Rev. Dr. J. David Jones

Rev. Dr. J. David Jones, 57, of Minot, ND, died Wednesday, September 28, 2011, in a Boston, Massachusetts Hospital. Dr. Jones was in Boston attending a conference, when he went to be with the Lord.

Funeral services were held Thursday, October 6, 2011, at 1 p.m. at Trinity Evangelical Free Church,  in Minot, ND. Burial was at Rosehill Memorial Park, in Minot, ND.

James David Jones was born on November 12, 1953, in Mobile, Alabama, the son of James H. and Jewell L. Nichols Jones. He was reared and educated in the Mobile, Alabama area and graduated from Theodore High School in Theodore, Alabama.

While attending Meadowlake Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, he was born again at the age of 13 on January 29, 1967. One week later on February 6, 1967, he was baptized. During the summer of the same year, he surrendered his life to the ministry of the Gospel. In June of 1967, while attending the Rolling Hills Baptist Youth Camp, he gave up his working life to Christ for His selected service. In August of 1967, he preached his first sermon.

David attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri from 1972 until 1979. During this time he also worked at a Village Inn Pancake House as a lead cook. In June of 1975, he married Linda Sue Hall in Clarendon, Texas. David graduated from Baptist Bible College in 1979 with a degree in Theology. He then went to work as an assistant pastor at Green Hills Baptist Church, in Kilgore, Texas and later was an associate Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, Clarendon, Texas. He was the founding Pastor of the Independent Baptist Church in Stratford, Texas, and served as the church’s pastor until June of 1982. He received his Bachelor of Theology degree from Great Plains Baptist College and Divinity School, Sioux Falls, SD in 1981.  In June of 1982 he founded the Fellowship Baptist Church in Spearman, Texas and served as the church’s pastor until July of 1987. In 1986, David received his Master of Divinity degree from Great Plains Baptist College and Divinity School. In July of 1987 he became an associate pastor for Empire Baptist Temple in Sioux Falls, SD. In 1991, he received his Doctor of Religious Education and Doctor of Divinity from Anderson Baptist College in South Carolina.

He was stationed with the US Army as a chaplain in Ft. Irwin, California during Desert Storm in 1991 and has served as a commissioned US Army Chaplain (CPT) with the US Army, Guard and Reserves. In August of 1991, he was the founding pastor of the Las Cruses Baptist Church in Las Cruses, New Mexico, and also worked as a shift supervisor for Las Cruses Security.

In 1993, they moved to Minot, ND, where he was the founding Pastor of Dakota Baptist Church and was still serving as the pastor of the church. In over thirty-five years of ministry, he led over 750 people to a saving knowledge of Christ, started four churches, three schools, supervised three building programs, and served as an Army chaplain during peace and war.

David was the current State Department Chaplain of the American Legion. He was a member of the Ward County Historical Society and was the site administer and curator for the society at the time of his death. He was commissioned with the Civil Air Patrol (LTC), U.S. Air Force Auxiliary from December 1987-August 2006. David served as a volunteer prison Chaplain at the South Dakota State Penitentiary and was a member of the Empire Baptist Prison Ministries and the Rock of Ages Prison Ministry.

David organized three Christian Schools, Fellowship Baptist Schools, Spearman, Texas, Empire Baptist Schools, Sioux Falls, SD and Dakota Baptist Academy, Minot, ND. He went back to school at Minot State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 2008.  He received his Master of Education at Grand Canyon State University in Arizona. He was supervisor of the Dakota Baptist Home School CO-OP.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Sue Hall Jones, of Minot, ND; daughters, Judith Marie and husband James Mathis, of Minot; Robin Jeannette and husband Troy Luschen, of Minot and Jacqueline Diane and husband Nathaniel Campbell, of Sioux Falls, SD; eight grandchildren, Cailynn Orion Luschen, Connor Garrette Luschen, Wyatte Elias Luschen, Kohle Gavin Luschen, Lily Dawn Mathis, Logan James Mathis, Reagan Abagayle Campbell, Ty Jaxson Campbell; sisters, Jamie Lanell and husband George Phillips, of Mobile, Alabama, Jennifer Lynn Jones, of Mobile, Alabama; father and mother-in-law, Doyle and Carol Jean Hall, of Clarendon; brothers and sisters-in-law, Gary Dan Hall and wife Michelle, of Clarendon,  and Janie Kay and Zeke Taylor, of Rendon. A number of nieces and nephews also survive.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Henry and Jewel Lanell Jones.

All memorials will go to Dakota Baptist Church, in Minot, ND.