Reverend Dennis C. Jones, Pastor
Pastor Dennis Carl Jones is a native of Shreveport,
Louisiana. He accepted Christ at
an early age and united with Canaan Baptist Church of Gloster, Louisiana under
the leadership of Reverend W. L. Davis. Pastor Jones accepted the call to the
Gospel Ministry and preached his initial message at the Baptist Temple Church
of Shreveport, Louisiana in August 1978. Currently he is a member of the Mount
Canaan Baptist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana, under the pastoral leadership
of Dr. Harry Blake.
In Shreveport, Pastor Jones attended Woodlawn High School
and also studied at Louisiana
State University
and Southern University. He served as pastor of Union Mission #2 Baptist
Church (1979 – 1983) and Hopewell Baptist Church
(1983 – 1991), both in Shreveport. Additionally, he served as pastor of Stonewall Missionary
Baptist Church
from 1991 until April, 1998, in Bossier
City, Louisiana.
On
April 11, 1998, Rev. Dennis Carl Jones was elected the 5th Pastor of the Gethsemane Missionary Baptist
Church. His first sermon
at Gethsemane was on May 2, 1998, and his
investiture service was on June 14, 1998. After the arrival of Pastor
Jones, the cornerstone for the Gethsemane
Missionary Baptist
Church was laid on July 11, 1999 and
the Multi-Purpose
Center was completed. The Multi-Purpose Center
was dedicated on December 10, 1999 in honor of the late Dr. Hayward Wiggins.
Under Pastor Jones' leadership, the membership and budget have increased and a
$3.4 million mortgage was liquidated nine years early. With a vision of expansion, Pastor Jones led
the church to purchase 3.3 acres of land adjacent to the present church
property and the recent completion of upgrades to the present sanctuary.
Pastor
Jones has a dual focus for the Church, to address the needs of the community
both spiritually and physically. Ministering to these needs include: increasing
attendance at Thursday Night Live Bible Study, increasing participation in
evangelism through the S.W.A.T. (Soul Winning Action Team) Ministry; which is
supported by the Door-to Door, Prayer, Homeless, Hospital, Nursing Home &
Shut-In and Prison Ministries, ministering to those in need through the
C.A.R.E. (Christian Assistance Relief Endeavor), H.O.P.E. (Helping Others
Prosper Emotionally), Can-Cer-Vive (Cancer Support) and Prayer Ministries and
encouraging the saints through the Couples In Christ (Marriage Ministry),
Joshua Generation (Young Adult Ministry) and Singles Ministry. Pastor Jones’ unique foresight of oneness
combined the men and women auxiliaries into one unified purpose of service,
focusing on work and witnessing. The
Master’s Men and the Women of Work, Worship and Witness (W.O.W.) ministries
were organized.
In
honor of Gethsemane's 50th Anniversary, Pastor Jones provided inspirational
leadership in a "Jubilee Celebration" emphasizing the twelve tribes
of Israel.
The fellowship surrounding the twelve tribes of Israel led Pastor Jones to organize
a Cell Ministry on June 30, 2002. This ministry, through the tribes, has met
the needs of the church family through sharing the Word of God, prayer,
visitation, and finance during times of bereavement, illness, and other special
needs.
Pastor Jones has a ministry that reaches beyond the church walls as he
is a well sought after revivalist, preaching his first sermon overseas on July
12, 2009 in Atebubu, Ghana. He has served in many leadership positions on
the local, state, and national levels. These leadership positions have included
being the Executive Secretary/Treasurer and Tent Revival Coordinator for the
Evangelical Board of the National Baptist Convention of America, Incorporated
and a Board Member of the Baptist World Alliance. He is also affiliated with the Missionary
Baptist General Convention of Texas. In addition to his church and denominational
work, he also serves the community as a member of the Community Advisory Board
for the Houston Independent and Galena
Park Independent
School Districts. Pastor Jones is married to the former Zora
Thompson and has one son, Darius DeCarl Jones.