Hose called to the ministry today face challenges unimagined by predecessors just a generation ago. Many serve God in societal environments not anticipated by traditional seminary training. Helping equip pastors—of many denominations, serving diverse communities around the world—to effectively lead their congregations in dynamic, Christ-centered ministry is the current focus of Dr. Jack W. Hayford.
Today, Dr. Hayford serves as Chancellor of The King's College and Seminary in Los Angeles, which he founded in 1997. He also serves as President of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (The Foursquare Church). This movement has 38,000 churches and 49,000 pastors in 136 nations, with a constituency of nearly five million.
He is probably best known, however, as “Pastor Jack,” founding pastor of The Church on the Way (TCOTW), the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California. His service to TCOTW, which began in 1969 as a temporary assignment to pastor 18 people, continued fruitfully for more than three decades, as the congregation grew to more than 10,000 active members. In 2004, the senior pastor role was transferred to Rev. Jim Tolle.
A nationally and internationally recognized scholar and teacher, Dr. Hayford draws on a wealth of experience to mentor other leaders and is recognized as a “pastor to pastors.” He is an acknowledged bridge-builder—helping to forge healthy bonds among all sectors of the Church. He has addressed a broad range of gatherings, including serving as anchor for the 1997 Promise Keepers' “Stand in the Gap” event on the Washington, D.C. Mall, as co-chair of the 2004 Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade, and as chairman of the 2006 Azusa Street Centennial Ministry Team in Los Angeles. For more than 30 years, multiplied hundreds of pastors have joined Pastor Jack at the annual King's Autumn Leadership Conference. He has also served on various interdenominational committees and councils, has ministered in more than 40 nations, and has led study tours to Israel more than 25 times as part of his teaching ministry.
The current focus of Dr. Hayford's ministry is to equip pastors of many church affiliations serving diverse communities around the world, and to nurture Spirit-empowered leaders for the Church and the community. This is accomplished through The King's College and Seminary and The Jack W. Hayford School of Pastoral Nurture, a leadership advancement program in which Dr. Hayford personally mentors other spiritual leaders during an intensive five-day consultation in a small group setting of 35-45 senior pastors.
A prolific and best-selling author, Pastor Hayford has penned more than 52 books and composed 600 hymns and choruses, including the internationally known and widely recorded “Majesty.” His Spirit Formed TV and Living Way radio programs are broadcast worldwide, and the extensive resources of his 35-year teaching ministry at TCOTW are available on CD, DVD, and the Internet.
Recognition for his leadership ministry includes being named among the “Ten Most Influential Preachers for the Past 50 Years” in Christianity Today magazine (2006) and receipt of the William Booth Award for Christian Leadership by the Salvation Army (1999). Two of his books, the Spirit-Filled Study Guides (Thomas Nelson Publishers) and Blessing Your Children (Regal Books) received the Gold Medallion award by the Evangelical Publishers Association and, along with other songwriters, he received a Dove Award by the Gospel Music Association for the album God With Us. Dr. Hayford is a frequent contributor to numerous Christian periodicals and general editor of the Spirit-Filled Life® Bible (Thomas Nelson Publishers).
With keen insight into God's Word and a commitment to practical application, Pastor Hayford is recognized for balance in preaching the truth. He avoids extremes, while not diluting or compromising the demands of truth, graciously revealing the heart of a holy and merciful God for each situation or issue. The vision of Jack Hayford's ministry is to serve all people with inspiration, insight, and information in ways that bring unbelievers to biblical faith in Christ, believers to growth and stability as Spirit-filled disciples of Christ, and leaders to increased effectiveness as spiritually equipped servants of Christ, His Church, and the world He died to redeem. (See Mission/Vision Statement and Core Values)
Dr. Hayford has two Bachelor's degrees, one from Life Pacific College and one from Azusa Pacific University. He has received three honorary degrees: the Doctor of Divinity from both Life Pacific College and Oral Roberts University, and the Doctor of Literature from California Graduate School of Theology.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Oakland, California, he has been married since 1954 to Anna (Smith) Hayford. The couple has four children, eleven grandchildren, and a growing family of great-grandchildren.
