Charlotte Minister, Community Activist to Receive Honorary Degree from WSSU
Jones will receive his degree during WSSU’s Fall Commencement on Friday, December 17, at 4 p.m. in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where he will serve as the keynote speaker.
“Since 1983, Dr. Jones has led his church in numerous projects that have improved the lives of the people of Charlotte,” said Reaves. “He is a noted community activist in the areas of race relations, education and support for senior citizens, and his work has had a major impact on communities outside of the United States.”
“His church provided the first satellite center for seniors in Charlotte and has developed a transitional housing project for homeless women, a much underserved population in most communities. Not content to make a difference just in his community, Dr. Jones has helped create an educational center in South Africa and organized mission teams to provide healthcare, medical supplies and educational training in Jamaica, Africa and Guyana that have served many needy children and families. Dr. Jones also has connections to Winston-Salem through his son, Clifford A. Jones, Jr., who is currently the pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church,” Reaves added.
In Charlotte, Jones has also been active in the community serving on numerous boards including Crisis Ministry and The National Conference for Community and Justice. He also has served on the Board of Trustees for Winston-Salem State University and the Hood Theological Seminary. As part of his global initiative, Jones led a delegation to provide greenhouses and a brick-making machine for the Mabopane, South Africa, community in an effort to help create more self-sufficiency for its residents. Jones has received numerous awards for his work, including The Order of the Long Leaf Pine from the Governor of North Carolina and the Charlotte Senior Centers Lifetime Achievement Award.
