Biography
Jack Williams Hayford was born on June 25, 1934, in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a family that was part of the Foursquare Church, the denomination founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. His family was poor, and he was raised in a modest home. He was converted as a boy and felt called to the ministry. He studied at L.I.F.E. Bible College in Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1956. In the same year, he married Anna Hayford, and they began a partnership that lasted for decades.
He began his ministry as a youth pastor and then served in several churches in California. In 1969, he was called to a small church in Van Nuys, a suburb of Los Angeles, called the First Foursquare Church. It had a membership of about eighteen people. He took up the post with a vision of making it a place of worship and teaching. Under his leadership, it grew rapidly, and in 1977, it was renamed the Church on the Way. By the 1980s it had several thousand members, and it became one of the best known churches in America. He remained pastor until 1999 and then served as the founding chancellor of The King's University.
He was known for his emphasis on worship and the Word. He was a leading voice in the renewal of worship in the church. He taught that praise opens the way for God's presence, and he encouraged congregations to sing with understanding. He wrote a number of hymns and songs, the best known of which is Majesty, written in 1977 after a visit to a castle in England. The song became widely sung in churches around the world. He was a gifted musician and a composer.
He wrote more than fifty books, including The Church on the Way, Worship His Majesty and Spirit-Filled: The Word-Filled Life. He also was the general editor of the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, a study Bible that has been widely used in charismatic churches. He taught a balanced charismatic theology that held together the Word and the Spirit. He was a man of calm manner who sought to bring believers of different traditions together. He was a mentor to many pastors.
He served as president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, from 2004 to 2009, and also was involved in several ministries to the poor. He gave guidance to the Promise Keepers movement for men and took part in many forums of Christian cooperation. He was a gracious and generous leader.
He was not without trial. In 1980, he and his wife went through a crisis when their daughter was seriously ill. Also, in the 1990s, he spoke about being affected by a case of moral failure in the church, and he spoke about the need for accountability in leadership. He took a stance against the spirit of triumphalism and held that pastors need to be broken. He also faced the criticism of some who thought that his approach was too moderate.
He died on January 9, 2023, at the age of eighty-eight. His life shows the effect of a pastor who stays in one place for decades and who leads a church in worship and the Word. His song Majesty is sung around the world and keeps his name alive.