Joyce Adele Burnett

Joyce was born in Osborne, Kansas to Rev. Everett and Viola Ewing. After spending her early childhood in Kansas, the Ewings moved to Tacoma, Washington, where her father served as the Pastor of First Assembly of God, now known as Life Center. Joyce married John Burnett on September 2, 1960 and soon they entered ministry, pastoring in Burlington and Belfair, Washington. They had two daughters, (currently in ministry) Sue Ladd and Pam Gregory. In 1967 they were appointed as Assemblies of God World Missionaries to the Philippines. They left for the field in the summer of 1969 with the family, being four of only twelve freighter passengers on a 21-day trip at sea.

John and Joyce served faithfully in many aspects of ministry through their 40 years on the mission field. They served in the Philippines, at Global University in Belgium and Texas, South Africa, & Swaziland. Joyce's contribution in each location was using her skills in bookkeeping and also tutoring English. Joyce became a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God in 2002. John and Joyce retired from World Missions in 2007, and John passed away in 2013 of pancreatic cancer. Joyce had been fighting Parkinson's Dementia for the past few years.

Joyce was best known for her ability to welcome new missionaries to the field, helping them get settled, and for being a tour guide and host for visiting Bible school teachers and teams. She had a keen desire to understand and know the people she was working with, and an amazing talent in any kind of handwork. Her sewing, crocheting, knitting, quilting, and so forth, were second to none. She was often the quiet worker in the background, never demanding or desiring any spotlight.

Joyce was preceded in death by her sisters Dorlyn and Karen, and is survived by her brother, Glenn Ewing, of Maple Valley, Washington, two daughters, Sue and Jim Ladd, Pam and Jeff Gregory, 8 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren.