Jerry Sawyer

Jerry E. Sawyer was born on March 5, 1945, in Amory, Mississippi, the third of eight children born to George and Lureen Sawyer.

As a fourth-generation Apostolic Pentecostal, Jerry grew up in the church in Amory, where Brother G. H. Hill was his pastor. It was there, at the age of ten, that he received the Holy Ghost and was baptized. Around this same time, missionaries from Africa visited the church. Although he was only ten years old, Jerry felt God calling him to the foreign mission field.

He did not graduate from high school but later earned his GED and attended business classes at Itawamba Community College in Tupelo. He worked as a cabinetmaker and carpenter by trade.

While visiting his uncle, Reverend Lee J. Edwards, who pastored in Corinth, Jerry met Brenda Killough. They were married on July 24, 1964. He was the loving father of two daughters, Kay and Amy; grandfather of two; and great-grandfather of three.

From birth, Jerry's life was marked by multiple miracles. He was born blind, and his mother took him everywhere in search of a doctor who could help him. She eventually took him to an Oral Roberts crusade, where she prayed for his healing. His eyesight was restored to some extent, although he was still considered legally blind. One of his schoolteachers recognized his need for glasses. However, the lenses were so thick that he could barely keep them on as a child. His limited vision did not keep him from living life to the fullest. In January 2006, God completely healed him of blindness and glaucoma.

At the age of two, his father did not realize that Jerry was in the yard and accidentally backed over him with the car. His mother immediately began calling on the Lord, and Jerry came out from under the car without any harm.

At the age of ten, during the polio epidemic, Jerry became seriously ill and eventually became paralyzed from the neck down. His mother fasted and prayed for twenty-one days, and once again, God completely healed his body.

In 1996, Jerry was diagnosed with Hepatitis C as a result of a blood transfusion he had received in 1980. After three months of chemotherapy treatments, he was considered a non-responder. Two weeks after his final chemotherapy treatment, the Lord healed him. Although the disease was still present in his blood, it was no longer detectable.

In January 2012, it was discovered quite by accident that he had developed a new strain of Hepatitis C and had liver cancer. His liver was totally destroyed, and because of his age, he was not expected to qualify for a transplant. However, because of his otherwise good health, he was approved for a liver transplant. On November 16, 2012, he received a new liver.

While attending Calvary Pentecostal Church in Corinth, pastored by H.O. Duncan, Jerry received his call into the ministry. During his time at Calvary Pentecostal Church, he served as a Sunday School teacher and youth pastor. He began preaching in local jails and became one of the first UPCI ministers to preach at Parchman Penitentiary.

He received his ministry credentials in 1977 and was ordained in 1983.

In 1982, Jerry went to Baldwyn, Mississippi, to plant a church. While there, he served as the Section 1 Home Missions and Foreign Missions representative.

At the 1989 General Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, he was appointed as a Global Missionary to the country of Honduras.

After spending six months in language school in Costa Rica, he was informed that it was impossible to enter Honduras at that time. His appointment was changed to Costa Rica, where he remained for another year. During that time, he served as National Secretary/Treasurer and taught at the Bible school.

When restrictions were lifted in Honduras, Jerry was reappointed to go there. He arrived in Honduras in 1993. While serving there, he held several leadership positions, including Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and Bible School Director. He oversaw the construction of a beautiful Bible school in honor of Rev. G.H. Hill. There were twenty-one churches in Honduras when he arrived and thirty-nine when he left the country.

In January 1997, Jerry was appointed to Belize, where he served as Superintendent, pastor in Belize City, and Bible school teacher. He completed construction of the Bible school and national offices, helped develop the constitution, and established the organizational structure of the national church.

There were nine churches and eleven ministers in Belize when he arrived. When he left, there were twenty-eight churches and thirty ministers.

In 2011, Jerry retired from Global Missions because of ill health. Upon retirement, he returned to Baldwyn and attended LifePoint Church in Saltillo. He enjoyed spending time with his granddaughters and doting on his great-grandchildren.

On March 6, 2022, after spending the day with his family, Jerry passed away.