Biographical Sketch of Paul Jakes
MARCH 23, 2002
by Russell Jakes (his son)
My father can be characterized by one phrase and three words. The phrase which was one of his favorites was "hard work never hurt anyone". The three words are minister, student and educator. As a minister he was a pastor and teacher. As a life-long student he maintained a personal library of two to three thousand volumes, had a most incredible informal education, earned one Bachelors and two Masters Degrees and, completed most of his classroom work on a Doctorate. But it really was not about degrees or even about bettering himself in the work force. It was about knowledge. He had an amazing thirst for learning. As an educator he both taught and was an administrator at the high school, college and seminary levels. These will become more vivid as his incredible story unfolds.
The story begins on September 24, 1912 in Louisville, Kentucky when my father was born the first of what would be four children. The family soon moved to Florida where his father became a very successful, millionaire businessman.
He had Christian parents and as a result was saved at an early age. He also learned early on the importance of work. Even though his parents were wealthy, he had a job from the time he was seven years of age when he delivered milk in a wagon. This work ethic continued his entire life.
Because of financial failures of his father, the family had to break up. Each of the four children was sent to different relatives to live. My father moved to Tennessee to live with an uncle. He continued to work to help supplement his support. When the depression came he felt it important to relieve the additional burden he was placing on his uncle's family and decided to embark on an incredible informal educational journey.
Now in his late teens, believing that he could support himself by having some ten years of work experience and having a desire to see the country, he started hitchhiking around the United States. He took on various short-term jobs for support as he continued to travel. During this two to three year period, he hitchhiked through 47 different states, missing only West Virginia.
At the age of 20 my father felt the call to the gospel ministry. Isn't it amazing that God would see something in a 20 year old man with a seventh grade education! What was God thinking?
Recognizing the need for a formal education, he applied to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In a letter he wrote to the President, he stated that God had called him into the ministry and he needed an education. He further stated that he had not been to high school, had only $20 and no one to help with financial support except for his willingness to work. The response from the President was, "thanks, but no thanks". Not satisfied with the response, he went in person to meet with the President. The President became convinced that he was serious and deserved a chance. He was accepted as a special student beginning with remedial courses and ultimately completing two years of college work. This was the beginning of what would become a special thirst to obtain knowledge. While at Mercer he lived in the basement of the Baptist church and held various jobs to support himself and fund his education. It was at that church he preached his first sermon.
After completing two years at Mercer, he transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he graduated in 1938. It was while living in Waco he met the woman, Maxine Conner, who would become my mother.
After graduating from Baylor he was accepted to the Yale Divinity School. However, at the insistence of his pastor and my mother-to-be, he turned it down in favor of Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. I have a feeling that my mother, who was already a student at Southwestern, had more to do with it than his pastor!
While at Southwestern, my father pastored First Baptist Church in Point, Texas, worked on campus, and during the Christmas season was the Santa Claus at a large department store in Ft. Worth. In 1939, during their time at Southwestern, my parents were married.
In 1941, my parents graduated from Southwestern, my father with a Master of Divinity Degree and my mother with a Diploma in Religious Education. Upon graduation, my father was called to pastor First Baptist Church in Stanton, Texas. It was while they were in Stanton that I was born.
Let me take a minute to tell you a little about my mother. This is not intended to belittle pastors' wives who are not as involved; but let me tell you that when a church called my father as pastor, they received two for the price of one. She always held positions in Sunday School, Training Union, WMU, GA's, was active in the music program and anywhere else there was a need.
My father was later called to First Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas where he pastored two different times. In between his two pastorates, he served as Chaplain in the United States Army Air Force. He was actually inducted into the service during a worship service at the church. While he was in the service my mother stayed a portion of the time at her home in Waco where my brother David was born.
In 1949, my father was called to Calvary Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona and later pastored Pima Street Baptist Church in Tucson, and Orangewood Baptist Church in Phoenix. As a pastor, he developed leaders who were founded in the Southern Baptist faith, led each church to grow, minister, win people to the Lord and give. For two years in Elgin, the church led the Texas Baptist Convention in per capita giving to the Cooperative Program. During one year at Casa Grande he baptized 97.
In addition to pastoring, he held various positions in state and associational work. He was Vice President of the Arizona Baptist Convention, was on the Board of Trustees of an "upstart" college in Prescott (which would become Grand Canyon University) and Moderator of the Association on several occasions.
He twice was employed by Grand Canyon College, the first time as a Field Representative and Fund Raiser. Since the money was in Texas, we moved to Waco for one year. During that year he had the opportunity to preach in several of our Convention's largest churches including First Baptist Church in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City and Lubbock. While in Texas he became acquainted with the Fleming family for which the Fleming Library is named. After the year in Texas he returned to Phoenix and was named Vice President.
The second term with Grand Canyon was to teach Bible and Religious Education, begin an extension program and to recruit students. During this time, long-time family friends from the church in Casa Grande, the Ethington's, decided that the college needed a theater. The result is the theater which bears their name.
For 12 years my father was employed as one of four Associates in the Seminary Extension Department of the Southern Baptist Convention. His responsibilities were to identify needs, establish course curriculums, locate qualified personnel to teach, and identify a classroom site for each class. Initially, his area of service covered 13 western states. Later, he transferred to Mississippi where he had the southeastern states.
While in Phoenix my mother worked for Roy Sutton at the Baptist Loan Fund of the Convention, and as a bookkeeper at Grand Canyon College for Harry Kent. After moving to Mississippi, she was financial secretary at First Baptist Church in Clinton.
When, for financial reasons the Seminary Extension Program had to be revamped, my father purchased a hardware store. A few years later and at approximately the same time, he had an opportunity to sell the hardware store and become Principal and Superintendent of Mississippi Baptist High School.
Ten days before my father died, my parents visited us in Phoenix. On the day he returned he had to stop by the school to make sure everything was going well. Remember earlier I talked about his work ethic. He would truly not ask anyone to do anything he would not do himself. While helping to paint the football bleachers in preparation for the coming year, he begin to feel sick. He returned to his office where his secretary insisted that he go to the emergency room. Two days later, on August 25, 1974, he died of a heart attack.
MARCH 23, 2002
by Russell Jakes (his son)
My father can be characterized by one phrase and three words. The phrase which was one of his favorites was "hard work never hurt anyone". The three words are minister, student and educator. As a minister he was a pastor and teacher. As a life-long student he maintained a personal library of two to three thousand volumes, had a most incredible informal education, earned one Bachelors and two Masters Degrees and, completed most of his classroom work on a Doctorate. But it really was not about degrees or even about bettering himself in the work force. It was about knowledge. He had an amazing thirst for learning. As an educator he both taught and was an administrator at the high school, college and seminary levels. These will become more vivid as his incredible story unfolds.
The story begins on September 24, 1912 in Louisville, Kentucky when my father was born the first of what would be four children. The family soon moved to Florida where his father became a very successful, millionaire businessman.
He had Christian parents and as a result was saved at an early age. He also learned early on the importance of work. Even though his parents were wealthy, he had a job from the time he was seven years of age when he delivered milk in a wagon. This work ethic continued his entire life.
Because of financial failures of his father, the family had to break up. Each of the four children was sent to different relatives to live. My father moved to Tennessee to live with an uncle. He continued to work to help supplement his support. When the depression came he felt it important to relieve the additional burden he was placing on his uncle's family and decided to embark on an incredible informal educational journey.
Now in his late teens, believing that he could support himself by having some ten years of work experience and having a desire to see the country, he started hitchhiking around the United States. He took on various short-term jobs for support as he continued to travel. During this two to three year period, he hitchhiked through 47 different states, missing only West Virginia.
At the age of 20 my father felt the call to the gospel ministry. Isn't it amazing that God would see something in a 20 year old man with a seventh grade education! What was God thinking?
Recognizing the need for a formal education, he applied to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In a letter he wrote to the President, he stated that God had called him into the ministry and he needed an education. He further stated that he had not been to high school, had only $20 and no one to help with financial support except for his willingness to work. The response from the President was, "thanks, but no thanks". Not satisfied with the response, he went in person to meet with the President. The President became convinced that he was serious and deserved a chance. He was accepted as a special student beginning with remedial courses and ultimately completing two years of college work. This was the beginning of what would become a special thirst to obtain knowledge. While at Mercer he lived in the basement of the Baptist church and held various jobs to support himself and fund his education. It was at that church he preached his first sermon.
After completing two years at Mercer, he transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he graduated in 1938. It was while living in Waco he met the woman, Maxine Conner, who would become my mother.
After graduating from Baylor he was accepted to the Yale Divinity School. However, at the insistence of his pastor and my mother-to-be, he turned it down in favor of Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. I have a feeling that my mother, who was already a student at Southwestern, had more to do with it than his pastor!
While at Southwestern, my father pastored First Baptist Church in Point, Texas, worked on campus, and during the Christmas season was the Santa Claus at a large department store in Ft. Worth. In 1939, during their time at Southwestern, my parents were married.
In 1941, my parents graduated from Southwestern, my father with a Master of Divinity Degree and my mother with a Diploma in Religious Education. Upon graduation, my father was called to pastor First Baptist Church in Stanton, Texas. It was while they were in Stanton that I was born.
Let me take a minute to tell you a little about my mother. This is not intended to belittle pastors' wives who are not as involved; but let me tell you that when a church called my father as pastor, they received two for the price of one. She always held positions in Sunday School, Training Union, WMU, GA's, was active in the music program and anywhere else there was a need.
My father was later called to First Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas where he pastored two different times. In between his two pastorates, he served as Chaplain in the United States Army Air Force. He was actually inducted into the service during a worship service at the church. While he was in the service my mother stayed a portion of the time at her home in Waco where my brother David was born.
In 1949, my father was called to Calvary Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona and later pastored Pima Street Baptist Church in Tucson, and Orangewood Baptist Church in Phoenix. As a pastor, he developed leaders who were founded in the Southern Baptist faith, led each church to grow, minister, win people to the Lord and give. For two years in Elgin, the church led the Texas Baptist Convention in per capita giving to the Cooperative Program. During one year at Casa Grande he baptized 97.
In addition to pastoring, he held various positions in state and associational work. He was Vice President of the Arizona Baptist Convention, was on the Board of Trustees of an "upstart" college in Prescott (which would become Grand Canyon University) and Moderator of the Association on several occasions.
He twice was employed by Grand Canyon College, the first time as a Field Representative and Fund Raiser. Since the money was in Texas, we moved to Waco for one year. During that year he had the opportunity to preach in several of our Convention's largest churches including First Baptist Church in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City and Lubbock. While in Texas he became acquainted with the Fleming family for which the Fleming Library is named. After the year in Texas he returned to Phoenix and was named Vice President.
The second term with Grand Canyon was to teach Bible and Religious Education, begin an extension program and to recruit students. During this time, long-time family friends from the church in Casa Grande, the Ethington's, decided that the college needed a theater. The result is the theater which bears their name.
For 12 years my father was employed as one of four Associates in the Seminary Extension Department of the Southern Baptist Convention. His responsibilities were to identify needs, establish course curriculums, locate qualified personnel to teach, and identify a classroom site for each class. Initially, his area of service covered 13 western states. Later, he transferred to Mississippi where he had the southeastern states.
While in Phoenix my mother worked for Roy Sutton at the Baptist Loan Fund of the Convention, and as a bookkeeper at Grand Canyon College for Harry Kent. After moving to Mississippi, she was financial secretary at First Baptist Church in Clinton.
When, for financial reasons the Seminary Extension Program had to be revamped, my father purchased a hardware store. A few years later and at approximately the same time, he had an opportunity to sell the hardware store and become Principal and Superintendent of Mississippi Baptist High School.
Ten days before my father died, my parents visited us in Phoenix. On the day he returned he had to stop by the school to make sure everything was going well. Remember earlier I talked about his work ethic. He would truly not ask anyone to do anything he would not do himself. While helping to paint the football bleachers in preparation for the coming year, he begin to feel sick. He returned to his office where his secretary insisted that he go to the emergency room. Two days later, on August 25, 1974, he died of a heart attack.
Biographical Sketch of Paul Jakes
MARCH 23, 2002
by Russell Jakes (his son)
My father can be characterized by one phrase and three words. The phrase which was one of his favorites was "hard work never hurt anyone". The three words are minister, student and educator. As a minister he was a pastor and teacher. As a life-long student he maintained a personal library of two to three thousand volumes, had a most incredible informal education, earned one Bachelors and two Masters Degrees and, completed most of his classroom work on a Doctorate. But it really was not about degrees or even about bettering himself in the work force. It was about knowledge. He had an amazing thirst for learning. As an educator he both taught and was an administrator at the high school, college and seminary levels. These will become more vivid as his incredible story unfolds.
The story begins on September 24, 1912 in Louisville, Kentucky when my father was born the first of what would be four children. The family soon moved to Florida where his father became a very successful, millionaire businessman.
He had Christian parents and as a result was saved at an early age. He also learned early on the importance of work. Even though his parents were wealthy, he had a job from the time he was seven years of age when he delivered milk in a wagon. This work ethic continued his entire life.
Because of financial failures of his father, the family had to break up. Each of the four children was sent to different relatives to live. My father moved to Tennessee to live with an uncle. He continued to work to help supplement his support. When the depression came he felt it important to relieve the additional burden he was placing on his uncle's family and decided to embark on an incredible informal educational journey.
Now in his late teens, believing that he could support himself by having some ten years of work experience and having a desire to see the country, he started hitchhiking around the United States. He took on various short-term jobs for support as he continued to travel. During this two to three year period, he hitchhiked through 47 different states, missing only West Virginia.
At the age of 20 my father felt the call to the gospel ministry. Isn't it amazing that God would see something in a 20 year old man with a seventh grade education! What was God thinking?
Recognizing the need for a formal education, he applied to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In a letter he wrote to the President, he stated that God had called him into the ministry and he needed an education. He further stated that he had not been to high school, had only $20 and no one to help with financial support except for his willingness to work. The response from the President was, "thanks, but no thanks". Not satisfied with the response, he went in person to meet with the President. The President became convinced that he was serious and deserved a chance. He was accepted as a special student beginning with remedial courses and ultimately completing two years of college work. This was the beginning of what would become a special thirst to obtain knowledge. While at Mercer he lived in the basement of the Baptist church and held various jobs to support himself and fund his education. It was at that church he preached his first sermon.
After completing two years at Mercer, he transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he graduated in 1938. It was while living in Waco he met the woman, Maxine Conner, who would become my mother.
After graduating from Baylor he was accepted to the Yale Divinity School. However, at the insistence of his pastor and my mother-to-be, he turned it down in favor of Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. I have a feeling that my mother, who was already a student at Southwestern, had more to do with it than his pastor!
While at Southwestern, my father pastored First Baptist Church in Point, Texas, worked on campus, and during the Christmas season was the Santa Claus at a large department store in Ft. Worth. In 1939, during their time at Southwestern, my parents were married.
In 1941, my parents graduated from Southwestern, my father with a Master of Divinity Degree and my mother with a Diploma in Religious Education. Upon graduation, my father was called to pastor First Baptist Church in Stanton, Texas. It was while they were in Stanton that I was born.
Let me take a minute to tell you a little about my mother. This is not intended to belittle pastors' wives who are not as involved; but let me tell you that when a church called my father as pastor, they received two for the price of one. She always held positions in Sunday School, Training Union, WMU, GA's, was active in the music program and anywhere else there was a need.
My father was later called to First Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas where he pastored two different times. In between his two pastorates, he served as Chaplain in the United States Army Air Force. He was actually inducted into the service during a worship service at the church. While he was in the service my mother stayed a portion of the time at her home in Waco where my brother David was born.
In 1949, my father was called to Calvary Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona and later pastored Pima Street Baptist Church in Tucson, and Orangewood Baptist Church in Phoenix. As a pastor, he developed leaders who were founded in the Southern Baptist faith, led each church to grow, minister, win people to the Lord and give. For two years in Elgin, the church led the Texas Baptist Convention in per capita giving to the Cooperative Program. During one year at Casa Grande he baptized 97.
In addition to pastoring, he held various positions in state and associational work. He was Vice President of the Arizona Baptist Convention, was on the Board of Trustees of an "upstart" college in Prescott (which would become Grand Canyon University) and Moderator of the Association on several occasions.
He twice was employed by Grand Canyon College, the first time as a Field Representative and Fund Raiser. Since the money was in Texas, we moved to Waco for one year. During that year he had the opportunity to preach in several of our Convention's largest churches including First Baptist Church in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City and Lubbock. While in Texas he became acquainted with the Fleming family for which the Fleming Library is named. After the year in Texas he returned to Phoenix and was named Vice President.
The second term with Grand Canyon was to teach Bible and Religious Education, begin an extension program and to recruit students. During this time, long-time family friends from the church in Casa Grande, the Ethington's, decided that the college needed a theater. The result is the theater which bears their name.
For 12 years my father was employed as one of four Associates in the Seminary Extension Department of the Southern Baptist Convention. His responsibilities were to identify needs, establish course curriculums, locate qualified personnel to teach, and identify a classroom site for each class. Initially, his area of service covered 13 western states. Later, he transferred to Mississippi where he had the southeastern states.
While in Phoenix my mother worked for Roy Sutton at the Baptist Loan Fund of the Convention, and as a bookkeeper at Grand Canyon College for Harry Kent. After moving to Mississippi, she was financial secretary at First Baptist Church in Clinton.
When, for financial reasons the Seminary Extension Program had to be revamped, my father purchased a hardware store. A few years later and at approximately the same time, he had an opportunity to sell the hardware store and become Principal and Superintendent of Mississippi Baptist High School.
Ten days before my father died, my parents visited us in Phoenix. On the day he returned he had to stop by the school to make sure everything was going well. Remember earlier I talked about his work ethic. He would truly not ask anyone to do anything he would not do himself. While helping to paint the football bleachers in preparation for the coming year, he begin to feel sick. He returned to his office where his secretary insisted that he go to the emergency room. Two days later, on August 25, 1974, he died of a heart attack.
MARCH 23, 2002
by Russell Jakes (his son)
My father can be characterized by one phrase and three words. The phrase which was one of his favorites was "hard work never hurt anyone". The three words are minister, student and educator. As a minister he was a pastor and teacher. As a life-long student he maintained a personal library of two to three thousand volumes, had a most incredible informal education, earned one Bachelors and two Masters Degrees and, completed most of his classroom work on a Doctorate. But it really was not about degrees or even about bettering himself in the work force. It was about knowledge. He had an amazing thirst for learning. As an educator he both taught and was an administrator at the high school, college and seminary levels. These will become more vivid as his incredible story unfolds.
The story begins on September 24, 1912 in Louisville, Kentucky when my father was born the first of what would be four children. The family soon moved to Florida where his father became a very successful, millionaire businessman.
He had Christian parents and as a result was saved at an early age. He also learned early on the importance of work. Even though his parents were wealthy, he had a job from the time he was seven years of age when he delivered milk in a wagon. This work ethic continued his entire life.
Because of financial failures of his father, the family had to break up. Each of the four children was sent to different relatives to live. My father moved to Tennessee to live with an uncle. He continued to work to help supplement his support. When the depression came he felt it important to relieve the additional burden he was placing on his uncle's family and decided to embark on an incredible informal educational journey.
Now in his late teens, believing that he could support himself by having some ten years of work experience and having a desire to see the country, he started hitchhiking around the United States. He took on various short-term jobs for support as he continued to travel. During this two to three year period, he hitchhiked through 47 different states, missing only West Virginia.
At the age of 20 my father felt the call to the gospel ministry. Isn't it amazing that God would see something in a 20 year old man with a seventh grade education! What was God thinking?
Recognizing the need for a formal education, he applied to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In a letter he wrote to the President, he stated that God had called him into the ministry and he needed an education. He further stated that he had not been to high school, had only $20 and no one to help with financial support except for his willingness to work. The response from the President was, "thanks, but no thanks". Not satisfied with the response, he went in person to meet with the President. The President became convinced that he was serious and deserved a chance. He was accepted as a special student beginning with remedial courses and ultimately completing two years of college work. This was the beginning of what would become a special thirst to obtain knowledge. While at Mercer he lived in the basement of the Baptist church and held various jobs to support himself and fund his education. It was at that church he preached his first sermon.
After completing two years at Mercer, he transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he graduated in 1938. It was while living in Waco he met the woman, Maxine Conner, who would become my mother.
After graduating from Baylor he was accepted to the Yale Divinity School. However, at the insistence of his pastor and my mother-to-be, he turned it down in favor of Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. I have a feeling that my mother, who was already a student at Southwestern, had more to do with it than his pastor!
While at Southwestern, my father pastored First Baptist Church in Point, Texas, worked on campus, and during the Christmas season was the Santa Claus at a large department store in Ft. Worth. In 1939, during their time at Southwestern, my parents were married.
In 1941, my parents graduated from Southwestern, my father with a Master of Divinity Degree and my mother with a Diploma in Religious Education. Upon graduation, my father was called to pastor First Baptist Church in Stanton, Texas. It was while they were in Stanton that I was born.
Let me take a minute to tell you a little about my mother. This is not intended to belittle pastors' wives who are not as involved; but let me tell you that when a church called my father as pastor, they received two for the price of one. She always held positions in Sunday School, Training Union, WMU, GA's, was active in the music program and anywhere else there was a need.
My father was later called to First Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas where he pastored two different times. In between his two pastorates, he served as Chaplain in the United States Army Air Force. He was actually inducted into the service during a worship service at the church. While he was in the service my mother stayed a portion of the time at her home in Waco where my brother David was born.
In 1949, my father was called to Calvary Baptist Church in Casa Grande, Arizona and later pastored Pima Street Baptist Church in Tucson, and Orangewood Baptist Church in Phoenix. As a pastor, he developed leaders who were founded in the Southern Baptist faith, led each church to grow, minister, win people to the Lord and give. For two years in Elgin, the church led the Texas Baptist Convention in per capita giving to the Cooperative Program. During one year at Casa Grande he baptized 97.
In addition to pastoring, he held various positions in state and associational work. He was Vice President of the Arizona Baptist Convention, was on the Board of Trustees of an "upstart" college in Prescott (which would become Grand Canyon University) and Moderator of the Association on several occasions.
He twice was employed by Grand Canyon College, the first time as a Field Representative and Fund Raiser. Since the money was in Texas, we moved to Waco for one year. During that year he had the opportunity to preach in several of our Convention's largest churches including First Baptist Church in Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City and Lubbock. While in Texas he became acquainted with the Fleming family for which the Fleming Library is named. After the year in Texas he returned to Phoenix and was named Vice President.
The second term with Grand Canyon was to teach Bible and Religious Education, begin an extension program and to recruit students. During this time, long-time family friends from the church in Casa Grande, the Ethington's, decided that the college needed a theater. The result is the theater which bears their name.
For 12 years my father was employed as one of four Associates in the Seminary Extension Department of the Southern Baptist Convention. His responsibilities were to identify needs, establish course curriculums, locate qualified personnel to teach, and identify a classroom site for each class. Initially, his area of service covered 13 western states. Later, he transferred to Mississippi where he had the southeastern states.
While in Phoenix my mother worked for Roy Sutton at the Baptist Loan Fund of the Convention, and as a bookkeeper at Grand Canyon College for Harry Kent. After moving to Mississippi, she was financial secretary at First Baptist Church in Clinton.
When, for financial reasons the Seminary Extension Program had to be revamped, my father purchased a hardware store. A few years later and at approximately the same time, he had an opportunity to sell the hardware store and become Principal and Superintendent of Mississippi Baptist High School.
Ten days before my father died, my parents visited us in Phoenix. On the day he returned he had to stop by the school to make sure everything was going well. Remember earlier I talked about his work ethic. He would truly not ask anyone to do anything he would not do himself. While helping to paint the football bleachers in preparation for the coming year, he begin to feel sick. He returned to his office where his secretary insisted that he go to the emergency room. Two days later, on August 25, 1974, he died of a heart attack.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
