We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Terrell Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Terrell thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?
I remember when I first joined my church I that I’m currently a member of. The first thing God told me to do was to start serving. He told me “ Whatever I can find for my hands to do, just do it.” I started serving as a Vision Keeper at my church. As a Vision Keeper, our mission is to insure the ministry is operating in excellence at every level in every part of the church. Meaning if the toilets needed to be scrubbed, scrub them. If the world done needed to be vacuumed, vacuum it. If the mirrors or doors needed to be cleaned, clean them. Even as far is blowing all the leaves off the entire parking lot with a leaf blower. I did that for 5 1/2 years. As I was serving, I met someone that would forever change my life. When she heard my testimony of my life story, she immediately said she wanted to introduce me to the producers of a tv show that my Pastor had on live tv. I met with the producers and shared my story with them and they immediately asked me to be a guest on the show to share my testimony. I went on the show and shared my story with the world. The show made so much impact that my Pastor called me in for a meeting and told me he believed I had a call on my life to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told me he would train me and pour everything in me to prepare me and equip me to preach to the world. He did just that! I went from cleaning bathroom toilets in a mega church, to now preaching the gospel to millions of viewers around the world. Never despise internship and serving your local community and church. You never know where God will take you. And last but not least, always remain a student that’s constantly in a position of learning.
Terrell , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA. My mother was strung out in heroine and cocaine. She was so deep into drugs that me & my little sister almost died at birth because of how much she used drugs when we were in her stomach. When we were born, we almost died at birth because of how much cocaine & heroine was in our systems when born. My mother sold drugs and boosted clothes for a gang/mafia in Pittsburgh, She ended up owing them so much money that they kidnapped me and held me for ransom until they received payment for what she owed them, My entire family came to Pittsburgh Pa and enforced law enforcement about what happened and then the search for me started. The ended up catching the guys weeks later coming out a restaurant with me in their arms. They got me back safely but two weeks later that same gang/mafia had my mother assassinated. They shot her 4 times in the head. I then moved ro St. Louis, Missouri where I would live for 25 years. All 5 of us started living with my Aunt Rosalie. She tries her best to raise us with 3 kids of her own. I attracted to the street life quickly. I started drinking, selling drugs and doing them. I ran away from home at 12 years old and joined the 19th Street Crip gang. I started gang banging, stealing cars and robbing people. I almost died so many times from street violence. I ended up getting caught by the police at the age of 14 years old and went to a juvenile detention center. I got out a went to an all boys home called “Father Dunne’s at 14 years old. I ran away from the boys home at 16. That’s when the street life really began for me. I got deeper into gang activity and then got introduced to heroin & cocaine. I had a gram a day habit on both and did whatever I had to do to get high just to feel normal. From age of 16-33 I lived a life in hell. I got stabbed in my back, I got jumped several times by different gangs, I had a gun put in my face and the trigger pulled but it didn’t go off. God continued saving my life. My drug habit was so bad that I ended up cutting my finger off while slicing meat at a meat market called Shop N Save. I almost OD’d several times and saw several people die right in front of my eyes for drug overdose. I ended up getting so high one day when I saw my sister in a store one night and didn’t even know who she was. That’s when I knew something had to give. I ended up moving to Atlanta Ga for 7 years to get away from the gang and drug life. I ended seeing some change by getting married and becoming a club promoter & I managed some rap artists. Being in the night life got me right back on drugs but just in another way – pain pills. I ended up losing everything I worked for and got a divorce, That’s when I moved back to St. Louis Missouri with my sister. I literally had nothing. She advised me to start listening to what would be my mentor Creflo Dollar. After spending weeks in his teachings, I got on my knees, and asked Jesus to help me! I asked Him to come into my life and change me. Ladies and gentlemen, He did just that! My life has never been the same since that day I had an encounter with Jesus. That’s why for the rest of my life, I’m dedicating my life to preaching the Gospel of Jesus and what He’s done for mankind. There’s a huge problem with the greatest story ever written being the most misunderstood story. My goal is to preach the gospel of Jesus all over this world with simplicity and understanding so they can apply it to their lives in a practical and effective way.. And when this happens, it will break the chains of one of the biggest problems in the world – RELIGION! What sets me apart is I know who I am in Christ. As He is, so are we in this world. God calls His people Holy & Peculiar., which means “set apart.” My goal is to teach everyone in the world that this is their God given identity when they realize who they are in Him. My most proud moment is the day I met Jesus Christ. Everyone needs this encounter before they leave this earth. My job is to help people understand how they too can have this experience because once they do, they will never be the same. I have been called to do this in every since part of the world, So this is only the beginning!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Yes, changing the world! My goal is to teach the word of Grace (Christ) with simplicity and understanding, so that the world can apply it to their everyday lives in a practical and effective manner, thereby being transformed, into world changers, changing their immediate world and all those who they come into contact with. Ultimately, making a mark in that can never be erased.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I knew more about content creation and how to property use social media
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @1terrelljones
- Facebook: Terrell Jones
- Linkedin: Terrell Jones
- Twitter: @terrelljones
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@terrelljones-official
