(Bishop Samuel Jones Jr. standing near the purpose of God Annex outreach center in Washington, N.C. Photo taken by Darian Hale)
Darian Hale/ Unfurls/ 4/15/25
In the heart of Washington, North Carolina, Bishop Samuel Jones Jr. is more than a preacher; he is a leader and a provider, a mentor whose faith fuels his mission to uplift the community.
On most days, you can find him at the outreach center diving into his paperwork, speaking with those in need, and putting his service into action in his shops and programs.
Sundays, you can find him at the Purpose of God Church, where he speaks with passion in each sermon. Jones did not always have this life, though. Before he was a minister, before he created a community campaign to help youth, he was a man with a vision from God nearly 25 years ago.
“There was so much hardship I went through, and I thought to myself that if I was able to do something, I would do it, not for me alone but for others in the same position, and God was speaking to me that night, saying, ‘You have to do this,” said Jones.
And that he did. In April 1999, Jones, his wife Regina Jones, known as “Mother Jones,” for her leadership at the Purpose of God church, and co-founder Harold Gardner started their programs helping ex-offenders and the poor.
Aimed at serving youth ages 6 to 15, Jones’ program originally started to provide after-school activities. Later, Jones and others adopted and expanded more programs like Project New Hope, Refuge Intervention and Refuge Home.
Project New Hope helps ex-offenders from ages 16 to 55 to rehabilitate back into society by providing them with educational skills, job-search training and housing.
Jones has binders full of memories of the center, with pictures of smiling faces of all the dozens of those who benefited. The walls of the Annex outreach center are covered in newspaper clippings and stories from Jones’ work.
(Photos of graduates from Bishop Jones programs and newspaper clippings. Photo taken by Darian Hale)
“I saw young men going down a dark path, and this hit me hard,” Jones said. “I wanted to guide them. We do not have many resources in Beaufort, but I try to be one.” Jones explained that his goal was to help those in need, even those who did wrong, who deserved a second chance.
Judges at the county courthouse have often referred convicted felons to Jones’ program to guide them in the right direction after they have finished their jail sentences.
The programs are sometimes the only lifeline for people to rebuild themselves. Noting that he has seen all walks of life, Jones said that someone from the street could come in and find some help at any minute.
The Purpose of God Annex Outreach Center is a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status. It is funded by the City of Washington, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the United Way.
Yet, Jones said that the money only goes so far. So, every year his center and church hold a fundraiser for the programs.
“I care a lot about these young men and women. And it heals my heart when I see them do good,” said Jones, wiping his glasses and holding back some emotions.
Jones also operates The Share Shop in Washington, which provides household furniture, items and clothes for free for anyone in need, as well as Miracle Meals, which sells affordable food and produce.
Both projects came from a need that Jones saw in the community. “I thought a Share Shop was a perfect solution and a win-win situation. People get furniture and we get whatever they want. It’s a process that helps everyone.”
Miracle Meals functions differently. A fee of $7 allows customers to purchase a wide range of items, from food to household items.
The program started as an idea from Jones and Mother Jones, who saw rising inflation as an obstacle to many families in Beaufort County.
“Prices were rising, and many families could not afford to keep up,” Jones explained. “We needed to do more than just offer programs like Share Shop or Annex; we wanted to feed people.”
Jones said he also wanted to create a bond with the community, especially during the 2020 George Floyd protest, when he noticed racial tensions rising.
(The Share Shop. Photo by Darian Hale)
But Jones is not the only one involved in these projects. He has another hand from Harold Gardner III, who was recently in the spring sunlight, lifting boxes of clothes. Gardner said that Jones’ vision was needed.
“I remember the day he told me about the idea for starting Annex. I heard he wanted to create a haven for the youth, and I was on board right then,” said Gardner.
When he is not at work, Gardner is helping the ministry, and when he isn’t helping the ministry, he is working with Jones and others on a number of Annex programs.
(Photo provided by Purpose of God Annex Center. Left, Harold Gardner III, and right, Bishop Samuel Jones. )
Gardner remembers the early years of the Annex when it was just he and Jones trying to map out a vision and activities for guiding the youth who attended after school.
He explained that Jones has been not only a bishop at the ministry but also a dear friend who guided him to follow in the footsteps of action.
(Inside the Share Shop. Photo by Darian Hale)
Talessia Whitfield, a shop volunteer, said she is always amazed at the diversity at the Annex. “White, Black, Hispanic—we all are here trying to help or be helped. We see people from Pitt, Martin, Hyde and Bertie, all counties coming here.” Whitfield became a volunteer four years ago.
(Tres Pugh, outside the Share Shop. Photo Taken by Darian Hale)
Tres Pugh said he has been volunteering with Jones to turn his life around.
“Bishop Jones, he is helping me get back on my feet. I just got out of rehab, and I don’t have a job. Doing this volunteer work and learning from him is a step in the right direction.”
Pugh said that Jones’ program gave him something to do and is a gift for him and others who have had a bad time with the law. “I’m trying to put that past behind me, and Bishop is helping me find a job and help me regain myself.”
In the meantime, “It is better to be here than somewhere bedridden or causing trouble, and I’m blessed Bishop Jones is doing something to help people like me,” Pugh said.