About Jack Hayford
Jack Hayford knew the awesome power of God firsthand. When he was a baby, he was gripped by a life-threatening illness. But as a result of the earnest prayers of friends and family, he was miraculously healed. The doctors had no other explanation except that the grace of God snatched him back from the brink of death. Several years later, Jack was struck down again by sickness. This time it was polio. The church elders anointed him and prayed for his recovery. God heard their petitions and granted a second miracle. These two extraordinary events ignited in Jack’s heart a passion for God and convinced him that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the contemporary church. “Contrary to our preconceptions, God is not economical with healings and miracles. Such wondrous works are frequently attending the proclamation of truth in Jesus’ name,” Pastor Jack said.
Jack Hayford served as Chancellor of The King’s University (formerly The King’s College and Seminary) in Southlake, Texas, which he founded in 1997. From 2004 to 2009, he also served as President of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. He was probably best known, however, as “Pastor Jack,” founding pastor of The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California, where he served as senior pastor for more than three decades. A prolific and best-selling writer, Pastor Hayford was the author (or co-author) of more than fifty books and composed 500 hymns and choruses, including the internationally known and widely recorded “Majesty.”
He was an acknowledged “bridge-builder,” helping to forge healthy bonds among all segments of the Body of Christ. He was recognized for his balance in preaching the Word, avoiding extremes while not diluting or compromising the demands of truth. Pastor Jack’s heart to bring unity across all denominational and racial boundaries gave him an open door to minister in all kinds of settings
On March 8, 2017, Pator Jack’s wife of more than 60 years, Anna Hayford, passed away and peacefully stepped into the presence of the Lord at the age of 83, with Pastor Jack by her side. Together, they had four children, eleven grandchildren, and a growing number of great children.
The Lord brought love back into Pastor Jack’s life in the form of Valarie Anne Lemire, and they were married in 2018.
Pastor Jack passed away on Sunday, January 8, 2023, in his home in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. He was 88 years old. His family said he died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of the morning, having eaten dinner with his wife, Valarie, and having spoken to one of his grandkids the evening before.
