Local pastor and community leader to be honored with benefit

Dr. Willie Jones and his wife, Cheryl Colston Jones

The City of Crystal Springs and Copiah County will host a benefit celebration for Rev. Dr. Willie J. Jones, beginning at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at Chautauqua Park in Crystal Springs. The celebration will include gospel singing, delicious hot plates, and a television raffle. The public is invited.
Pastor Jones has overcome overwhelming health challenges, including the diagnosis of kidney cancer, kidney surgery removal, chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis treatments, hip replacement, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and continues to undergo physical therapy to regain his ability to walk.
Jones is a humanitarian and community activist for justice. He currently serves as board president for the Copiah County Human Resource Agency, president of the Crystal Springs Ministerial Alliance, and has served on numerous other boards in the county through the years. He has a passion for equality and, over the years, has actively sought for unification and impartiality.
Jones has served countless families and their loved ones, most recently through At Home Hospice Care, a program serving 12 counties caring for the terminally ill.
As of this year, he has been preaching the Gospel for 55 year, pastoring over 18 churches. He currently serves watchman over three congregations – Greater New Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Hazlehurst, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Vicksburg, and Parson Hill Missionary Baptist Church of Liberty.