Pastor mixes playing with praying

CELEBRATING FATHERHOOD From his perch just beyond the top row of the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, Michael J. Jones could keep one eye on each of his children.

On the court below, daughter Jocelyn, 10, was running through drills in basketball camp. A few feet away on the concourse, son Jalon, 8, was playing.

"There's no place I'd rather be than right here, with my kids," Jones said.

At 41, fit and trim, Jones looked the part of the insurance salesman he became in his late 20s. With cup of coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other, he was juggling three meetings while his kids were playing.

But his plan in the past 10 years hasn't been pushing premiums. It has been sharing the word of God.

The Chesterfield County resident gave up insurance for the church nearly a decade ago. For the past three years, he has made his living as pastor of Village of Faith Ministries, a church he founded with his wife, Tanya. It has grown into a two-location church that counts 1,200 members at its four weekly services, which are held at schools in Chesterfield and Henrico counties.

All along, though, his family has remained his top priority, he said.

"I watched my father work hard all his life, but I was never certain he enjoyed it," Jones said. "I want to work hard, but I want to play hard, too."

And, he said, he wants his children to see that example and run with it.

"There's a lot of pressure in the black community on preacher's kids," he said. "But I don't want my kids to feel that. I want them to be regular kids, to do regular kid stuff. I want them to make mistakes. I don't think we're supposed to take it safe in life."

Jones didn't when he gave up a paying gig as a preacher to strike out on his own three years ago.

He credits his faith -- and his wife. "She's made a lot of things possible," he said.

More than anything, he said, she made possible his dream church.

"We wanted to create the kind of church where we'd go if I weren't the pastor," he said. "Men don't get beat up here. Kids are welcome. They can run around. And we're in and out. I don't want to be in church all day."

He'd rather be playing with his kids.

Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or .