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 The
Jones Valley Church was established in 1913 when several
community members were saved and given the “second
blessing” which through reading the word of God they
found to be indeed the Holy Ghost. John Warren, Hattie
Mims Warren, Swanson Seals, Joan Seals and Mel Jones
Robinson began to have cottage meetings from house to
house throughout the community. Bro. Fred Daniels
became saved at a tent revival on Border Street next to
the old Emmett Scott High School. Bro. Daniels, after
accepting his calling into the ministry, reorganized the
cottage meeting, proceeding from house to house, again
preaching the gospel. These meetings were subsequently
moved to the Jones Valley School building which was
considered the Tyler “colored school” during this
period. The late Oliver Mims, school trustee, after
being out voted, was told by school officials they could
no longer hold these meetings because most of the school
attendants were of another denomination. This
unexceptance caused the founders to re-establish their
cottage meetings in early 1917. Bro.Oliver Mims and
Sis. Idonia Mims Houston freely offered their homes for
these spirit filled meetings. Shortly after the
reconvening of these services, the late Oliver Mims told
his daughter, the late Rosie Mims Daniels, “I’m gon’
give yall a spot a groun’ where yall can build yall a
church”. Henry Flanigan was the carpenter, who laid the
foundation, which he made from rocks. In 1917, the
church was finally constructed. Elder Fred Daniels was
the first pastor of the newly built Jones Valley
Holiness Church. (It was called Holiness Church because
they did not yet know about the C.O.G.I.C.). Elder S.
D. Lee began pasturing in 1918 when Jones Valley
Holiness Church became Jones Valley Church of God in
Christ after affiliating with the C.O.G.I.C.
denomination. Elder Solon Gee was Elder Lee’s
Successor. Several other great ministers passed through
the Jones Valley Church of God in Christ serving in
later years as Bishops, Superintendents, Pastors and
great Evangelists. Supt. M. Rider (Tyler-Whitehouse),
Elder Battles (Ft. Worth), Reverend W. E. Smith, Supt.
G. Walker, Supt. E. J. Geter (Tyler) and Elder Lonzo
Barnes served as pastors in the order listed. Elder
Lonzo Barnes remained faithful to Jones Valley until his
untimely demise in October 1981. [Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
states, “To everything there is a season, a time to
every purpose under the heaven: (2) a time to be born,
and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck
up that which is planted; (3) a time to kill, and a time
to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.]
  In
1982, the Lord moved upon Supt. W. B. Houston’s heart to
send his son, Elder David R. Houston, to the Valley.
Dr. David Houston pursued with the building fund
established by the late Elder Lonzo Barnes and through
many challenges, he and the Jones Valley members built
the present church. In 1986, the official name of the
church was changed to the Jones Valley Community Church
of God in Christ.
In
November of 1990, Elder David Houston was elevated to
Jurisdictional Bishop of Texas Northeast Second
Jurisdiction and continued to serve Jones Valley as
pastor.
On
July 10, 2004, Bishop David Houston appointed Supt.
Melton R. Timmons as pastor. Since that time Pastor
Timmons has continued to build on the foundation laid by
his predecessors. The membership is growing and God is
continuing to shower His blessings on the Jones Valley
Community COGIC. Pastor Timmons has led the church into
outreach ministries which include four television
programs in East Texas, one radio program and the Jones
Valley website. “There are no dry bones in the Valley”.
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