Bishop J. L. Jones, Sr. was born an only child to Rosalie Jones in Natchez, MS. 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 gift of the Holy Ghost. God’s work was just beginning…

After enlisting in the US Army, he later became a Sunday School Teacher at House of Prayer in Columbus, GA 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 of 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.

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 as of June 30, 2005 he retired from his dual role as the Assistant Fire Commissioner and Chief Officer of Diversity.

Bishop Jones has attended the Moody Bible Institute, Midwest Apostolic Bible College and Trinity Bible College. In 1997, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Pentecostal Bible College. He was also the recipient of the 1999 United Negro College Fund’s Distinguished Leadership Award and the One Church One School 2007 Religious Leader of the Year Award.

Real Estate investments include properties in Bronzeville/Englewood, Gresham Park, Washington Park, Olympia Fields and Port Malabar, Florida.

Pastor Jones and his wife, LaVerne, have six biological children; Jerry II (deceased), Jerry III, Angela, Savoy, Cynthenia and Marcus: six grandchildren; Christopher, Camille, Zion, Chloe, Zoe and Zephaniah and celebrated 39 years of marriage on August 30, 2008. The Joneses also parent an additional niece: Sonjia Neely. 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 fires ablaze in the Spirit!