Bishop Noel Jones is a Jamaican-born 74-year-old Pentecostal preacher and leading pastor of the LA-based church, City of Refuge. He is also known for featuring in the Preachers of LA reality TV show.Â
The preacher has been married twice. His first marriage ended after 2 decades and is currently married to his longtime girlfriend, Loretta Jones. Here’s all to know about his family, career, relationships, controversies, and more.
He was Born and Raised in a Christian Family
Bishop Noel Jones was born on January 31 1950 in Saint Catherine, Jamaica. His father, Robert W. Jones was a gospel preacher and politician.
The younger Jones was raised alongside 5 siblings, including the model cum actress and singer, Grace Jones.
At the time Bishop Noel was 15 years old in 1965, his family moved to New York, United States. There, he grew, was called to ministry at 19, and later became famous.
Looking at his training in terms of formal education, Jones attended St. Jago High School. He also attended Aenon Bible College where he obtained a degree in Science Theology.
Jones Became a Full-Fledged Gospel Minister at 26
The Preachers of LA star started working at Bethel Temple of Longview, Texas as a pastor in 1976. At the time, he was 26 years old.
In 1994, he moved to Bethel Community Church, a Los Angeles-based church of 1000 members. Upon his resumption, he took over from Bishop Robert W. McMurray.
During the years he spent there as a pastor, the congregation rose to 17000 members. With such an increase, it led to an expansion of the church to the present site in Gardena in 2003.
After moving the church to its current location, it was renamed The City of Refuge.
Through his ministration, Jones became one of the most celebrated preachers. He has used platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook to share words.
Since there is more for him to offer, he has taken to being an author. The California-based pastor has released Christian books such as
- Messages for Life Cards(2006)
- Battle for the Mind Study Guide(2007)
- Battle for the Mind Expanded Edition: How You Can Think the Thoughts of God(2012)
Bishop Noel Jones Has Been Married Twice: Meet the Women
Ruth Jones was the Preacher’s Wife for More than 2 Decades
Bishop Noel Jones was married to a woman named Ruth Jones years before he became a renowned preacher. She leads a private life and details about her remain shadowy. Regardless, she was older than the preacher.
In terms of the former couple’s marriage, bishop Jones revealed that he was about 20 to 21 years old when they married. Going by the year (2014) the article was released and his age at the time (64), they would have been married around 1970 or 1971.
In the union, Ruth and bishop Jones were married for 22 years and were parents of 3 children – Tiffani Jones, Eric Jones, and Noel Jones II.
Nonetheless, the marriage ended in a divorce in the 1990s. While there is no actual available information about all that led to the divorce, Jones revealed that he was inexperienced compared to his ex-wife.
Regardless of this reason, the truth about their divorce may never be known as his ex-wife has chosen to live a private life away from media attention and speculation.
Noel Jones is Currently Married to His Long-Term Partner, Loretta Jones
Loretta Jones is a chef, restauranteur, designer, entrepreneur, TV star, and Noel Jones’ wife.
She became married to the preacher in 2022 after more than 2 decades of being together.
Jones and Loretta met shortly after his divorce from his first wife. While dating, they appeared on Oxygen’s reality series, Preachers of LA. The show which follows the lives of 6 gospel preachers featured Bishop Ron Gibson, Bishop Noel Jones, Bishop Clarence McClendon, Pastor Jay Haizlip, Dietrick Haddon, and pastor Wayne Chaney Jr.
While on the show, he and Loretta appeared as a couple in a committed non-sexual relationship. This made their relationship one of the highlights of the show as the two had dated for more than years without getting married.
In an episode, the preacher of the gospel revealed that he may never get married to Loretta due to the circumstances surrounding his first marriage and how they met. He also claimed that viewers of the reality show had the wrong impression of Loretta wanting to get married.
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Despite his initial stance, Jones proposed to Loretta on his 72nd birthday.
Ever since they decided to marry after all the back and forth, it has reduced people’s curiosity about the couple’s relationship. Also, both now appear on social media updates together as a couple while sharing private moments at home.
Besides their union and being on the same TV show, the couple owns a restaurant located in Inglewood. The restaurant, also known as JJ bistro serves southern cuisine.
Other Women Bishop Noel Jones Has Been Romantically Linked to
Apart from the women the preacher has been married to, there are allegations that he may have had a romantic affair with the Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Nene Leakes.
The rumor started after the reality stars were sighted in 2008. Well, the hearsay died down almost as fast as it came and there was never a proof of any romantic affair. Yet, the world does not seem to totally forget the allegation.
Afterward, another rumor juggled around the internet that the preacher and Lisa Raye, an actress may be having an affair. Following these allegations, it was also claimed that the pair secretly got engaged.
However, the preacher and Raye debunked these rumors. It turns out that she was a member of his church.
Bishop Jones Allegedly had a Child from an Affair with Stacy Francis
In 2012, Jones was in the tabloids for another alleged affair he had with former X factor finalist Stacy Francis. Unlike previous rumors, Stacy claimed that Bishop Jones is the father of her child, Anastacia Noelle Jones.
Allegedly, she had an affair with Jones while her marriage with Darwin Kyle was crumbling. As a result of this alleged affair, he fathered her second child, Anastacia.
Jones refuted these claims by encouraging his followers to focus more on the work they are called to do instead of rumors.
Quick Fascinating Facts To Know About Bishop Noel Jones
- The preacher’s net worth is estimated at $5 million
- Jones’ paternal grandfather, John Williams was a musician and played with Nat King Cole – a late American singer, jazz pianist, and actor
- His younger sister, Grace Jones had formerly used “Mendoza” in a bid to not let their parents know her job as a go-go-dancer
- He is best friends with Bishop TD Jakes
- Bishop Noel Jones is compassionate about people; he cried after seeing people’s condition in Jamaica. He also shed tears after visiting Ghana and seeing the “Door of No Return” – according to him, he had never had a complex emotion as that
