Terry Jones (pastor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Terry Jones |
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Jones in March 2011
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| Religion | Nondenominational Christianity |
| Church | Dove World Outreach Center |
| Known for | Qur'an burning |
| Education | High school degree, two years of college |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | American |
| Home town | Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
| Born | October 1951 (age 73) Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States |
| Spouse |
Sylvia Jones
(m. 2001) |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Gainesville, Florida, United States |
| Title | Pastor |
| Period in office | 1981–present |
Terry Jones (born October 1951) is an American pastor and activist. He was the leader of the Dove World Outreach Center, a small Christian church in Gainesville, Florida, until 2013. He also leads a political group called Stand Up America Now. Jones became widely known in 2010 for his plans to burn copies of the Qur'an, which is the holy book of Islam. He carried out these burnings later on.
Jones also ran as an independent candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Terry Jones was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He finished high school at Central High School in 1969. After that, he studied at Southeast Missouri State University for two years. He later received an honorary degree in theology in 1983.
Career and Ministry
In the late 1970s, Jones worked as an assistant hotel manager. He then became an assistant pastor with Maranatha Campus Ministries in Kentucky. In 1981, he moved to Cologne, Germany, with his first wife. There, he started and led a church called Christliche Gemeinde Köln (CGK). This church grew to have about 1,000 members.
In 1997, Jones spoke in Washington, D.C., about the treatment of Christians in Europe. In 2008, he left the church in Germany. He then came to lead the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida.
In October 2010, Jones started a political group called Stand Up America Now. In 2011, he announced he was running for president as an independent. His ideas included sending back people who are in the country illegally and reducing taxes for businesses.
In 2013, Jones moved his ministry from Gainesville, Florida, to Bradenton, Florida. Later, in 2017, he worked as a driver for Uber. However, Uber removed him from their service after reports that he shared anti-Islamic messages with passengers.
Personal Life
Terry Jones's first wife, Lisa Jones, passed away in 1996. He then married Sylvia Jones. His daughter from his first marriage, Emma, has publicly stated that she does not agree with his beliefs.
Public Protests
"Islam Is of the Devil"
Terry Jones wrote a book called Islam Is of the Devil. In July 2009, his church, Dove World Outreach Center, put up a sign on its lawn that said "Islam is of the Devil" in large red letters. This caused many people in the community to object and brought media attention to the church. Students from the church also wore T-shirts with this phrase to school and were sent home.
Qur'an Burnings
Jones believes that Islam encourages violence. He also thinks that Muslims want to bring sharia law to the United States. He became widely known after he announced his plans to burn copies of the Qur'an.
He first announced his plan to burn Qur'ans on July 12, 2010, using social media like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. This plan caused a lot of discussion, objections, and protests around the world.
Many important leaders spoke out against his plan. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was a "disgraceful plan." General David Petraeus, who was leading troops in Afghanistan, warned that it could cause serious problems and help groups like the Taliban.
President Barack Obama also spoke about the issue. He said that Jones's actions could lead to violence and put American soldiers in danger. Obama asked Jones to understand that his plan was against American values of religious freedom.
On September 9, 2010, Jones announced he would cancel the event. However, he later went back on this.
On March 21, 2011, Jones and his supporters held a mock trial of the Qur'an. They then set a copy on fire as a "punishment." This act led to riots and deaths in Afghanistan.
On April 28, 2012, Jones burned another copy of the Qur'an. This was to protest the imprisonment of an Iranian-American pastor in Iran.
In September 2014, Jones and his associate pastor, Wayne Sapp, held another protest. During this event, they burned an ISIS flag and hundreds of Qur'ans.
Protests in Dearborn, Michigan
Jones also led several protests in Dearborn, Michigan. This city has a large Arab and Muslim population.
On April 29, 2011, Jones held a rally at Dearborn City Hall. Police had to control people who were protesting against Jones. He tried to speak at the annual Arab Festival in June 2011 but was blocked by protesters.
On April 7, 2012, Jones protested in front of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. He spoke about Islam and free speech. Police were present to keep the peace.
In October 2012, Jones returned to Dearborn. He led a small protest outside a high school, claiming there was "Muslim bullying." School officials said there was no such problem.
Innocence of Muslims Film
In September 2012, Terry Jones helped promote a film called Innocence of Muslims. This movie was critical of Islam. The film led to protests in countries like Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, and Libya. In Libya, the U.S. consulate was attacked, and the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans died. Jones showed the film to his followers on September 11, 2012.
Threats Against Jones
Since July 2009, Terry Jones and his church have received many death threats. These threats came through phone calls, mail, and online.
In March 2011, a group in Pakistan offered a reward of US$2.2 million for Jones's death. After a Qur'an burning protest in 2012, an Iranian religious leader called for Jones to be executed. In March 2013, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula featured Jones on a "Wanted Dead" poster in their magazine.
Images for kids
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Jones in March 2011
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Jones and his followers at a march in Washington DC.
