About Jerry & Helen Griffin

Jerry and Helen Griffin

Jerry and Helen Griffin were married on November 26, 1953 on Thanksgiving.  That same year, he was ordained at Memorial Baptist Church in Corsicana. During their early years of marriage, Helen taught typing, shorthand and bookkeeping at Prosper High for 2 years, and they had twin daughters, Karen and Sharon. Then, Jerry was called to pastor First Baptist Forney in 1960, when the town had a population of only 1500. 

They moved their family to Forney, where they raised their daughters. Helen taught  English Language Arts in Sunnyvale for one year before starting a 27-year teaching history at Forney Elementary School.  For the last 15 years of her 27 years at FISD, she headed up the Reading Laboratory.

Jerry served First Baptist for 33 years, following that he remained in Forney and served 13 years as Director of Missions for Kauf-Van Baptist Association. Following his service with Kauf-Van Baptist Association, he returned to First Baptist Forney in 2006 where he currently serves as Pastor to Senior Adults. You can find him making visits to the hospital, or Ridgecrest or leading a Bible study at Three Forks. He is known as the Community Pastor because he’s served Forney longer than anyone else. Over the years, Jerry’s community involvement includes Charter member of the Forney Lions’ Club, co-founder and administrator for many years of the Forney Relief Fund , past director of Forney Bank & Trust, Forney Citizen of the Year Award 1993, 1999 Forney Hall of Honor, Honorable Member Award, presented by Forney Ex-students Association for Pastoral service to Forney, and Grand Marshall Forney Christmas Parade, 2005.