Powerful, Anointed, and Radical all describe Pastor Lesley E. Jones. As founder and senior pastor she is a visionary, servant leader who “keeps it real”. Animated preacher and profound teacher her congregation when polled about her preaching and teaching, responded, “ Pastor can break it down and make it plain.”
Armed with a vision and e
Powerful, Anointed, and Radical all describe Pastor Lesley E. Jones. As founder and senior pastor she is a visionary, servant leader who “keeps it real”. Animated preacher and profound teacher her congregation when polled about her preaching and teaching, responded, “ Pastor can break it down and make it plain.”
Armed with a vision and equipped for the mission she founded Truth & Destiny Covenant Ministries Fellowship United Church of Christ in 2003 to be a place of HOPE, HEALING and LOVE for ALL people to come an journey on their spiritual path without being criticized, ostracized or manipulated.
Born in New Bern, North Carolina to teenage parents, she spent her early years being raised by her grandparents who taught her early about “unconditional love”, “uncompromising faith” and encouraged her to “love God, help others and believe in the impossible”.
She was educated in Jones County Schools in North Carolina until she moved to Middletown, Ohio with her mother and step-father where she attended Taft Elementary, John XXIII Catholic School and graduated from Middletown High School in 1985. Her academic career continued at Kentucky State University and she is a 1990 graduate of Miami University holding a B.S. in Social Science Education. She also holds certificates in Ministry and Pastoral Counseling and Organizational Leadership. She is completing her seminary education at Lexington Theological Seminary.
Pastor Lesley, as she is affectionately called is friend to and advocate for many in the social justice and human relations communities. She is a strong supporter of human rights, fairness and equality for ALL people. She has served as the Executive Director for Cincinnati Human Relations Commission, Board member of Citizens for Civic Renewal, Churches Active in Northside(CAIN), as well as, Board member and Executive Director of Equality Cincinnati. She has also worked with the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati and was the Faith Organizer for the Fairness Campaign to Repeal-Article 12, Cincinnati’s anti-gay law.
Confident that she is called by God and equipped to do ministry she lives her mission daily “to help others to identify their God-given talents, gifts and abilities so they may become their best selves and live out life more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
An avid reader, besides the Bible, she enjoys novels, leadership books and books on culture and history. She loves to laugh, travel, spend time with her life-partner, children, extended family and church family.
Pastor Noni Gordon-Jones is a native San Franciscan. She is a third generation
preacher with roots in the Church of God in Christ. Pastor Noni has ably served with the City of Refuge, United Church of Christ since its foundation in 1991-2010 in many capacities under Bishop Yvette Flunder, the Founder and Senior Pastor of COR.
She has broa
Pastor Noni Gordon-Jones is a native San Franciscan. She is a third generation
preacher with roots in the Church of God in Christ. Pastor Noni has ably served with the City of Refuge, United Church of Christ since its foundation in 1991-2010 in many capacities under Bishop Yvette Flunder, the Founder and Senior Pastor of COR.
She has broadened her ministerial experience by relocating to Cincinnati, OH in 2010 and began servicing as the Associate Pastor at Truth and Destiny Fellowship, United Church of Christ. In 2013 she began teaching a series on Spiritual Awareness thus creating a safe place to edify, empower, and encourage those individuals with Prophetic & Spiritual gifts. She teaches on how we live in two places at the same time “bilocation.” as Spiritual Beings having an earthly experience.
Pastor Noni received her License to Minister in 1992 at City of Refuge, UCC, a Certificate of Ministry Studies from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA in May 1997, and consecrated as Minister of Youth and Young Adults for the Fellowship in June 2006, a trans-denominational fellowship of 100+ primarily African-American Christian clergy and laity representing churches and faith-based organizations from all parts of the country and as far as Africa. In that same year she was appointed as Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at City of Refuge in Feb 2006. She also received her Masters of Divinity Degree at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA in May 2010.
Pastor Noni has served as past Interim Director, Youth and Young Adults Ministries for the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, as a Board Member of the Ark of Refuge, Inc in San Francisco, CA, Project Manager for the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Cluster 2 Youth Advisor for the Southern Ohio Northern Kentucky Association “SONKA”. Pastor Noni has helped to trained many clergy leaders in her work in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, in her ministry with Children, Youth and Young Adults and those gifted with Prophetic gifts