Bishop Jerry L. Jones

Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith

Bishop Jerry J. Jones, Sr. was born an only child to Rosalie Jones in Natchez, Mississippi. At the age of 11, he moved to Chicago and was educated in the Chicago Public School System. Upon making friends with one of the pastor's daughters, he visited the Victory Apostolic Faith Church and in 1967 was baptized in Jesus' name and received the Holy Ghost. After enlisting in the US Army, he later became a Sunday School Teacher at House of Prayer in Columbus, Georiga where he was stationed. Once back from the service, he became Sunday School Superintendent at Victory and eventually God called him to the ministry in 1980.

God's amazing plan was still in motion. In just three short years, Elder Jones was elevated to Assistant Pastor of Victory Apostolic Faith Church and in 1987, became the Pastor pf the Apostolic Assembly of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was elevated to District Elder the following year and assumed the diocese of the founding pastor, which included 65 churches in Nigeria, Africa.

In 1991, he was elevated to the Bishopric, where he received jurisdiction as 13th Episcopal Bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. And as the new millennium took shape, his new millennium ministry took off and God granted him the office of Illinois State Council Chairman in February 2000 and 2nd Assistant Presiding of the P.C.A.F. National Body on July 28, 2000. To God be the glory! God's hand was also upon Bishop Jones in the secular world. In 1977, he began his career with the city of Chicago Fire Department as a Firefighter. Less than 10 years later, after serving in a series of other positions, he was promoted to Exempt Rank and is currently serving as Assistant Fire Commissioner and the head of the newly created office of Diversity.

Bishop Jones has attended the Moody Bible Institute, Midwest Apostolic Bible College and Trinity Bible College. In 1997, he was awarded an Honarary Doctorate from the Pentecostal Bible College. He was also a recipient of the 1999 United Negro College Fund's Distinguished Leadership Award. Pastor Jones and his wife, LaVerne, have six biological children. The Jones family was highlighted in 1991 when Ebony Magazine did a 3-page, featured story on Bishop Jones. As they put it, "he's the Firefighting Bishop" who puts out fires in the natural and sets ablaze in the spirit!