Dr. Alfred Leslie Jones, beloved husband, father, grandfather, pastor, missionary, and educator, passed away peacefully in Valley Center, CA on May 29. 2025, at the age of 87.
Born on February 4, 1938, in Pullman, Washington, Alfred was the eldest of three children born to Leslie E. and Margaret O. Jones. He graduated from Pullman High School and pursued higher education at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. He went on to complete both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.
In 1958, Alfred married the love of his life, Catherine (Kitty)White. Together, they shared a devoted marriage of over six decades, raising two sons and later delighting in the lives of their six grandchildren.
Alfred’s pastoral ministry began at Countryside Church of the Nazarene in Centerview, Missouri (1962–1965), followed by a fruitful period at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene in Meridian, Idaho (1965–1969), where he also served as district youth president and held leadership positions within the Intermountain District.
In 1969, answering a call to international ministry, Alfred and his family relocated to Sydney, Australia. There, he served as pastor of the College Church of the Nazarene and lectured at Nazarene Bible College. When the college relocated to Queensland, Alfred remained in Sydney to support the local congregation through a transition and building project, establishing what became Hills Community Church of the Nazarene, where he pastored until 1978.
Later, he served for a decade as pastor of Central Church of the Nazarene in San Jose, California, and on the Board of Trustee’s of Point Loma Nazarene University. He was also a valued member of the Northern California District leadership. In 1990, Alfred transitioned to global missionary work in Kenya, where he served as Principal of Nazarene Bible College and was elected the founding Vice-Chancellor of Africa Nazarene University—guiding it to full university recognition.
From 1994, he served as Field Director and District Superintendent based in Ethiopia, overseeing mission work across the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia.
In 1998, Alfred returned to pastoral ministry in Perth, Western Australia, where he ministered to local congregations and African immigrant communities. He also served as an adjunct lecturer for Nazarene Theological College in Brisbane.
After returning to the United States in 2002, he served as “Missionary in Residence” at Northwest Nazarene University and continued to inspire others through speaking engagements at churches and mission conventions well into his later years.
Dr. Alfred Jones was a man of deep faith, wisdom, and compassion. His legacy lives on in the churches he served, the leaders he mentored, the students he taught, and the family he cherished. His ministry impacted countless lives across continents, and his legacy of faith, service, and love for God endures in all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Catherine (Kitty), their two sons, six grandchildren, two great grandchildren, an extended number of “cherished ones” considered as their children, and countless others who were impacted by his ministry and example.
A memorial service will be held on July 11, 2025 at the Escondido First Church of the Nazarene. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Jones Family Scholarship Fund for Higher Education in Africa (checks payable to the Escondido First Church of the Nazarene) in honor of Alfred’s lifelong dedication to global ministry.
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