Rev. Dr. Kenneth Thaddeus Jewell

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Thaddeus Jewell

Kankakee - The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Thaddeus Jewell, 91, of Kankakee, Illinois, and formerly of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on Saturday, November 3, 2018. Visitation will be Saturday, November 10 from 11:00 a.m. until the funeral service at 1:00 p.m. at the Southwest Church of the Nazarene, located at 4797 Tincher Road, Indianapolis, Indiana. He will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens, Greenwood, Indiana.



Kenneth was born June 6, 1927, in Greenwood, Indiana. He was the son of Daniel Wesley and Lillie Mae (Dewese) Jewell, the second son in a minister's family. He departed this life on Saturday November 3, 2018, at Riverside Miller Rehabilitation Center in Kankakee, Illinois.

On November 21, 1946, he was united in marriage to Marjorie Lucille Wilson, who was his faithful companion in the ministry and stood loyally by his side.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. & Mrs. Daniel Wesley Jewell, by two brothers, Rev. E. Ray Jewell and Lowell Herman Jewell, (in infancy), and by two sisters, Lois Taylor and Alberta Jewell, (in infancy), a step sister, Darlene Durham and a great-grandson, Luke Childs.

He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Marjorie (Wilson) Jewell; sons David (wife Rosetta), of Bradley, Illinois, Kenneth (wife Linda), of Gwynneville, Indiana, Paul (wife Trudy) of Ripon, California, and John (wife Cynthia) of Ripon, California, 15 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

He accepted Jesus Christ as his savior at the young age of 9 at the Walter's Chapel Church of the Nazarene near Franklin, Indiana, which later became his first pastorate. He served as a student pastor in Peru, Indiana, and at an Indianapolis Mission while completing his academic preparation. At age 21 he was sanctified and called to the ministry in his father-in-law's home beside an old four poster bed.

He and his brother, Ray, announced their calls to preach the same day, preached their first sermons the same day at Meridian Street Church of the Nazarene in Indianapolis, and were ordained by the same General Superintendent, Dr. G.B. Williamson.

He originally intended to enter the medical field and had begun his pre-preparation at Indiana University. Following his call to the ministry, he attended the Great Commission Bible Institute and graduated from Indiana Christian University where he earned his Bachelor of Theology degree. He received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree in 1979 from Olivet Nazarene University where he served on the Board of Trustees from 1961 to 1994. He served twenty of those years on the Executive Committee and nineteen years as board secretary.

His pastorates included Walter's Chapel, Morristown Church of the Nazarene, North Vernon Church of the Nazarene, Shelbyville First Church of the Nazarene and Indianapolis Southwest Church of the Nazarene. He conducted a weekly radio program for 21 consecutive years (16 of which were the entire, live Sunday night service at Shelbyville First Church of the Nazarene).

Under his leadership and direction as pastor of Shelbyville First, he was responsible for building a church and parsonage in Gazankulu, Republic of South Africa. He directed the building of two parsonages and two educational annexes to the churches he pastored. He hosted a mission trip to Haiti and along with Mrs. Jewell made two trips to the Holy Land.

He was active on the Indianapolis District and general level of the Church of the Nazarene, having served as: District Nazarene Young Peoples Society (NYPS) President, District Church School Chairman, District Advisory Board Member, District Secretary, District Board of Ministerial Studies, District Board of Ministerial Credential and Interim Assistant District Superintendent. He served one term on the General Board of the International Church of the Nazarene and was the recording secretary for the Department of Christian Life/Sunday School. He served as an Instructor in the District Ministerial Training Institute for 25 years.

Following his retirement in 1994, he gave himself to the field of evangelism, 11 interim pastorates and preached nearly 1,000 times. In 2005 he served as interim District Superintendent for the Indianapolis District. In 2006 he joined the District Administrative Staff as Assistant to the District Superintendent.

Memorials may be made to Southwest Church of the Nazarene, 4797 Tincher Road, Indianapolis, IN 46277 or Hospice of Kankakee Valley, 482 Main St NW, Bourbonnais, IL 60914.

Funeral arrangements are by G.H. Herrmann Funeral Home, 5141 Madison Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana.