| − | Nelms is the third of four sons of Mack Nelms (1923-1995), an employee of Southern Bell [[telephone]], and the former Nan Smith (1925-2005), a schoolteacher. The parents, who are interred at Bartow City Cemetery in Bartow in Jefferson County in [[rural]] east central Georgia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54425546/mack-nelms|title=MackNelms|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=November 26, 2018}}</ref> werefirst generation [[Christian]]s who shared an interest in the recruitment and retention of missionaries. Mack Nelms was a deacon or trustee in every church of which he was affiliated. He helped in the launching of three churches. At the age of seventy, hewas ordained a Baptist pastor but died a year later. At the age of eleven, Jon felt a divine call to be a missionary and began witnessing for the [[Lord Jesus Christ]] at twelve and was soon engaged in street preaching.At the age of fifteen he began working in the bus ministry and participated in active street preaching. At seventeen, he enrolled in a Bible College, name and location unavailable, and graduated four years later c. 1977 as the youngest member of his class.<ref name=jnelms>{{cite web|url=http://finalfrontiers.org/jonnelms.asp|title=FounderJon Nelms|publisher=Finalfrontiers.org|accessdate=November 26, 2018}}</ref> | + | Nelms is the third of four sons of Mack Nelms (1923-1995), an employee of Southern Bell [[telephone]], and the former Nan Smith (1925-2005), a schoolteacher. The parents, who are interred at Bartow City Cemetery in Bartow in Jefferson County in [[rural]] east central Georgia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54425546/mack-nelms|title=Mack Nelms|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=November 26, 2018}}</ref> werefirst generation [[Christian]]s who shared an interest in the recruitment and retention of missionaries. Mack Nelms was a deacon or trustee in every church of which he was affiliated. He helped in the launching of three churches. At the age of seventy, hewas ordained a Baptist pastor but died a year later. At the age of eleven, Jon felt a divine call to be a missionary and began witnessing for the [[Lord Jesus Christ]] at twelve and was soon engaged in street preaching.At the age of fifteen he began working in the bus ministry and participated in active street preaching. At seventeen, he enrolled in a Bible College, name and location unavailable, and graduated four years later c. 1977 as the youngest member of his class.<ref name=jnelms>{{cite web|url=http://finalfrontiers.org/jonnelms.asp|title=Founder Jon Nelms|publisher=Finalfrontiers.org|accessdate=November 26, 2018}}</ref> |