Ralph B. Jernigan, a pastor of several Alabama churches and director emeritus of The Baptist Foundation of Alabama, died March 2. He was 82.
Born in Goshen, Jernigan graduated from Howard College (now Samford University in Birmingham). He also earned a degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Jernigan served as pastor of Munford Baptist Church; Westwood Baptist Church, Birmingham; Central Park Baptist Church, Birmingham; First Baptist Church, Troy; First Baptist Church, Talladega; and New Beginning Baptist Church, Alexander City, where he also served as pastor emeritus.
He served as interim pastor of several Alabama churches, most recently at Jackson’s Gap Baptist Church.
Jernigan served as a trustee for Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega, Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, New Orleans Seminary and Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries. He was on the board of governors for Judson College in Marion, and he served on the committee on boards of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Jernigan served many roles in Alabama Baptist life and felt it was “a part of his ministry,” according to his son, John Jernigan.
Ralph Jernigan was preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn Elizabeth. He is survived by three children; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
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