Senior Pastor (2002-2011)
Reverend Jones, IV was born in Augusta, Ga. to the Reverend Dr. Tyrone P. Jones, III and Carolyn Jones. He was educated in the Richmond County Public School system of Augusta. He graduated with honors from the Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky in June 1990. Upon graduating from high school, Reverend Jones attended the prestigious Howard University in Washington, DC and graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Administration degree in Criminal Justice. He was employed at the Office of Naval Intelligence (O.N.I.) as a Federal Police Officer. While at O.N.I. he earned the rank of sergeant. Reverend Jones also sang background and lead vocals with gospel recording artist, Sam Kendrick’s Nation of Holiness of Washington, DC, whose first album debut in December 1998.
Reverend Jones is also a 1998 graduate of the Howard University School of Divinity, where he was awarded a Master of Divinity Degree and was the recipient of the W.O. Carrington Award for Most Gifted Preacher. Reverend Jones was licensed to preach the gospel in October 1995 at the Isle of Patmos Baptist Church, Washington, DC; and he was ordained there on August 4, 2001. While at Isle of Patmos, Reverend Jones served as an Associate Minister, Assistant to the Pastor, Sunday School teacher, Director of the Sunday School Incentive Program and Facilitator of Youth Affairs.
Reverend Jones was elected the fifth Pastor of Messiah Baptist Church, Bridgeport, Connecticut on Friday, June 28, 2002. He accepted the task with great joy and humility.
Pastor Jones received the Religious Service Award from the Greater Bridgeport Chapter of the NAACP shortly after coming to Bridgeport. Pastor Jones could be heard weekly as a radio talk show host during the “IMA Hour” every Tuesday morning from 10-11a.m. on WDJZ 1530 AM, and on Saturdays from 3-4 p.m. a taped broadcast “Message from Messiah” each week on WDJZ. Pastor Jones contributed a chapter entitled “How to Eradicate the Condition of Men-Who-Pause” in the book, Sound the Trumpet Again: Messages to Empower African American Men, Edited by Darryl Sims, Judson Press 2005. Also his sermon titled “Who Are You” was published in the summer 2005 issue of The African American Pulpit, Martha Simmons, President and Publisher. Pastor Jones contributed sermons to Precepts for Living for Urban Ministries, Inc of Chicago, IL.
While at Messiah, Pastor Jones unveiled the vision that God had for the church. The M3 Power Vision, “Multi-faceted Ministries for the New Millennium and Beyond!!” The aim of the vision was to make sure that Messiah Baptist Church remained relevant in the 21st century through a more effective model of ministry.
After Pastor Jones launched the vision, the church added a 7:45 a.m. worship service, the Wednesday Noon Day Hour of Power experienced tremendous growth through the preaching of Pastor Jones, and over three hundred disciples were added to the church.
Pastor Jones was involved with redevelopment of the City of Bridgeport, being appointed by the mayor to serve on the City’s Master Plan Board. In addition, he worked through E-Power Development Corporation to establish a joint venture for future commercial, for-profit and non-profit entities for the perpetuation of Messiah Baptist Church.
In January 2008, Pastor Jones was awarded an honorary Doctor of Minister degree from the New Freedom Bible College in Belleville, IL.
In May 2010, Pastor Jones was awarded the Master of Theology (Th.M) degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ.
His affiliations in community, religious and civic organizations were many. In September 2011, Pastor Jones tended his resignation after nine years of faithful service to Messiah and the Bridgeport Community.
Reverend Jones is married to The Reverend Doctor Elizabeth Regina Sapp Jones, of Morristown, New Jersey. They were blessed with two children, Tyrone Phillip Jones and Emani Regina Sierra Jones.