Facebook/Coosada Church of Christ A graveside service was held for an Alabama pastor who served his congregation for more than 40 years before he died from COVID-19, and his wife, who had succumbed to the novel coronavirus two weeks earlier. The Coosada Church of Christ posted a video of the service that was held Saturday at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Mathews, Alabama, where John Thomas, who was the pastor of the church for 41 years, and his wife, Joann, had been laid to rest. Pastor Thomas died on Dec. 26, a fortnight after his wife, Joann, died, WSFA12 News reported. They were married for 52 years.