermon in September of that year. In 1974, she was appointed as an Evangelist in the Churches of the Living God. It was during this time that God began to use her, preparing her with wisdom in the Word, soul-winning, and counseling the body of Christ on a global level. She conducted numerous music workshops, revivals, and concerts nationally and internationally, spreading the Word of God wherever the Lord led her. She traveled to the Bahamas, Africa, Germany, Korea, Italy, Puerto Rico, Japan, and other locations, sharing the Gospel through preaching and song. Ultimately, she was ordained as an Elder and served as Junior Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle Church of the Living God in Camden, NJ, under the pastorate of her mother, Bishop Lillian Ward. The Lord spoke to Bishop Ward, passing the mantle of pastorship to her daughter, who was then installed as Senior Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle Church of the Living God. Under her humble leadership, the church grew spiritually in knowledge of His Word and the operation of the Gifts of the Spirit within the ministry. Bishop Farmer grew up in the Church of the Living God Inc. She recorded her first song with the Churches of the Living God Choir in 1968 at the National Foreign Mission Convention. The song was “Power of the Holy Ghost,” written by Rosie Wallace Brown. For many years, Bishop Farmer served as the National Minister of Music for the Churches of the Living God. Under her leadership, the music ministry flourished and recorded many albums. She worked closely with the late Bishop Roger Hairston to create the first-ever National Music Conference. In October 2007, she was consecrated as a Bishop in the Churches of the Living God, Inc., where she served as the Liaison Bishop for the National Music Department of the CLG. Among the countless awards and commendations conferred upon this mighty woman-servant of God, Bishop Farmer received an honorary Doctorate from St. Thomas University of Florida in April 2014. Through her dedicated civic pursuits, Bishop Farmer's deep connection to her community made her a blessing to countless families in the Camden, NJ area. Her journey began with teaching ESL to students at Yorkship Elementary School and later at the Rafael Cordero Molina School in Camden. Driven by her passion for languages, she also taught English to adults, helping them fully assimilate into the community. As Co-Founder and Director of the LaBar Daycare/Pre-School and The Ward Center for Children for nearly three decades, she became a haven for local children and parents, providing essential foundational education within the loving care she was so adept at giving. Over the years, Bishop Farmer was part of an inclusive corps of religious leaders within the city. She was known to visit various locations in Camden, praying on the first day of school, covering the student body, and praying for a safe and successful year for the city she loved and called her own. Her civic consciousness and community advocacy were illustrated through her associations with the Concerned Black Clergy of Camden, NJ, Camden Churches Organized for the People (CCOP), Brightstar Christian Center of Camden, NJ & their March for Jesus, and The Faith in Action Network, a faith-based organization. Bishop Dr. Barbara Ward Farmer was a woman of many gifts, talents, and roles. She was a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, godmother, mentor, teacher, counselor, elder, friend, iconic composer, arranger, and minister of music. In every role, she was a trailblazer, fulfilling each with humility and the love that comes from God. Everywhere she went, in every assignment, she shared the love and light of Christ, touching, encouraging, and blessing those around her. We thank God for the heavenly blessing of the angel He has given us in the form of our beloved Bishop Dr. Barbara Ward Farmer. Bishop Farmer was predeceased by her Father, Edward Ward Sr., and her Mother, Bishop Lillian Ward. She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved husband of 53 years, Trustee Lawrence Farmer; their four children: LaRita Farmer, Benita Farmer, Sharita Joy Hyppolite (Thorn Sr,), and Lawrence Farmer IV (Alicia); eight grandchildren: Deshawn Pressley, Princess Farmer (her mother Sabrina Banks), Thorn Hyppolite Jr., JolieAnn Hyppolite, Jimmy Hyppolite, Lauren Farmer, Lawrence Farmer V, and Leo Farmer; five siblings: Edward Ward Jr., Benda Stallworth-Njoku, Lorraine White (Jesse White Jr.), Merry Carole Ellerbe, and Byron Ward Sr. (Cassandra); three sister cousins: Jacquline Dunlap, Shirley McDougald, and Wanda Brown; her Faith Tabernacle Church family; and a host of nieces, nephews, in-laws, godchildren, and spiritual sons and daughters.