Biography of Pastor Jerry Savelle

Pastor Jerry Savelle (24th December, 1946 - 15th April, 2024) was an American evangelist, bestselling author, and President of Jerry Savelle Ministries International (JSMI). A leading figure in the Word of Faith movement, he preached in more than 3,000 churches across 26 nations and served for over five decades as Kenneth Copeland's first preaching partner and closest ministry companion.

Early Life

Jerry Savelle was born on December 24, 1946. He grew up around racetracks and, from as early as age nine, dreamed of one day owning an automotive business like his father. At age 11, while watching evangelist Oral Roberts on television, he sensed an early call toward ministry, though it was over a decade before he answered it.

Savelle went to college in 1964 and married Carolyn Creech in 1965. In 1968, he opened Jerry's Paint and Body Shop, pursuing the automotive career he'd envisioned since childhood.

Call to Ministry and Partnership With Kenneth Copeland

In February 1969, at age 23, Jerry and Carolyn attended a meeting in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Evangelist Kenneth Copeland was preaching. That night, Savelle gave his life to Christ. Copeland later told him he believed the two of them would one day minister together as a team, and encouraged him to trust God's timing for that partnership to unfold.

In the summer of 1970, Pastor Jerry and Carolyn moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he went to work for the Kenneth Copeland Evangelistic Association, initially driving Pastor Copeland to meetings, setting up equipment, and producing tapes. By 1976, he had begun preaching alongside Copeland directly, first in the ministry's Jubilee meetings and eventually at gatherings around the world.

Over more than five decades, Savelle and Copeland remained close ministry partners and friends. Copeland later described their bond as one without a single serious disagreement across 55-plus years of shared ministry, crediting Savelle as his first preaching partner besides his wife, Gloria.

Jerry Savelle Ministries International (JSMI)

Savelle formally launched his own traveling ministry in 1974, which grew over the following decades into **Jerry Savelle Ministries International (JSMI)**, headquartered in Crowley, Texas, with additional offices established in Tanzania, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. JSMI maintained its own aircraft and pilots, allowing Savelle and his team to keep pace with a demanding international ministry schedule that included extensive missions work across Africa.

He also served as **Founding Pastor of Heritage of Faith Christian Center** in Crowley, Texas, a church built on his ministry's property. In January 2006, Savelle appointed Justin Bridges as Senior Pastor of the church, stepping back from day-to-day pastoral duties while continuing his broader evangelistic and teaching ministry.

Savelle's ministry maintained a weekly broadcast through JSMI's own platforms and aired on the Daystar Television Network, extending his teaching well beyond the churches and crusades he visited in person.

Read: Biography of Pastor Kenneth Copeland

Motorcycling Ministry

Savelle carried a lifelong love of cars and motorcycles from his early years as an autobody repairman into his ministry work. Alongside Kenneth Copeland and longtime friend Jesse Duplantis, he helped establish the Eagle Mountain Motorcycle Rally, and the two later launched Chariots of Light**, a ministry outreach built around Savelle and Duplantis's shared passion for riding.

Books & Publications by Jerry Savelle

Jerry Savelle authored more than 70 books over the course of his ministry. His best-known and best-selling work, ***If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy... He Can't Keep Your Goods***, was published by Harrison House in 1983 and has sold over 250,000 copies, becoming one of his most widely recognized teachings. In 1999, his ministry also published *In the Footsteps of a Prophet*, a collection of notes Savelle personally took while traveling and ministering alongside Kenneth Copeland.

Health and Recovery

Later in life, Savelle suffered a stroke. Supported by prayer and what he credited as unwavering faith, he made a full recovery and resumed his full-time ministry schedule, often citing the experience as a personal testimony to the power of persistent faith in God.

Marriage and Family

Jerry Savelle was happily married to his heartthrob, Carolyn Savelle (née Creech). They got married on 15th July 1965 and were together until his passing in 2024. The couple had two daughters: Terri Savelle Foy, herself a well-known author and speaker in Christian ministry circles, and Jerriann Newton.

Death and Legacy

Jerry Savelle died on April 15, 2024, at the age of 77. His ministry and close friend Kenneth Copeland paid tribute to him as a devoted friend and ministry partner of over five decades, remembering him as someone who had proven, through his own life, that faith in God's Word could take a small-town mechanic to a global platform for the gospel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently

• What ministry did Jerry Savelle found?: He founded Jerry Savelle Ministries International (JSMI), headquartered in Crowley, Texas, with additional offices in the UK, Australia, Canada, and Tanzania.
• What was Jerry Savelle's relationship with Kenneth Copeland? Savelle gave his life to Christ at one of Copeland's meetings in 1969, later worked for the Kenneth Copeland Evangelistic Association, and became Copeland's first preaching partner, ministering alongside him for more than 55 years.
• What was Jerry Savelle's best-known book? If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy... He Can't Keep Your Goods* (1983), which has sold more than 250,000 copies.
• When did Jerry Savelle die? He died on April 15, 2024, at the age of 77.
• Who are Jerry Savelle's children? He had two daughters, Terri Savelle Foy and Jerriann Newton, with his wife, Carolyn.

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