Ransom M. Guy
1898-1908, 1911-1912

Rev. R.M. Guy began his association with Jasper in 1898 when he was contacted by John W. Randolph to preach a revival in West Jasper. At the time he was a Baptist minister in Meridian, Mississippi preaching holiness and entire sanctification. Rev. Guy brought holiness to Walker County in the summer of 1898. R.M., his wife Laura, and sons Ernest and Spurgeon moved to Jasper in 1907. Rev. Guy became the first Alabama District Superintendent after the meeting at Pilot Point, Texas in 1908. Unfortunately, Rev. Guy would only see four years of prosperity for the Church of the Nazarene. After an illness stemming from an apparent nervous breakdown, Rev. Guy went to his eternal reward on September 1, 1912, at the age of 53. His wife and children were all at his bedside through the end. Laura followed R.M. just two years later. They are buried next to each other at Oakhill Cemetery in Jasper.

Carl H. Lancaster
1908-1911, 1922-1923

Rev. C.H. Lancaster and his wife Hattie were two of the charter members of the Jasper Holiness Church of Christ. At the first Alabama District Assembly in 1909, Rev. Lancaster became Alabama’s first elected District Superintendent. He served concurrently as pastor and superintendent, a combination that is rarely seen in the United States districts today.

Presley M. Covington
1912-1913

Rev. P.M. Covington was born in Rockingham, North Carolina on June 24, 1869. He came to Jasper from Cascilla, Mississippi in 1910. He served as pastor of churches at Jasper, Nauvoo, Watts Chapel, Haleyville, Dora, Shiloh, Lockhart, Hickory Grove, Calera, Sylacauga, Hartselle, Greenville, Millport, Sardis, and Pine Grove. Rev. Covington also served three years as Alabama District Superintendent. P.M. Covington died on December 31, 1942, while driving to Curry with his wife Annie. They were getting pine knots to make kindling, and while in the woods, Rev. Covington suddenly became desperately ill. His wife had to flag someone down to drive the car back to Jasper. Rev. Covington died somewhere around Oakhill Cemetery.

Alonzo L. Parrott, Sr.
1913-1914

Dr. A.L. Parrott, Sr., was born on May 20, 1891, near Monterey, Tennessee in Walker Hollow. His parents had been charter members of the Monterey Church of the Nazarene, and Alonzo joined the church as a child. After high school, he left Monterey for what would become Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. He started college with $2.00 in his pocket yet graduated four years later with all his bills paid. Alonzo and his wife Lucile were married for 63 years. While at Jasper First, Dr. Parrott was one of two teachers at the Literary School in Jasper. Rev. Parrott pastored other churches from 1918-1938 when he became president of Olivet Nazarene College. During his seven years at Olivet, he directed the relocation of the campus to Bourbonnais, Illinois. Dr. Parrott died in January 1976 in Bourbonnais at the age of 84.

Charlie C. Driver
1914-1915

Dr. Charlie C. Driver seems to have been a man mainly of the Pensacola, Florida, area. He pastored in Bogia, Florida and taught at a Bible School in McDavid. In Alabama he pastored at Jasper First and was president at the Nazarene Academy and Bible Institute in Millport. After their time in Alabama, the Drivers returned to Florida where many in their family still reside. Dr. Driver’s death is an unusually sad one. While walking across the street in Pensacola, he was shot by a man sitting on a porch near him and died soon after in the hospital.

J. Guy Printer
1915-1916

Rev. J.G. Printer, prior to his pastorate at Jasper First, served one year as the district superintendent of the Southeastern district which was a short-lived district comprising Georgia and Florida.

Z. Benjamin Whitehurst
1916-1918

Rev. Z.B. Whitehurst was a professor of English, Math, and Astronomy at Texas Holiness University-now part of Southern Nazarene University. He then went on to become president of Southeastern Nazarene College in Donalsonville, Georgia.

Henry J. Beaver
1918-1920

Rev. H.J. Beaver and his wife Mabel came to Jasper First from the Kansas District. According to records from 1920, Mrs. Beaver and Miss Marjorie Tousley, district secretary and boarder in the Beaver home, were teachers at a “Grammar School” most likely the Literary School at Jasper First.

Andrew B. Anderson
1920-1922

Rev. A.B. Anderson, after pastoring at Jasper First, became the district superintendent of the Georgia District from 1923-1926. He also pastored the Florence First Church of the Nazarene and the First Church of the Nazarene in Hartford, Connecticut.

James J. Smylie
1923-1924

Rev. J.J. Smylie was from Birmingham, Alabama and seems to have been an evangelist for most of his career. He attended the Moody Bible Institute in the 1890s.

Claude J. Frost
1924-1927

Rev. Claude J. Frost was the oldest brother of Joe, Raymond, and Floyd. He and his wife Grace had four children: George, Carol, and Ferrell and one that died at birth. Little is known about Claude’s ministerial career; however, it is suspected that he pastored in Alabama, Missouri, and California. Rev. Frost passed away in 1966 in San Bernardino, California at the age of 69.

Henry A. Forrester
1927-1929

In 1928, under the pastorate of Rev. H.A. Forrester, it is reported that the church grew crops and raised livestock to raise money. Bro. Forrester, after pastoring Jasper First went to pastor the Fairfax Church of the Nazarene - now Valley First. While there he was asked to hold cottage prayer meetings that began the Lanett Church of the Nazarene.

John A. Manasco
1929-1930

Rev. John Manasco was a founding member of Nauvoo Holiness Church of Christ, a lifelong resident of Nauvoo, and a district superintendent of the Alabama District. He pastored many churches on the Alabama District including Jasper First, Nauvoo, Birmingham First, Gamble Mines, Galloway, Florence, Hartselle, Natural Bridge, Carbon Hill, Parrish, Saragossa, Selma, Snoddy’s Chapel, and Vernon.

William R. Platt
1930-1932, 1936-1937

Rev. W.R. Platt never had a lot of money and always relied on God to provide. He and his wife Clemmie pastored at Calvert, Cordova, Parrish, Snoddy’s Chapel, Tuscaloosa Alberta, Tuscaloosa First, and Vernon. Along with these ministries, the Platts were founding pastors of Selma First, Tuscaloosa Holten Heights, and Pickford Church of the Nazarene in Pickford, Michigan. After their retirement, the Platts moved back to Jasper and became members of First Church.

Walton R. Donaldson
1932-1936

Rev. W.R. Donaldson and his wife Lois pastored Jasper First, Dora, Mt. Zion, Parrish, and were the first pastors of Cullman First. In 1936, Rev. Donaldson accepted a call to Sapulpa, Oklahoma and stayed in the West pastoring churches in Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma. Rev. Donaldson was district superintendent of the Eastern Oklahoma District. He died in Muskogee, Oklahoma in November of 1970.

Elbert M. Shelton
1938-1939

Little is known about Rev. E.M. Shelton or his tenure as pastor. By all accounts he had a beautiful voice regularly singing specials and leading music. Rev. Shelton is also said to have played the xylophone - a one and only accomplishment for a Jasper First pastor. He and his wife Beulah had two children: Paul and Dora Lee.

James G. Wells
1939-1943

Rev. James G. Wells went into ministry in Level Green, Kentucky where he cut and hauled logs, with the aid of oxen, to a site where the church was built. Following the church organization and ministry, he went to Calvert, Alabama. From there, he and his family came to Jasper and then on to South Carolina as their first superintendent. From 1943 until his retirement in 1978, Rev. Wells served in Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky. His last post was in the Southwest Ohio District as an assistant to the superintendent. Rev. and Mrs. Wells passed away in 1989 and 2000 respectively and are buried in Knoxville. The Wells had three sons: Bill, Jim, and Earl.

L.L. Van Houten
1943-1944

Rev. L.L. Van Houten came to Jasper First from Georgia with his wife Myrtice and daughters Marilyn and Carol. Interestingly, he was ordained at Jasper First during the 34th District Assembly on October 30, 1942.

Joe E. Cook
1944-1948

Rev. and Mrs. J.E. Cook began their ministry at Jasper First in 1944. The church reached out to the community through a thriving bus ministry covering areas west of the church. Mrs. Cook directed a children’s radio program each Sunday morning which originated at the studio of Radio Station WWWB. A Saturday evening service was broadcast as well, featuring a message by Rev. Cook, and music by the Sanctuary Choir. “Holiness Unto the Lord” became their theme song. Jasper First Services aired concurrently with the establishment of the first radio station in Jasper in 1946.

Morris E. Perkins
1948-1954

Rev. M.E. Perkins’ first pastorate was on circuit around Columbia, Tennessee with three churches. In 1948, Rev. Perkins came to Jasper from Bethel in Nashville. Over his nearly fifty year ministry, Rev. Perkins pastored in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Michigan. While in Jasper, Rev. Perkins continued the radio program of Rev. Cook. Rev Perkins passed away in 1994, about ten years after retiring in Birmingham. His wife Abbie lives with their daughter Mary in Chelsea.

Paul J. Stewart
1954-1959

Rev. Paul J. Stewart and his wife Mary came to Jasper First from Union, Missouri. Rev. Stewart spent most of his ministry as an evangelist. During his pastorate at Jasper First, Rev. Stewart began an extensive community outreach program using cars to transport people to and from church. He contributed many articles to the local newspaper, the Daily Mountain Eagle, and held a weekly radio program.

John D. Rhame
1959-1960

Rev. Rhame began his ministerial career in 1935 as an evangelist. He began the church at Sebring, Florida and pastored in Miami, Syracuse, New York, and Memphis before the Lord brought him to Jasper. He, his wife Laura, and their family came to Jasper in the summer of 1959 with his first Sunday being June 8. Rev. Rhame passed away on July 9, 1986, of pancreatic cancer after moving closer to family in Missouri. Mrs. Laura Rhame continues to live with her daughter Carolyn Kelley in Arkansas.

Willis L. French
1960-1962

Rev. W.L. French was converted at the age of 12, attended Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University), and began his ministry in 1925 as a pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Ballinger, Texas. Later he served in this capacity in Kentucky, West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama. In 1939 he was elected district superintendent of the San Antonio District and served for six years. From 1951 to 1959, Rev. French also served as superintendent of the South Arkansas District. In August of 1960, Rev. French accepted the position at Jasper First. He stayed a little over two years. Rev. French was an active church worker, and at least thirty-seven new churches were organized under his supervision.

John W. Banks
1962-1974

In September of 1962, Rev. John W. Banks accepted the pastorate at Jasper First. At the young age of 36, he knew it would be the challenge of his ministry. During a visit to his altar in the mountains near his home, he promised God he would give his best to the assignment at Jasper First. In December of 1971, under the leadership of Rev. Banks, Jasper First moved into the new church at 400 14th Avenue. After their retirement Bro. Johnny and Sister Pauline returned to Jasper First as members. Rev. Banks passed away on the morning of May 31, 2007. Pauline resides in Jasper and still attends Jasper First.

John Wesley Burch
1974-1977

Rev. John Wesley Burch and his wife Virginia came to be pastor in 1974 from Jacksonville, Florida. During their pastorate they built the present parsonage, and Mrs. Burch served as pianist and church secretary. In 1977, the Burches followed a call to Sheffield. Over their fifty year ministry, the Burches pastored in South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Florida, Alabama, and Indiana. Mrs. Burch passed away in 1991. Rev. Burch lived, most recently, with his daughter in Portage, Indiana. Brother Burch passed away July 11, 2009, at age 90. The Burches had two children: David and Carol.

Bob Lothenore
1977-1980

Rev. Bob Lothenore was famous for saying, “If you lie, you fry!” Bro. Bob has been in the ministry for over 35 years and is currently an evangelist with the Church of the Nazarene. He and his wife Kay live in Flower Mound, Texas.

Roy A. Shuck
1980-1989

Pastor Roy and Mary Shuck came to Jasper from Green Castle, Indiana in 1980 and stayed for almost ten years. During their ministry at Jasper First, the Shucks saw the need for the Family Life Center mainly giving expanded Sunday school space. Rev. and Mrs. Shuck moved to Naples First Church of the Nazarene in 1989. Pastor Roy and Mary were instrumental in the creation of Faith Community Church of the Nazarene in Naples, Florida, where they continue to pastor.

J. Gerald Parmer
1990-2003

Rev. Gerald Parmer and his wife Montine left Bethel Church of the Nazarene in Nashville to follow God’s call for them in Jasper, Alabama. Under his pastorate the church continued to grow and prosper. Thankfully Jasper First had Pastor and Montine during the fire in 1996 to help the church through a trying time. Montine went to be with the Lord on November 23, 2001. Two years later, Pastor Parmer accepted a call to Mount Olive, Georgia, and on the first day of 2006, Pastor Parmer married Judy Bailey.

Junius W. Johnson
2004-2006

Rev. Johnson’s first pastorate was in Jacksonville, Florida followed by Columbus, Georgia, a 24-year chaplaincy in the U.S. Air Force, Oro Valley, Arizona, and Jasper First. Rev. Johnson came to Jasper as the interim pastor following Rev. Parmer and was elected on February 1, 2004. Rev. Johnson’s last Sunday was April 30, 2006, and he is currently serving as the Associate Pastor at the Church of the Nazarene in Forestdale, Alabama.

Greg W. Story
2007-Present

Rev. Greg Story came to Jasper in 2007 from Gallatin, Tennessee. Before his pastorate at Gallatin, Rev. Story had pastored at East Gadsden and Cullman. In the 2007 church year, Jasper First had record growth attendance. Since the beginning of his ministry, he has been involved in many activities within the community. He and his wife Faith have two children - Brooke and Blake.