Dr. Tom Jones, veteran church planter and pastor for over twenty years, came to Emmanuel School of Religion in 1999 to multiply his efforts and influence in new church work and to reinforce Emmanuel's longstanding commitment to church planting, evangelism, church growth, and leadership development as it relates to the local church. Professor Jones is a widely sought after new church development coach, consultant, assessor, seminar leader and teacher, and mentor. He has trained church planting personnel across several denominations.

At Emmanuel Jones directs the Supervised Ministerial Experience (SME) Program and teaches in the Christian Ministries Area. The three-year SME Program is designed to integrate classroom and practical ministry experiences. Once students graduate, Dr. Jones is active in helping them find positions in appropriate full-time ministry settings.

Dr. Jones is a native of Follansbee, West Virginia, where he was ordained into the ministry. He has a Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, with an emphasis in church planting. Dr. Howard Snyder was his doctoral mentor. Jones received his Master of Divinity Degree from Emmanuel School Religion, where he studied under Professors Norris, Hull, Walker, Bryant, Nakarai, and Dampier. He received the Bachelor of Arts Degree from Milligan College.

Tom began full-time ministry in Painesville, Ohio, where he was an associate minister. He also served as Minister of Evangelism at First Christian Church in Springfield, Ohio, under the tutelage of John Wilson. In 1986 Jones and his wife Debbie were called into the ministry of church planting and started the SouthBrook Christian Church in Dayton, Ohio. In seven years, the couple led the church to a strong foundation, financial independence in 22 months, the establishment of healthy local church leadership, and the purchase of a permanent site. The SouthBrook Church has since grown to over 3500 in weekend attendance.

In 1992, the Jones family moved to Princeton, New Jersey where they led a church planting team in the establishment of Princeton Community Church. This church was a pioneer in team church planting, funding partnerships, creative outreach, homeless ministries and was a learning center for future church planters. The Princeton Church was the first of many successful Christian Churches/Churches of Christ plants in the Northeast. Princeton Community Church was one of three churches honored by Standard Publishing at the North American Christian Convention for innovative ministry.

In 2004, Dr. Jones edited and was the major contributor to the book, Church Planting from the Ground Up, a cutting edge new church development resource.

Professor Jones serves as Regional Director for the East Region of Stadia, a national church planting multiplication movement. Several times a year he serves as host at Emmanuel, and is one of three directors of the Church Planting Assessment Center (CPAC), an event that evaluates potential church planting couples and singles. He holds membership in the Association of Theological Field Educators and the Evangelical Association of Theological Field Educators.

Tom served on the Board of Directors for Double Vision, where he also was Editor of The Visionary, a church planting publication. He is a member of the North American Christian Convention Continuation Committee. While in New Jersey, Dr. Jones was an elected member of the Lawrence Township Board of Education and a board member for the Princeton Tennis Program, a grass roots non-profit community tennis program. In Ohio he was on the Board of Directors of Choices, a non-profit corporation that provided housing opportunities for special needs individuals, and was a member of the Board for DARE, an organization dedicated to educating the youth of the Centerville community about the dangers of drugs and alcohol abuse.

Tom Jones has been married for 30 years to Deborah Fralish Jones. Debbie is an ordained minister serving as the Associate Regional Director of the East Region of Stadia: New Church Strategies. She is a sought after children's ministry coach, speaker, and consultant. Professor Jones is active at First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he has served on the Board, finance committee, and taught Sunday School. Tom and Debbie Jones have two adult children. Melanie is a student at Duke Law School, and Tom is a recent graduate of Milligan College.

Dr. Jones is an avid tennis enthusiast and golfer.