A prolific and best-selling author, Pastor Hayford has penned more than three dozen books, 600 hymns and choruses, including the internationally known and widely recorded "Majesty," and hundreds of teaching cassettes distributed worldwide. He is perhaps best known, however, as founding pastor of The Church on the Way (TCOTW), the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California. His service to TCOTW, which began as a temporary assignment to pastor 18 people in 1969, continued fruitfully for more than three decades as the congregation grew to more than 10,000 active members.

Now led to focus his ministry chiefly on issues of church leadership and on expanded outreach to denominational and interdenominational gatherings at colleges, seminaries, parachurch and other organizations around the world, this "Pastor to Pastors" has, along with the church elders, transferred the senior pastor role at The Church on the Way to Dr. Scott Bauer.

Nationally and internationally, Dr. Hayford addresses a broad range of gatherings and audiences annually, from TCOTW’s own annual Autumn Leadership Conference to the Lausanne II Congress on World Evangelism, the Pentecostal World Conference, National Religious Broadcasters Conventions, National Association of Evangelicals, and the Gospel Music Association. He has been a regular speaker at Promise Keepers Conferences across the nation and anchored the organization’s 1997 "Stand in the Gap" event on the Washington D.C. Mall. He also has been featured at the famed Hollywood Bowl Easter Sunrise Service, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Schools of Evangelism, the National Congress on Biblical Exposition, Christians in Government, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International and, earlier this year, the National Prayer Service following the inaugural ceremonies for President George W. Bush. He has traveled and ministered in more than 40 nations, and has led study tours to Israel, the Middle East and the Mediterranean 25 times as part of his teaching ministry.

Founder and Chancellor of The Kings College (1987), an interdenominational Bible training center for men and women seeking a deeper understanding of the Holy Scriptures and The Kings Seminary (1999), a new graduate school of theology and advanced-level ministry training, Dr. Hayford is responding to the call to help prepare leaders for the "Spirit-Formed" Church for the 21^st Century with an institution meeting the highest institutional and academic standards. Through The Jack W. Hayford School of Pastoral Nurture, founded in 1997, he serves senior pastors with intensive, seven-day small group (35-40 people) sessions, as well as through shorter-term pastoral institutes that involve other nationally recognized leaders on church-related issues and skills along with Pastor Hayford. To accommodate pastors who might not be able to travel to Los Angeles for the intensive weeklong sessions, Pastor Hayford recently began conducting one or two day Regional Schools of Pastoral Nurture at various locations across the country.

Touching millions who resonate with his passionate, yet non-theatrical style, Pastor Hayford’s Living Way Ministry teaching cassettes are distributed worldwide. Daily and weekly teachings on radio and television reach into all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as Australia, Canada, Central Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Taiwan. In addition, Pastor Hayford is a frequent contributor to numerous Christian periodicals, senior editorial advisor for Ministries Today, a member of the editorial advisory board of Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal, and general editor of the Spirit-Filled Life publications produced by Thomas Nelson Publishers that have sold over two million volumes.

Interviewed regularly by both secular and religious media; he has been a thought-provoking guest on numerous news programs and talk shows, including Ted Koppel’s "Prime Time Special" (ABC), "Prime Time" (ABC), USA Radio Network, Christian Broadcasting Network, Focus on the Family, Trinity Broadcasting network, Moody Broadcasting, and "The Merv Griffin Show," among others. With keen insight into God’s Word and a commitment to practical application, he has become recognized for balance in preaching the truth. He avoids extremes, while not diluting or compromising the demands of truth, graciously revealing the heart of a holy and merciful God for each situation or issue.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Oakland, Calif., he has been married since 1954 to Anna (Smith) Hayford. The couple has four children and eleven grandchildren.