Born in Fort Worth, Dr. Jackson, son of a pioneer Baptist minister, is a 1956 graduate of Grapevine High School. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees from Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth (1963). His seminary degree is the equivalent of today’s Master of Divinity Degree. He was awarded Honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees by Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and by HPU, on whose Board of Trustees he served for three years.
For a quarter of a century, he was pastor of one of the nation’s megachurches, North Phoenix Baptist Church in Arizona. Retiring there as pastor in 1993, his leadership was credited with the church’s phenomenal growth. Membership grew from about 500 to more than 22,000.
He has held pastorates in Texas churches such as May, Bluff Dale, Cleburne and Sulphur Springs. During recent years, he has served as interim pastor of 11 churches, most recently First Baptist Church of San Angelo. He also teaches at Howard Payne while directing the work of the Jackson Center. Dr. Jackson receives many invitations to preach at churches throughout the United States.
Dr. Jackson is married to the former Wanda Alexander, his high school and college sweetheart. They have been married for 56 years and have three children and six grandchildren.