Charles Jerry Vines (born September 1937) is an American Southern Baptist preacher best known for leading First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, for 24 years and serving two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Over more than six decades of ministry, Vines built a reputation as one of the SBC’s most influential expository preachers, a key figure in the denomination’s Conservative Resurgence, and, later in life, one of the most outspoken critics of the “New Calvinism” movement inside Southern Baptist life.
[IMAGE: Jerry Vines preaching at First Baptist Church Jacksonville]
Jerry Vines at a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Jerry Vines |
| Born | September 1937, Carrollton, Georgia, USA |
| Age | 88 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Janet (Denney) Vines |
| Children | Four: Joy, Jodi, Jim, and Jon |
| Grandchildren | Seven: Brittney, Ashlyn, Jay, Caroline, Catherine, Jack, and Carson |
| Education | |
| Bachelor’s | Mercer University (B.A.) |
| Divinity degree | New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (B.D.) |
| Doctorate | Luther Rice Seminary (Th.D.) |
| Ministry | |
| Title | Pastor Emeritus; founder, Jerry Vines Ministries |
| Church | First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida (1982–2006) |
| Denomination | Southern Baptist Convention |
| SBC President | 1988–1989 (two terms) |
| Career | |
| First church pastored | Centralhatchee Baptist Church, Georgia, at age 16 |
| Books | Several, including Power in the Pulpit and his autobiography, Vines: My Life and Ministry |
| Sermon library | 2,000+ messages available through Jerry Vines Ministries |
Who Is Pastor Jerry Vines?
Jerry Vines is a retired Southern Baptist pastor, two-term president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and one of the denomination’s most recognized expository preachers of the late twentieth century. He spent 24 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in the country, and remains active today through Jerry Vines Ministries, a teaching and resource outreach he founded after retiring from the pastorate.
Where Is Pastor Jerry From?
Vines was born and raised in Carrollton, Georgia, a small town near Atlanta. His roots in rural Georgia ministry shaped him early. He didn’t wait until seminary to start preaching — at just 16 years old, he became pastor of Centralhatchee Baptist Church, a small congregation in his home state, well before he’d finished a single college class.
[IMAGE: Carrollton Georgia small town church]
Early Life and Education
That teenage pastorate set the tone for everything that followed. Vines went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at Mercer University in Georgia, then headed to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for his B.D. He completed his doctorate at Luther Rice Seminary.
Long after his formal ministry career had already made him one of the most recognized names in the Southern Baptist Convention, Vines kept learning. In 2017, at 80 years old, he enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, the same school where his eventual successor at FBC Jacksonville, Mac Brunson, had trained decades earlier.
Ministry Career and Professional Journey
Early Pastorates in Georgia and Alabama
Before Jacksonville made him a household name in Southern Baptist circles, Vines pastored churches across Georgia and Alabama. While leading Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, he was elected president of the Alabama Pastors’ Conference in 1976 and president of the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference the following year. Those early leadership roles marked him early as a rising voice within the convention.
First Baptist Church, Jacksonville (1982–2006)
In July 1982, Vines accepted a call to co-pastor First Baptist Church of Jacksonville alongside Homer G. Lindsay Jr., who reportedly called Vines “the greatest preacher in America” on more than one occasion. The two built a rare kind of partnership, sharing pulpit duties at one of the fastest-growing churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. The church added a 10,000-seat auditorium in 1993 and grew into one of the largest congregations in the denomination.
[IMAGE: First Baptist Church Jacksonville historic auditorium]
When Lindsay died in February 2000, Vines took over as sole senior pastor. Across his first 20 years at the church, he personally baptized 18,177 people and oversaw major building projects, including an $8 million preschool building, a $16 million auditorium, and four parking garages totaling nearly $14 million in construction costs. He also launched the First Baptist Jacksonville Pastors’ Conference, an event that drew thousands of ministers from across the country each year.
Vines announced his retirement in May 2005 and preached his final sermon as senior pastor at the close of the 20th annual Pastors’ Conference in February 2006. Mac Brunson succeeded him, and in February 2007, Brunson formally named Vines Pastor Emeritus of the church, a title that recognized his decades of service without stepping back into the pulpit full time.
Southern Baptist Convention Leadership
Vines was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention in June 1988 and served two consecutive terms, through 1990. His presidency landed him at the center of the SBC’s Conservative Resurgence, the decades-long movement that shifted the denomination toward a firmer stance on biblical inerrancy and away from more moderate theological leadership. His two terms placed him alongside figures like Paige Patterson among the presidents most associated with that shift.
Books, Sermons, and Publications
Vines built much of his later ministry around teaching other preachers how to preach. His book Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository Sermons became a standard reference for pastors wanting to work through Scripture verse by verse rather than lean on topical, feel-good messages. He followed it with A Practical Guide to Sermon Preparation, aimed at the same audience.
In 2012, Vines released his autobiography, Vines: My Life and Ministry, co-written with Paige Patterson. The book traces his path from small-town Georgia churches to the SBC presidency and through the fiery denominational battles of the Conservative Resurgence, offering readers a firsthand account of decisions that reshaped the Southern Baptist Convention.
Through Jerry Vines Ministries, based in Canton, Georgia, he has made more than 2,000 of his sermons available to pastors, Sunday school teachers, and everyday believers. The ministry also hosts “Power in the Pulpit” conferences designed to help working pastors sharpen their preaching, along with Bible-teaching curriculum used in churches around the country. Some of his most requested sermon series and outlines cover topics like the return of Christ, biblical manhood and womanhood, and expository walks through entire books of the Bible.
Jerry Vines’ Theology: Is Jerry Vines a Calvinist?
No. Jerry Vines is not a Calvinist, and he has been publicly and specifically critical of the movement often called “New Calvinism” within Southern Baptist life. In May 2012, Vines was one of six former SBC presidents, alongside Paige Patterson, Bailey Smith, Jimmy Draper, Morris Chapman, and Bobby Welch, who signed “A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation.” The document affirmed a non-Calvinist view of salvation, denying that God predestines specific individuals for salvation or condemnation and rejecting the idea that Christ died only for the elect.
Vines explained his reasoning in a follow-up post, writing that while he has long enjoyed fellowship with Calvinist leaders, he had grown concerned about a more “hostile, militant and aggressive” strain of Calvinism spreading through Southern Baptist churches, one he believed was hindering evangelism and disrupting fellowship within the convention. He called for charitable dialogue on the subject even as the statement stirred a wave of debate across Baptist blogs and publications.
Personal Life
Vines is married to Janet (Denney) Vines, and the two have spent decades in ministry together. They have four adult children: daughters Joy and Jodi, and sons Jim and Jon. The family has grown to include seven grandchildren — Brittney, Ashlyn, Jay, Caroline, Catherine, Jack, and Carson.
Outside the pulpit, Vines has been open about his love for Alabama football, calling it a “year-round passion.” He and his family spend time in the Smoky Mountains, where a trip to The Old Mill restaurant in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for breakfast has become something of a standing tradition, especially with his grandchildren along.
Influence and Legacy
Vines’ legacy runs through two channels that don’t always overlap in one ministry career: local church growth and national denominational leadership. At First Baptist Jacksonville, he helped grow one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in the country while personally baptizing well over 18,000 people. At the denominational level, his two terms as SBC president placed him at the center of the Conservative Resurgence, a shift that continues to shape Southern Baptist institutions today.
His expository preaching style also left a mark on the generation of pastors who came after him, including his own successor at First Baptist Jacksonville. Through his books and the sermon library at Jerry Vines Ministries, that influence continues to reach pastors who never sat in his pews.
Criticism and Controversies
Vines’ most widely covered controversy came in June 2002, when he made remarks about the Islamic prophet Muhammad during a Southern Baptist pastors’ conference in St. Louis. Drawing on the book Unveiling Islam by Ergun and Emir Caner, Vines described Muhammad as a “demon-possessed pedophile” and contrasted Muhammad’s multiple marriages with the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. The comments referenced Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha, who Islamic accounts describe as roughly nine years old when the marriage was consummated.
The remarks set off a national and international response. Muslim organizations, Jewish leaders, and mainline Protestant groups criticized the statements as inflammatory, while evangelical leader Jerry Falwell publicly defended Vines. President George W. Bush, who had recently praised the Southern Baptist Convention for religious tolerance, said he was unaware of the comments when he made those remarks. Vines initially defended his statements and declined to apologize or meet with local Muslim leaders, saying he welcomed Muslim scholars to explain their own religious texts publicly.
Interesting Facts About Jerry Vines
- He pastored his first church at age 16, years before finishing a college degree.
- He co-pastored First Baptist Jacksonville for nearly two decades before becoming sole senior pastor, an arrangement that was unusual for a church of that size.
- He enrolled in a Ph.D. program at age 80, decades after most pastors have stopped formal schooling altogether.
- He personally baptized more than 18,000 people during just the first 20 years of his Jacksonville pastorate.
- He has been a lifelong Alabama football fan and treats it as a year-round interest, not just a fall hobby.
Jerry Vines Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1937 | Born in Carrollton, Georgia |
| ~1953 | Becomes pastor of Centralhatchee Baptist Church at age 16 |
| 1976 | Elected president of the Alabama Pastors’ Conference |
| 1976–77 | Serves as president of the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference |
| 1982 | Becomes co-pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville |
| 1988–1990 | Serves two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention |
| 1993 | Oversees construction of a new 10,000-seat church auditorium |
| 2000 | Becomes sole senior pastor after Homer G. Lindsay Jr.’s death |
| 2002 | Sparks national controversy with remarks about Muhammad |
| 2006 | Retires from First Baptist Jacksonville pastorate |
| 2007 | Named Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Jacksonville |
| 2012 | Signs statement rejecting “New Calvinism”; publishes autobiography |
| 2017 | Enrolls in Ph.D. program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, age 80 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is pastor Jerry Vines?
He is a retired Southern Baptist pastor and two-term Southern Baptist Convention president, best known for leading First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, from 1982 to 2006.
Where is Pastor Jerry from?
He was born and raised in Carrollton, Georgia.
What denomination was Jerry Vines?
Southern Baptist. He served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, from 1988 to 1990.
Is Jerry Vines a Calvinist?
No. He publicly signed a 2012 statement rejecting “New Calvinism” within Southern Baptist churches and has described concerns about aggressive Calvinist influence hindering evangelism in SBC life.
Did Jerry Vines have a family?
Yes. He and his wife Janet have four children and seven grandchildren.
How many children does Pastor Jerry have?
Four: two daughters, Joy and Jodi, and two sons, Jim and Jon.
What was Jerry Vines’ legacy?
He grew First Baptist Church of Jacksonville into one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in the country, personally baptized more than 18,000 people, served two terms as SBC president during the Conservative Resurgence, and trained generations of pastors through his books and sermon library.
What are some famous Jerry Vines sermons?
His sermon library, available through Jerry Vines Ministries, includes well-known expository series on the return of Christ, biblical manhood and womanhood, and verse-by-verse studies through entire books of the Bible, alongside the sermon materials collected in his books on expository preaching.
What is Jerry Vines’ net worth?
No verified net worth figure has been publicly reported for Vines. Unlike some prominent megachurch pastors, his compensation at First Baptist Jacksonville was never a focal point of public reporting or controversy.
