Scott J. Jones

Scott Jameson Jones (born 23 May 1954) is an American Bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 2004. He was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised in Illinois, Indiana and Colorado.

Bishop Jones preaching at Suncreek United Methodist Church (Allen, TX) in Feb. 2007

Family

He met his wife, Mary Lou Reece, while a student at the University of Kansas, and they were married 18 August 1979. She is the President of Reece Construction Company, with offices in Scandia, Kansas; Salina, Kansas; and Prosper, Texas. The couple have three children: Jameson (a student at Stanford University), Arthur and Marynell. All three are graduates of the University of Kansas. Arthur finished a Degree at Duke Divinity School and is an ordained elder in the North Texas Chapter of The United Methodist Church. He is also the lead preacher at The Well, a contemporary service at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas.[1]

Bishop Jones' younger brother, L. Gregory Jones, is a provost and vice-president at Duke University.

Education

Jones earned a B.A. degree in philosophy at the University of Kansas (1977 with highest honors). He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an M.Th. degree at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University (1981 with high honors). Jones's Ph.D. is also from Southern Methodist University, which he earned in 1992 in Religious Studies.

Ordained and academic ministry

Jones was a Deacon in the Kansas East Annual Conference (1978), and an Elder in the North Texas Annual Conference (1987). Rev. Jones was Pastor of the First U.M.C. of Prosper, Texas (1986–91), First U.M.C. of Howe, Texas (1991–95) and First U.M.C. of Commerce, Texas (1995–97). While a Pastor, Jones also served as adjunct faculty at Perkins School of Theology, teaching United Methodist history.

Dr. Jones returned to Perkins in 1997 as the McCreless Assistant/Associate Professor of Evangelism and as the Director of the Center for the Advanced Study and Practice of Evangelism, thereby pursuing his passion to help his denomination focus on its mission. As an academic, Dr. Jones spent the next seven years preaching and teaching throughout the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The Rev. Dr. Jones was a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences (1996–2004). He also chaired the Equipping Disciples Team for the North Texas Conference. He has served as a Member of the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council (W.M.C.) from 1996 until 2004, also serving on the Executive Committee of the W.M.C. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Wesley Foundation at S.M.U.

Episcopal ministry

Bishop Jones was elected by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the U.M.C. in July 2004. He was endorsed for election by the North Texas Conference Delegation to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned to the Kansas Episcopal Area, with offices in Wichita, Kansas.

Selected writings

See also

References

  1. http://www.thewellplano.com/worship/staff/
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