Our Senior Pastor
He graduated from the East End High school in South Hill, Virginia and was the first in his family to attend college. He received a BS degree in Physics from Virginia State University, in Petersburg, Virginia and a master’s in business management from Central Michigan University. He spent a total of three years of active duty in the United States Army and another 4 years in the US Army Reserves where he attained the rank of captain.
His biblical training includes attending Washington Bible College for many years. He has also done biblical studies at Trinity Theological Seminary and the Andersonville Baptist Seminary. He taught bible classes for the Lancaster Bible College Biblical Enrichment Program for 20 plus years.
Following three years in the Active Army he returned to Virginia where he was employed as a middle manager of engineering by IBM / Lockheed Martin and retired in 2005 after 32 years. He joined the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church in 1976 where he was ordained as deacon in 1977. Soon after becoming a deacon the Lord called him into the Gospel Ministry where he was licensed to preach in 1979. At the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church Pastor Jones served as Chairman of the Bus Ministry, a ministry that ran five routes each Sunday to pick up individual for Sunday School and Church services.
In 1983 he was called to Pastor the Oak Shade Baptist church in Catlett, Virginia, where he has served as pastor since August 1983. There are many testimonies of what the Lord has done during his tenure as pastor of the Oak Shade Baptist Church. He is the Father of several Sons in the Ministry and has mentored other preachers who also claim him as pastor. Six of those from this group of ministers have gone on to pastor churches of their own. Although many would point to the building of a new edifice and moving into it debt free as a crowning achievement of his tenure as pastor he, would say that it is the spiritual growth and the spiritual impact upon the people that he values most.
Pastor Jones has held many positions in the church during his Christian walk such as deacon, Sunday school teacher, bus ministry coordinator and member of the choir. He has also served in positions in various associations to include statistician and member of the executive board of the Northern Virginia Baptist Association, moderator and secretary of the Fauquier County and Vicinity Ministers Coalition. He loves to preach and teach the word of God as well as hearing good preaching.
He is married to the former Beverly Grantham of Morristown New Jersey and they have three adult children (Daemien, Danyl and Dasha), two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, a family he loves and is extremely proud of.
Jesse Jones Jr., the oldest of fourteen children, was born in Bracey, Virginia. He grew up in a Christian home where his father and grandfather were deacons, and his mother and grandmother were mothers (deaconesses) in the church. Pastor Jones received Christ as savior and joined the Free Union RZUA Church where he was baptized at the age of 7. Growing up in the church he served in various roles prior to leaving home for college; to include singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School and serving as an officer in the church union. His childhood was spent being raised on a farm where he was taught an exceptional work ethic; hence he is no stranger to putting in lots of hard work in order to achieve desired goals.