RMCNews with Eric Nelson … Jack Bohannon, long-time evangelist, pastor, and Union president, went to sleep with Jesus on November 24, 2021, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Jack Bruce Bohannon was born on November 29, 1933, in Fitzgerald, Georgia to Bill and Belle Bohannon. He was one of seven children.
Times were tough for the Bohannons during war rations. Jack’s parents divorced, and the family struggled. At one point, there was talk of placing the children in a Methodist orphan home in Selma, Alabama. However, the family did remain together when Bohannon’s stepmother agreed to keep the seven children.
In 1946, Pastor William Hatch (future Colorado Conference President) conducted a series of evangelistic meetings in Titusville, Florida where the family had moved. Bohannon and his sister sat on the front row. He was soon baptized. The church encouraged him to attend Forrest Lake Academy and helped fund his education. He also attended Southern Missionary College in Collegedale, Tennessee graduating in 1957 with a theology major. It was there that he met and married Donna Weber on May 31, 1955.
Jack began his pastoral career in the Georgia Cumberland Conference as an intern and was sponsored to the seminary, completing his studies in 1958. He returned to Georgia to write and broadcast radio programs and conduct revival meetings.
In early 1962, the Bohannon’s accepted a call to Iran to serve as pastoral and evangelistic missionaries, learning the Fasi language. During a furlough, Jack completed a doctorate in speech communication and a minor in radio and television production from Michigan State University in 1968.
He became the chair of the Theology Department at Middle East College in Lebanon in 1962.
Returning stateside, he became the ministerial director and evangelist for Colorado developing a unique three-screen, nine-projector media program for his presentations. Soon, he was called to serve as an evangelist for the Central Union (now Mid-America Union Conference).
He served as pastor for the College View Church in Lincoln, Nebraska and taught homiletics at Union College. Before returning to Colorado, he moved to the Lake Union Conference to serve as their evangelist.
In 1987 Bohannon was called to be the Union President for the newly-organized Uganda Union Mission.
He retired in 2005 from official full-time ministry, having completed 46 years of service for the Lord.
In 2007, he and his wife Donna became leaders at Colorado Springs South Church with a passion for educating and training leaders in the church.
Reflecting on Bohannon’s life and ministry, Eric Nelson, former RMC vice president of administration, said, “His ministry included a breadth and versatility that few have ever experienced. His life was a testimony of how God can use His servant coming from very humble beginnings to serve the world church as pastor, evangelist, missionary, theology professor, trainer, conference administrator, and union president.”
Nelson added, “I’ve never known anyone with such breadth of experience. Though Jack was not one to mince words, there was never any question of his dedication and love for Lord.”
Bohannan was in the middle of a Revelation Countdown series of meetings at the Colorado Springs South Church when he went to sleep waiting for the trumpet to wake him.
Dr. Jack Bohannon is survived by his wife Donna, two brothers, one sister, and his children–Dale, Lorielle, and Scott.
–RMCNews with Eric Nelson, former RMC vice president of administration
