Jones, E. Edward Sr. 1931–

views updated

E. Edward Jones, Sr. 1931–

Religious leader, civil rights activist

Began Work as Minister and Civil Rights Activist

Served as President of National Baptist Convention of America

Active in Local, State, and National Organizations

Nationally renowned as a religious, social, and civil rights activist, the Reverend Dr. E. Edward Jones, Sr., has worked for over 40 years to improve the lives of the black community and his parishioners at Galilee Baptist Church in Louisiana. Through his parish, and as president of the National Baptist Convention of America (NBCA), Jones has been an untiring advocate for the development of housing, education, and services for the black community, while strengthening foreign missions to other countries. As a strong visionary, Jones has helped make the dreams of many underprivileged become a reality. His intense devotion to his church and community has resulted in a faith-based community in the heart of downtown Shreveport that covers nearly 40 acres. Within this community, senior citizens, low-income families, and disadvantaged children have found housing, financial help, healthcare, schooling, and spiritual support. Early in his career Jones taught upper elementary school and coached sports, which instilled a desire within him to help inner-city youth overcome social and cultural roadblocks. He has since built recreational facilities, educational facilities, and designed programs for youth to ensure their success as contributing citizens within their own communities and worldwide. His fervent and loyal work towards civil rights, social reform, and education has changed the landscape of Louisiana and proven to the world the strong capability of the urban black community.

Influenced by Spiritual Surroundings

Born in DeRidder, Louisiana, in 1931 to the Reverend David Jesse Jones and Daisy Jones, the young Jones was heavily influenced by his spiritual surroundings. “I was born on a Sunday morning, a child of destiny,” he told Contemporary Black Biography (CBB). His father was the pastor of two churches in Louisiana, Sweet Home Baptist and Mount Calvary Baptist, while his mother was a homemaker. Jones has fond memories of his childhood, and told CBB that because of his parents, he felt destined from childhood to accomplish great things. Along with the spiritual influence of his parents, Jones said that he was also deeply influenced by the president and dean of Grambling State University, which he attended.

Reverend Jones lives in Shreveport, Louisiana, with his wife Leslie and has served as pastor of Galilee Baptist Church since December of 1959. After graduating from college, he taught upper elementary school for six years. From 1985 to 2003 he served as President of the NCBA, an organization made up of 5,000 churches and approximately 2.5 million African-American Baptists. Within these professional capacities, what began for Jones as a desire to see positive changes for his people has grown to a ministry that has positively touched the lives of countless thousands of individuals.

During his freshman year of college at Grambling State University, Jones met his future wife, Leslie M. Alexander. As classmates, the two began dating during their junior year, then married on August 31, 1952. The couple now has four children: sons Deryl N. Jones and E. Edward Jones II and daughters Carolyn N. Jones-Haygood and Donna N. Jones-Hassan. They also have nine grandchildren.

At a Glance…

Born in 1931 in DeRidder, LA; married Leslie M. Alexander, 1952; children: Deryl N. Jones, E. Edward Jones II, Carolyn N. Jones-Haygood, Donna N. Jones-Hassan. Education: Grambling State University, BS, elementary education, 1952; Bishop College, BA, religion and philosophy, 1961. Religion: Baptist

Career: Morehouse Parish School, Shreveport, LA, principal, 1952-53; upper elementary school teacher, 1953-59; Galilee Baptist Church, Shreveport, minister, 1959–; National Baptist Convention of America, president, 1985-2003; Galilee Majestic Arms Inc., Galilee Eden Gardens, Inc., president, 1985-,

Selected memberships: NAACP; Alpha Phi Alpha; Governor’s Commission on Race Relations and Civil Rights, board member; Baptist World Alliance, board member; Louisiana State University board of supervisors; Grambling State University Foundation, board member.

Awards: Ebony magazine, named as one of 100 most influential black Americans, 1986-2003; Alpha Phi Alpha, National Award for Outstanding Service, 1986; Grambling State University Hall of Fame, 1986; Northwest Louisiana Hall of Fame, 1992; awarded numerous honorary degrees.

Addresses: Office —Galilee Baptist Church, 1500 Pierre Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71103-3118.

Began Work as Minister and Civil Rights Activist

After graduating from Grambling State University in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Jones served as principal of Morehouse Parish School in Shreveport, Louisiana, for one year. From 1953 to 1959 he taught seventh and eighth grade at the same school and also coached basketball and softball. Through his experience in educating and working with youth, Jones became a powerful proponent for desegregation and equality for black youth. With a mounting desire to do more for his community, he accepted the call to become a pastor and returned to college. In 1961 he received a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy from Bishop College while pastoring his first church in Shreveport.

Jones became acquainted with civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., after accepting the call to pastor Galilee Baptist Church in Shreveport. He moved to Shreveport in 1958 and began his official appointment as pastor in 1959. Shortly before Jones arrived, King gave one of his first civil rights speeches at Galilee Baptist, and then visited the church again in 1962. Highly influenced by the words of Dr. King, Jones developed a steadfast zeal for civil rights that has not diminished through the years. He soon spearheaded the desegregation of the Caddo Parish School District in Shreveport, a desegregation model that continues to be implemented in the school district there. Furthermore, he began to envision ways in which he could assist the black community through healthcare, education, and housing.

As his vision began to take shape, and under his inspirational leadership, Galilee Baptist Church outgrew its facility and in 1975 it moved to a new location in the heart of the city that included approximately 40 acres. Some of the acreage consisted of old, run-down buildings that had once been part of an elite neighborhood. It was here that Jones would revitalize downtown Shreveport and build “Galilee City,” a church-centered haven for the impoverished and disadvantaged. In 2004 Galilee Baptist Church consisted of 800 families who also shared their pastor’s vision.

Served as President of National Baptist Convention of America

In addition to his church leadership, Jones was elected president of the National Baptist Convention of America in 1985. He was viewed as a person who could move the Convention forward with a progressive agenda. As president, his objectives were to fight segregation, to advocate the togetherness of the black community through corporate worship, and to ensure the ministry objectives of the organization. The NCBA is one of the largest black Christian churches in the United States with a mission for teaching, evangelizing, providing Christian publications, and ensuring religious liberty, social justice, and economic development. Since its corporate offices are located in Shreveport, Jones was able to be an effective president for 18 years while still leading the Galilee Baptist Church congregation. For example, in 1996, along with four other black religious groups, Jones started a new company that gives black consumers greater access to a wide variety of goods and services such as home mortgages, life insurance, automobile insurance, food products, and durable goods. Named Revelation Inc., the Memphis-based company offers increased economic and development power to the black community by reaching 20 million church members of 43,000 churches nationwide.

When asked by CBB what he considered his most significant contributions to the NCBA during his eighteen years as president, Jones replied that it was, “first, establishing the Convention’s identity through creating our own printing service as well as our own congress of Christian education. This covers the teaching and training aspect of the organization. Second, incorporating the convention and establishing term limits, because that breeds new life into the organization. And third, expanding our foreign mission involvement.” When Jones stepped down as president of the NCBA in 2003, it was not his plan to retire from his work for the black community. He felt that the Convention needed new blood, and he needed more time to devote to his expanding church community. “I still have a lot of energy,” he told CBB. Jones hopes to continue his legacy by instilling leadership qualities in the youth of his community. To accomplish this goal, he believes there is more work to be done.

Viewed as a man with a vision, Jones’s passion for helping people is evident by his astounding accomplishments. Surrounding his church in Shreveport is a small city of apartments and buildings known as Galilee City, a partial fulfillment of his dream. Beginning in 1985 and 1990, through Galilee Baptist Church, Jones secured funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for two supportive housing developments for the elderly and handicapped called Galilee Majestic Arms and Galilee Gardens. His next project, one that was spawned within him early in his career as a schoolteacher, was a recreational complex for youth that included sports facilities, a computer lab, and an educational program. His faith-based initiatives didn’t end there, however. Jones saw further needs within his community, and took further steps towards meeting those needs.

In 2004 Jones secured further funding from the City of Shreveport, Bank One, Fannie Mae, HUD, and the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency to build a 76-unit apartment complex for low-and middle-income working residents called Galilee City Apartments. This partnership not only helped to renew a run-down neighborhood, but also provided quality housing for the disadvantaged. “It’s exciting when our financial resources make a significant difference for working families,” said Steve Walker, president of Bank One in Shreveport. All of the buildings, along with the church, a health center, and some of the NBCA offices, cover approximately 31 acres of the Galilee Baptist property. “Ministers are trumpeters for the message of change. Housing and health are two areas where the black community is most hurting,” Jones told Dana DiFilippo in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Galilee City Apartments project is a major expression of Jones’s vision of a church-based community. Situated at the center of the community, the church can oversee the welfare and conditions of the people as well as train them in skills that will improve the community as a whole. Moreover, the apartments rank with some of the finest in the Shreveport-Bossier area. The master plan for Galilee city includes a wellness center, charter school, business incubator center, and other facilities designed to revitalize the center of the city. “We intend to build a learning and training center for adults and children to train them in skills that will help create wealth among our people. We will be building a combination service station, fast food, grocery store, and ice cream parlor across the street from the church,” Jones told CBB. Additionally, an expansion for the church building is planned in order to increase its media ministry. According to the HUD website, “Dr. Jones carries forward this rich history of promoting positive change and ensuring that the physical, social, and emotional needs of the elderly and disadvantaged are met.” Indeed, his self-proclaimed title as a “child of destiny” has driven him to fulfill a mission of compassion and caretaking for those in the black community who may otherwise be destitute.

Active in Local, State, and National Organizations

In addition to his faith-based initiatives through Galilee Baptist Church, Jones has been a member of numerous organizations including the NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha, the Governor’s Commission on Race Relations and Civil Rights, the Baptist World Alliance, the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University, and the Grambling State University Foundation.

Because of his influence and social activism within the black community, Jones has been the recipient of numerous awards. He also holds more than eight honorary doctoral degrees, including a Doctorate of Sacred Theology and a Doctorate of Humanities. He is the recipient of the National Award for Outstanding Service by his fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, and has been inducted into the Grambling State University Hall of Fame in 1986 and into the Northwest Louisiana Hall of Fame in 1992. From 1986 to 2003 Ebony magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential black Americans.

Though he is nearly 75 years old, Jones is not ready to slow down. “I like to be active,” Jones told CBB. “There is still a lot I want to do.” In spite of his staggering achievements, Jones is humbly modest and reluctant to take credit for what he has done, an indication of his compassionate and benevolent spirit. When noted by CBB that he was known as an avid activist, he responded with a chuckle, “Oh, I really haven’t done all that much.”

Sources

Books

Mead, Frank S., revised by Samuel S. Hill, Handbook of Denominations in the United States (9th Ed.), Abingdon Press, 1990, pg. 44.

Tiger, Harriet, ed., Who’s Who in America, Marquis, 1996, p. 2122

On-line

“Black Religious Groups Unite for Purchasing Power,” KY Kernel, www.kernel.uky.edu/1996/spring/0116/nlO.htm (April 21, 2004).

“Ground Broken on New 76-Unit Galilee City Apartments in Inner-City Shreveport,” Merrill Lynch, http://askmerrill.ml.com/markets_news_story/0,2263,%7B934C8F23-3F21-4295-B636-7EDD6547D390%7D,00.html (April 16, 2004).

“Health, Housing Had List of Baptists’ Concerns,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/09/07/loc_health_housing_head.html (April 21, 2004).

“One Man’s Vision,” Homes & Communities: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, www.hud.gov/local/la/library/archives/2003-07-16.cfm (April 22, 2004).