Bishop Jerry Ford was born April 12, 1943 to the late Mr. Jerry Ford, III and Mrs. Charity M. Ford. He is the seventh child of eleven children. His father was a farmer and owned a thirty-acre farm. As a child, Bishop Ford was always a hard worker. He was educated at Council Training High School, in Normal, Alabama. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, completing his Paratroop training at Fort Benning, GA. He also became a Screening Eagle of 101st Airborne Division. After he was discharged from the army, he joined the Army Reserve. After seven years of Service, he received an Honorable Discharge. He studied the Arts of Embalming Mortuary Science. He is a graduate of the Huntsville Police Academy and University Bible College and Seminary. He received his Th.B. and Th.M degrees from Master' Divinity Graduate School. He met his lovely wife, Miss Willie M. Strong in 1963 and after she graduated from high school, they married. Bishop Ford was pastor of the Macedonia A.O.H. Church of God in Huntsville, AL for nine years. He went to Scottsboro, Alabama in 1990 to pastor Horton Temple A.O.H. Church of God. The Lord blessed the pastor and congregation to pay the church off, buy land for parking, and do substantial remodeling to the edifice. Bishop Ford was pastor of Horton Temple for over seven years. He was also pastor of Athens and Evergreen A.O.H. Churches. In June 1997, he came back to Huntsville to pastor Victory Temple A.O.H. Church of God. God blessed the saints under his leadership. After a year at Victory Temple, Bishop Ford had a greater vision for the church. In 1998, he relocated the church to Drake Avenue and renamed it Greater St. Stephens A.O.H. Church of God, the church he is currently pastor. Bishop Jerry Ford was consecrated bishop in 2002.
