OBITUARY
Jerry Allen Jones
March 28, 1932 – January 10, 2018
Jerry Jones was born March 28,1932 in Tipton County, Tennessee to Floyd and Sadie Jones. His father had become a minister when Pastor Jones was 8 years old. He knew at the age of 12 that he would be a minister. He preached his first sermon at the age of 17 at his father’s church in Ripley, Tennessee. He graduated from Ripley High School in May of 1950 and left soon after, with only a one-way Greyhound bus ticket to Broken Bow, Nebraska where he was to meet a young lady, named Lucille Cole, with whom he had been a pen pal for most of his senior year. They would marry in September of that same year.
Much of his early years were spent as an evangelist traveling across the country. He pastored his first church in Rutherford, Tennessee in 1953. He later pastored churches in Manchester and Memphis before moving his family out west.
In 1962 the family moved to the San Fernando valley in California. It was here that God brought Ira Virgil Grove into Pastor Jones life and, in 1963, a daily half-hour broadcast called Gospeltones on KHOF FM evolved.
As part of his love for gospel music, Pastor Jones started Saturday Night Sings, where he would bring in well-known gospel quartets and singers. Among those would be the Blackwood Brothers, the Spear Family, the Cathedrals and Andre Crouch, just to name a few. The Saturday Night Sings continued from 1965-1974.
Shortly after starting the Saturday Night Sings, Pastor Jones formed his own Southern gospel quartet, called the Galileans. This group made two albums in the four years they were together (1966-1968) and toured across the county performing in churches and concert halls. Each concert would be followed by Pastor Jones giving a sermon and altar call.
As the ministry continued to grow, so did the outreach. Burbank Community Church was originally started in a small, upstairs office in a building on Burbank Blvd. October 23, 1968. It came out of a group of approximately 40 people who had been radio listeners and saw the vision that Pastor Jones had, and wholeheartedly joined in to make that happen. It wasn’t long until they had outgrown that little upstairs office and expanded to the office next door to give them twice the size.
During this time, Pastor Jones had driven past the old, boarded up California Theater, hundreds of times. One day, in the summer of 1969, he literally made a U-turn in the middle of the road because something told him to get the phone number on the “For Sale or Lease” sign and call them. The deal was sealed, and the small congregation spent the next 30 days and nights, literally on their hands and knees, pulling out moldy carpet, scraping years of gum and concession food from the floor and repairing leaks in the roof so they could have their first service there on New Year’s Eve. Over the years the congregation grew and Pastor Jones led the congregation until his retirement in 2004. Following his retirement as a full-time pastor in 2004, he knew that his work was not done. In 1995 he reunited with Pastor Ed Smith of Zoe Christian Fellowship in Whittier, California and began counseling one day a week there, as well as preaching periodically and conducting various leadership training meetings. He also conducted several marriage ceremonies and became a “father figure” to many of them. He was also a “minister-at-large” filling in at various churches, “minister-at-large” filling in at various churches, as needed and conducted two Bible studies a week and mentored new pastors.
Missions were a cornerstone of what he did. This included purchasing a caribou and hundreds of pounds of rice to be shipped to third world countries. He supported and traveled to speak in many countries including Africa, Korea, the Philippines and several trips to the Holy Land. His service extended well beyond the walls of the church. He was an active and involved member of his community and worked to build relationships and bridges between the church and community. He was given a key to the City Dec. 10,1989, by the City Council, for 40 years of service to the community.
He was a member of the Burbank Ministerial Association and served nine years as President. He was very active in VFW programs and spoke at the Veterans Day Memorial Services in the Park. He served on the Board of Directors of the Burbank YMCA, the Foothill Youth Services Project and Burbank Housing Corporation and was the founding President of the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and President of the Burbank Noon Rotary Club
He had an amazing green thumb- especially when it came to growing roses and sculpting trees. In his yard you could find trees in the shape of birds and dolphins and the sweetest, most fragrant roses in bloom. His garden was meticulous, and he took great pride in it.
Services
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Funeral Service
Friday, January 19, 2018
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Visitation and Coronation Service
Friday, January 19, 2018
Memories
Jerry Allen Jones
have a memory or condolence to add?
ADD A MEMORYVirginia R Ortega
March 13, 2018
I first heard him on radio station in sacramento .ca in the 80/90 era. He called his program gospeltones He touched many lives thru his half hour radio thru praying for the down in spirit those hurt in heart for any reason he would pray. I often tuned in to hear him preach the gospel praying fastly those who received his call on the savior. His ministry came to cacti one day.so I attended looking forward.to see & meet him person. The.Prayer Center on street is no more years now but was then. The sort.call all were there where he did lay hands on all who believed. His poem The Rose he often read on radio I never forgot him his radio his preaching.." I did not break you child of mine without a purpose grand; was just part of it. God bless his times.
Troy Ransome
January 31, 2018
Thank you love you so much R.I.P picture at Burbank Community Church
Troy Ransome
January 31, 2018
Love you so much thank you for being there for me from Troy Ransome your the best R.I.P
Nan Miles
January 19, 2018
our parents met I believe at a gospel concert (and series thereof) sometime in 1967 or early 1968, and basicially we all became extended family, a relationship that lasted for now going on 50 years. So many fond memories of Burbank Community Church, my mom driving the motley crew of crazy teenagers to camps, and the hundreds of people who thru that church crossed in and out of our lives. Our God will bless Pastor Jones with his heavenly grace and bless those of us here, friends and family, with peace and comfort.
Martha mahan
January 19, 2018
So very sorry Rhonda. May God give you strength and comfort.
Diane Bunyard
January 19, 2018
Rhonda you're all in my prayers. I have very fond memories of your dad. May the peace and comfort of Jesus Christ be with you all during this time.
January 19, 2018
Uncle Jerry will I can now say goodbye to you and the heart about Jesus and the minister that Jesus has called you in the minstery and start preaching the sermon good bye for now
Mary & Don Pitman
January 19, 2018
Remembering you all in prayer these days. May you sense the Lord's presence with you as you grieve Jerry's passing and thanking the Lord that he is now with Him.
January 19, 2018
Uncle Jerry,
You have been such a blessing to me. I'm going to miss you. I am going to miss your "heart talks" both on the phone and by email.
Deloris
Marie Cole
January 19, 2018
You are the light of the world and Jesus welcome you home
Leon Boyd
January 18, 2018
Leon Boyd
Leon Boyd
January 18, 2018
A good friend since high school. Will miss your email sermons and poems.