Bro. Charles Jones returns to where it all started

GUERNSEY – Having preached the Gospel for 70 years in eight different decades, the ministry of Bro. Charles Jones has made a complete circle back to the starting point. That effort was recognized last month in a ceremony at the monthly singing at the Guernsey Baptist Church, which sits a few feet off the old Bankhead Highway.

Jones’ son Danny, who is pianist at the church, organized a surprise that was capped with a presentation recognizing the milestone by Charles Jones’ younger brother Don Jones, who currently is pastor of Cross Point Cowboy Church between Nashville and Lockesburg.

Charles Jones surrendered to preach at the nearby Powers Baptist Church, which no longer exists. His second message was at Guernsey Baptist Church in 1955. During the time he has been preaching he has pastored 17 churches and one church twice. All of the churches were located in 9 different counties in Arkansas. He has preached in six states, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, South Dakota, California, and Arkansas, and in Juarez, Mexico.

In no particular order, Bro. Charles has pastored Park Hill Baptist in Camden, Rock Creek Baptist near Lockesburg, Bethany Baptist in Spring Hill, Southside Baptist in Hope, Brister Baptist in Magnolia, New Liberty Baptist in Stamps, First Baptist in Rosston, Pfeiffer Baptist in Batesville, Powers Baptist in the Powers Community, County Line near Nashville, and Community Baptist Church at Okay, two different times, Old Liberty Community Church near Cross Roads, and now at Guernsey.

Brother Charles pastored Community Baptist Church in Okay from 1959-62 when it was a company village built to support the operation of the Ideal Cement Plant. From about 2018 to late 2023 he again pastored at Okay. This time the church was and is the only thing left in the Village of Okay. The town and school were phased out in the early to mid 1960s, the houses by the late 60s, and the cement plant was closed in late 1992. While pastoring at Rock Creek church, “Coach” Charles Jones led the Saratoga Bulldogs to back-to-back Class B State Basketball Championships in the mid 1990s.

(He was the youngest and oldest pastor at Okay, the only man to ever serve in the office of pastor twice at Okay, in two different centuries about 60 years apart!)

Now in his late 80s, Brother Charles, in resigning the second time at Okay, told the church he felt the Lord was calling him home to the Guernsey area, where he was raised and now lives, which led him first to Old Liberty, and now to complete the circle at home, at Guernsey Baptist Church!

(Because of space limitations, we are not able to delve into his basketball prowess at Guernsey High School that led to a scholarship at a Presbyterian college in Batesville while pastoring a Baptist church there…)

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Charles Jones, left, bass player David Jacques, and Don Jones.

Judy and Wayne Francis from Okay Church, visit with Bro. Charles following the Guernsey presentation.

All photos by Dale Gathright, Jr.