When Jerry Humphries got here to Montgomery to attend Alabama Christian Faculty (ACC), now Faulkner College, he was adamant he wouldn’t turn out to be a preacher like his brother. The Lord had completely different plans and with the assistance of faculty pals and a prayerful spouse, Jerry would set out on a mission of ministry that spanned 63 years of his life.
Though Jerry handed away on Might 16, 2022, his spouse Margaret, an Alabama Christian graduate, shares their story of ministry collectively.
“Jerry and I had an exquisite 63 and ½ years journey working in quite a few methods to construct up God’s Kingdom. I’m so grateful to our Savior and God for bringing us collectively and for all of the methods we had been tremendously blessed,” Margaret stated. “Sure, we had valleys however we realized to climb the mountains and develop stronger from the expertise with a lot assist from God. Jerry gained his victory, Might 16, 2022. We respect a lot the legacy, energy and confidence he left us with and stay up for seeing him once more.”
Margaret was solely 11 years outdated when her mom died. She moved in together with her older brother and two sisters to Montgomery the place all of them attended Alabama Christian and she or he completed highschool there.
It was throughout this time in summer time of 1957 that Jerry started attending Alabama Christian Faculty (ACC).
Jerry, born in Cullman County, Alabama, in 1938, left dwelling after highschool and went with a good friend to Flint, Michigan to work for Common Motors. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than he was laid off and his mom and his brother Ray inspired Jerry to attend ACC. Jerry moved to Montgomery to enroll within the fall semester, however made it clear he wouldn’t turn out to be a preacher and would as a substitute main in enterprise.
“Jerry was so grateful to all of the individuals who influenced him to enroll in ACC. It modified the course of his life. He particularly appreciated his brother, Ray who got here to Montgomery together with his household. Ray and his spouse Joan grew to become home dad and mom for the boys’ dorm so Jerry felt he had part of dwelling there with him,” Margaret stated. “His new pals, who had been learning to be preachers at ACC had been additionally a giant affect on him. It wasn’t lengthy until he was becoming a member of a few of his pals, who had been preaching for small church buildings on Sundays. He determined he wish to strive preaching, modified his main and began preaching on the age of 20.”
Jerry and Margaret met on a refrain journey to Opelika, Alabama. Jerry was 20 years outdated and Margaret, who was nonetheless in highschool, was 16. Even at that younger age, they knew they needed to share a life collectively. It was all the time Margaret’s dream to marry a preacher.
“Jerry and I met fairly accidently on a refrain journey to Opelika,” Margaret stated. “We sat collectively on the bus that evening going again to Montgomery, with no thought we had been starting a life lengthy journey collectively. We quickly grew to become pals and sweethearts.”
Jerry and Margaret married on December 18, 1958. Jerry graduated from ACC and Margaret graduated from Alabama Christian Excessive Faculty within the spring of 1959.
“Many instances in life, dangerous issues that occur to us convey us the best blessings,” Margaret stated. “I really feel that God used, my mom’s demise and Jerry’s lack of a job, to convey us collectively to assist develop the Kingdom. If all these individuals had not liked us sufficient, to inject themselves into our lives, Jerry and I in all probability wouldn’t have ever met.”
They left Montgomery in the summertime of 1959 and went to work fulltime with Hamilton Cross Roads church of Christ in Brundidge, Alabama. This was a brand new starting for the church in addition to for the Humphries. That they had by no means had a fulltime preacher and Jerry had by no means been a fulltime preacher. They started visiting with the individuals and shortly started Bible research. God blessed the work and other people started to display their religion and be baptized. Additionally, many members rededicated their lives to Christ.
“I used to be all the time Jerry’s helper when he wanted me. I participated in ministries of church buildings the place we worshiped and I taught courses for kids, teenage women and girls and spoke for Ladies’s Days, and helped enlist different girls to lift funds for the ministry,” Margaret stated.
Jerry and Margaret labored with six different church buildings fulltime together with, Norfolk Highlands church in Norfolk, Virginia and Shurlington church in Macon, Georgia and 4 church buildings in Alabama.
Whereas working with the Shurlington church, the Humphries first son, Alan was born in 1964. A 12 months later, they moved to Cullman, Alabama and started work with the East Cullman church.
“From the time Jerry began preaching fulltime he had been preaching in a number of gospel conferences and the quantity continued to extend and he was getting many extra invites annually,” Margaret stated. “Jerry was all the time on the lookout for higher methods to avoid wasting souls and develop the dominion. He offered his plan to evangelise in conferences fulltime and resigned as fulltime preacher. The church elders requested him the place he was going to get the cash. Jerry stated, ‘God will present.’ Jerry was by no means very involved about cash. He by no means set a worth for an eldership, college administration or board to pay him. He instructed them to pay him what they thought they need to. God is nice and He does present.”
Jerry started in fulltime assembly work within the spring of 1967 at age 29. Later that 12 months, their second son, Steve was born and in 1968 their third son, Mark was born.
About that point, Jerry was approached about serving to begin a faculty in Florence, Alabama to coach preachers and different Christian employees. After prayer and consideration, he accepted and their household moved to Florence in December of 1969.
The college was referred to as Worldwide Bible Faculty (IBC) and opened in 1970. Jerry served as vp, taught evangelism, speech, Bible, and world religions and preached half time for a number of church buildings within the space.
“By his mid-thirties, Jerry was referred to as one of the vital used and excellent audio system in our fellowship,” Margaret stated. “God blessed him with the reward of preaching and he liked to review, preach the phrase, conduct non-public Bible research and assist individuals be saved.”
Two years into working on the Bible school, Jerry preached at Hobbs St. church in Athens, Alabama. They requested Jerry to evangelise there fulltime, and once more after prayer and far thought, he agreed to evangelise and assist them rebuild their diminishing congregation.
“God blessed their work and the attendance elevated to about 600 on Sunday morning,” Margaret stated. “Jerry was nonetheless on the lookout for different methods to do God’s work and save extra souls and whereas we had been nonetheless working with the Hobbs St. church, he grew to become curious about missions.”
In 1974, Jerry led his first international mission journey to Arima, Trinidad. About thirty employees joined them to assist educate Bible research and Jerry spoke every evening in an open-air facility. He and Margaret had been there two weeks earlier than one other group took over. Altogether, almost 200 individuals had been baptized.
Quickly after the Arima mission, Jerry resigned from the Hobbs St. church and started coaching teams to work in missions main many journeys on this nation and a number of other international nations. He additionally continued preaching in conferences. Throughout this time, he wrote “Why the Bible Was Written,” a booklet designed to show one individual or small teams the gospel in about 1-2 hours. It has since been translated into Spanish, Chinese language, and Russian and was made accessible without cost obtain.
“We’ve had suggestions, from many together with a few of Jerry’s college students from IBC who’ve used it for years, telling of their successes and thanking him for writing and making it accessible,” Margaret stated. “We’ve no manner of figuring out what number of 1000’s have realized the gospel from somebody caring and sharing that little booklet.”
Within the spring of 1976 Jerry was requested to come back again to IBC and so they moved again to Florence in early June of that 12 months. He taught in addition to coordinated, led and preached in lots of the IBC missions.
Their mission work that summer time took them to Cumberland Maryland; Franklin, Pennsylvania; Mount Vernon, Indiana and Flushing, Michigan earlier than heading south to Thomason, Georgia and Kissimmee, Florida to complete out the summer time.
“We had no thought what all God had deliberate for that journey however He induced some nice eternal issues to occur,” Margaret stated. “It was a terrific expertise for about 30-35 campaigners and the various lives God touched. Sixty-eight obeyed the gospel and 152 Christians confessed wrongs or rededicated their lives. As He promised, God is all the time working in Christian’s lives and we give him all of the glory.”
In 1983 Jerry made a significant ministry change. He noticed a terrific want within the native church for coaching elders, deacons, Bible class academics, ministry leaders and to assist all members discover their God-given skills, construct confidence and use their presents. The plan was to have seminars wherein Jerry and different males would educate mixed courses and particular courses for males. Margaret and different girls would educate particular courses for girls and their three sons helped put collectively classes and put together mailings.
They named the seminars, “Management and Church Development Worldwide” and it spanned 47 states and 50 international nations, with in-person seminars. One other 20 nations obtained free supplies. Their work ended there in 2017 after 35 years due to Jerry’s failing well being.
From the beginning of their ministry to 1982, greater than 11,000 individuals had responded to the invitation with 2,200 of these leading to baptisms.
“Jerry was not boastful about any of his accomplishments however all the time gave God the credit score. I share these numbers to encourage youthful preachers to dream huge and act on these goals,” Margaret stated. “I’m grateful to Jerry for a lot of issues however particularly for beginning ministries with out correct funding and at instances contributing greater than I felt we might afford. It was generally scary for me, however that’s a technique He helped me develop my religion. God all the time took care of us. That’s what religion is –trusting God to see you thru when you may’t see the way in which.”
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