John "Zachy" Spears

Zacky Spears was born on December 7, 1900, in Zama, Mississippi, near Philadelphia. In 1916, he was born again during a cottage prayer meeting in the same community. The service was led by D.L. Welch, who would become a lifelong friend. Their friendship remained strong until Brother Zacky’s passing.

In his early twenties, Zacky was widowed, left to raise his two young daughters, Willie and Evelyn. He later married Eula Mae Smith, a widow with a young son, J.W. Smith. Together, Zacky and Eula Mae expanded their family with two more children, Doyle Spears and Mary Jo Spears.

Known to most as “Brother Zacky,” he soon felt the call to preach and began sharing the gospel wherever he could. He became widely recognized as a brush arbor and circuit-riding preacher—traveling from place to place, holding meetings, establishing works, and nurturing churches before moving on to the next field of labor.

Throughout his ministry, Brother Zacky helped start or pastor numerous churches, including Thrashers Bluff near Philadelphia, North Bend, Vardaman, McClain’s Chapel (around 1936), and Goodway Pentecostal Church in Marks (around 1939). He also pastored in Leesville, Louisiana (1939–1944), Kilgore, Texas—where he and his son-in-law, Otis Kirkland, helped build the first UPCI Word Aflame publishing building—and later in Corpus Christi (1947–1948) and West Monroe (1948–1952).

On October 12, 1952, after suffering a series of heart attacks, Brother Zacky passed from this life. At his bedside were his two sons, J.W. and Doyle. Doyle later recalled the moment:

“You could feel the winnowing of angels’ wings in the air. With hands bleached white and ready for the crossing, he reached out, took our hands, and said, ‘Boys, keep on telling the story.’”

With those final words, he breathed his last and entered into his eternal reward.