Jerry & Lynn Jones
In 1997, fueled by a joint passion for God and ministry, Jerry and Lynn Jones conceived of Marriage Matters: A Practical and Spiritual Guide for Marriage. They had married in 1995, the second marriage for each. Jerry’s 35-year marriage ended in 1994 with the loss of his wife after a five-year battle with cancer. Lynn’s 23-year marriage ended in divorce in 1993. Seasoned by time and life experiences, Jerry and Lynn possessed a unique combination of academic and personal qualifications.
At that time Jerry had been in ministry for 35 years and had served as a minister in local work, an elder, a traveling evangelist and a university Bible professor. Academically he held two master’s degrees and a doctorate in theology. Lynn had served in children’s and women’s ministry for 20 years and had worked as a psychotherapist and university psychology instructor. Her education included a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Because much of their material dealt with core issues that affect all relationships, a new dimension of their ministry Relationships Matter was begun in 2009. God blessed their work together and the past 20 years have taken them into over 450 congregations across 43 states and six foreign countries as well as numerous lectureships and workshops.
As a result of these experiences the need for a new dimension of their ministry became apparent. Many times good men and women were being thrust into roles in the church for which they had little training or experience. While leaders were usually equipped to handle biblical questions, much of their time was consumed in the trenches—nurturing, maturing and helping people as they struggled to incorporate Christian principles into their daily lives. ‘Straight Talk: Into Human Behavior, Into the Heart of God’ was prayerfully orchestrated and launched in 2010 to aid in this task.
Having based all of their presentations on sound psychological advice and biblical direction, Jerry and Lynn strive to move theory into practice and Christianity into everyday life experiences.
Why You Need Marriage Matters
One of our greatest challenges as a nation and culture is preserving the integrity and unity of the home. Many couples have good intentions but lack the skills and determination necessary to keep a family intact.
Using God-centeredness as the foundation, the conference presentations provide information for maintaining good marriages and explain in a very down-to-earth manner the origins of many marital problems and the solutions to counter them.