Джек Хейфорд: Жизнь и служение американского пастора.

American pastor (1934–2023)

Jack Williams Hayford (June 25, 1934 – January 8, 2023) was an American author, songwriter, Pentecostal minister, and Chancellor Emeritus of The King's University (formerly The King's College and Seminary). He was formerly a senior pastor of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, one of a handful of flagship churches in the Foursquare denomination, and was the fourth President of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. He was widely known for his involvement in the Promise Keepers movement and for being a prolific author and songwriter, with over 600 hymns and choruses in his catalog. He is the author of the popular 1978 hymn "Majesty", which is rated as one of the top 100 contemporary hymns and performed and sung in churches worldwide.

Jack Williams Hayford was born on June 25, 1934, in Los Angeles, California, to Anita Dolores (née Farnsworth) (1916–1997) and Jack Hayford (1911–1979), who had married two years earlier on September 28, 1932. Hayford was born with a muscular condition in his neck, which improved later. His father had served in the military as a young man and worked as a switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Hayford's mother, Dolores, was a Bible teacher who spoke at interdenominational women's classes and Women's Aglow Fellowship (now Aglow International). After graduating in 1952, Hayford moved back to Los Angeles to attend Life Pacific University (formerly L. I. F. E. Bible College) and received his first bachelor's degree in 1956. Subsequently, after serving as the National Youth Director of International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, he joined the faculty of L. I. F. E. and went on to become dean of students there. While Hayford had initially agreed to pastor the church for only a period of six months, he later felt compelled to remain permanently. Actor Dean Jones (deceased), a close friend of Hayford's, was an elder in the church, as was Pat Boone, along with Jan and Paul Crouch, the founders of Trinity Broadcasting Network, which regularly broadcast services from the church.

In the late 1990s, Hayford felt called to establish a Pentecostal seminary in Los Angeles to train other pastors and founded The King's College and Seminary. In 1999, he resigned as the senior pastor of The Church On The Way to focus on the college, although he briefly returned to help the church through a difficult transition after his successor and son in law, Scott Bauer, died suddenly. On October 4, 2004, Hayford was elected to a four year term as president of the Foursquare denomination, a position he chose not to pursue after that single term. In 2013, Hayford felt called to move the King's University to Southlake, Texas, under the stewardship of Gateway Church. In 2015, The Church On The Way, led by senior pastor Tim Clark, honored Hayford with the title of Pastor Emeritus in recognition of his continuing contributions to church management and oversight.

On July 4, 1954, Hayford married his college sweetheart, Anna Marie Smith. Their marriage produced four children (Rebecca, Jack III, Mark, and Christa), 11 grandchildren, and 17 great grandchildren. In early 2016, Anna was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and died in 2017. Hayford married Valerie Lemire the following year and lived in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. He discontinued making public appearances in 2019. Hayford died at his home in Los Angeles on January 8, 2023, at the age of 88.

In March 2014, Hayford was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He has also won the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for his part in the album God With Us and the Salvation Army's William Booth Award, as well as serving as Worship Leader on the Men In Worship album.