John Willis Lancaster grew up in a family of ten in Elma, Washington. He served in Korea with the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Korean War period.

Following his discharge he attended Warner Pacific College, earning a B.Th., and later, a M.Ed. at the University of Portland. He worked as a counselor in a treatment center with alcohol and drug clients, and taught at Portland Bible College and Rose City College.

In 1957 John met and married Betty Blanchard of Santa Cruz, California. They now have four children and twelve grandchildren.

Ordained with the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana), he pastored churches in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Beginning in 1983 he served as the Senior Pastor of Philadelphia Church and North Coast Christian School in Hammond, Oregon until his retirement in October of 2004.