Family will receive friends Tuesday March 25, 2025 at 12 noon until the time of service at 1:00 p.m. at Union Missionary Baptist Church 1100 N. Macedonia Avenue. Muncie, IN 47303.

Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, 5600 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43213.

 

Pastor Willie James Jackson, Sr. passed away on March 15, 2025, surrounded by his wife and children. 

He was born on July 19, 1950 to Pastor Booker T. and Willie Mae Jackson, in Bienville, Louisiana., and is the oldest of nine children. 

He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings: Jennie and Alice. 

Pastor Jackson is survived by his wife, Donna; children, Anitra, Willie Jr., Bryan (Ashley), and Mykael; Joe, who he raised; Kimberly, who is like a daughter; grandchildren, Savannah and Anthony; and great-granddaughter, Adrienne. He is also survived by siblings: Kenneth (Mary), Mary Ann (Perry), Monroe (Barbara Sue), Wendell, Keven and Karen (Curtis); a host of nieces and nephews; and numerous adopted sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

Pastor Jackson’s educational pursuits include Marion College (Indiana Wesleyan), Indiana Christian University, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, and Ball State University. He graduated from Miami University; Miami, Ohio with a degree in Religion and Psychology. 

In his early career, he was a journeyman electrician. In July 1986, he began pastoring Union Missionary Baptist Church of Muncie, Indiana and served The Lord in that role for 29 years. Numerous ministries were added, and a focus on these Seven Dimensions guided the work: 

 

Essentiality of Scriptures.   

Evangelism of Sinners.   

Enlistment of Seekers.   

Embrace the Saved.   

Edify and Equip the Saints.   

Exalt the Savior.  

Enhance Society.   

 

Pastor Jackson also served on numerous boards and was very involved in the Muncie, Indiana community. He was most thankful for the opportunity to advocate for students to receive full scholarships, who might otherwise be overlooked. 

He cherished the opportunity to be used by God in the way that He saw fit – whether at Union, at another church for revival, on a college campus, in Africa, or just spending time visiting and talking with people. Preaching, teaching, loving and encouraging people, and making them feel valued was extremely important to him. This required growing the ministry so the impact of that work would point them to God. Seeing people saved and watching them grow in The Lord and to be used by God brought him great joy. 

He accepted the call and completed the work with a simple phrase of obedience, “Here am I, Lord, send me.”