Harvest Baptist Church Independent-Fundamental-KJV

Jack Dover - Associate Pastor

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I retired from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 1977 as a traffic sergeant.  Carole and I joined Harvest Baptist Church in 1977.  Carole was saved and I believed I was.  In 1979 I was saved.

In 1982 I went with a prison ministry to one of Florida’s prisons.  While there, the Holy Spirit of God called me to preach.  Harvest Baptist licensed me into the ministry in 1983 and Carole and I started “Joyful Life” Prison Ministries that same year.  I was ordained by Harvest in 1986.  I preached and Carole sang in our prison services.

Dr. John R. Brooks put together three Bible courses—a beginners, an advanced and a study in the Book of Romans.  Dr. Brooks copyrighted the courses and received $3 per lesson.  However, he graciously allowed us to present the studies to prison inmates free of cost.  Certificates of completion are presented to the prisoners upon completion of each study.  We currently have over 10,000 inmates doing the Bible studies in every state, including Hawaii and Alaska.  We also have death row inmates in foreign countries where English is spoken.  Carole grades all the studies and handles all the related correspondence. 

From April, 1983, until March, 2003, we traveled about 4,000 miles per month going to various prisons in Florida and Georgia and averaged 24-26 services each month in those prisons.  In our services, we were privileged to lead thousands of men and women to the Lord.  I once did a study on how many were saved per mile we traveled and calculated that one person was saved for every 17.5 miles we traveled.  We wore out 5 vehicles with the last van we drove showing 480,000 miles on it when we traded it. 

In March of 2003 I had serious surgery and could no longer travel.  Carole continues with Bible studies for the inmates.  Preacher invited me on staff at the church with responsibilities for our visitors, hospital visiting and caring for our sick and shut-ins.