Jean Amos

Jean Amos

A Visit With Dr. Catherine Ponder about Jean Amos

Rev. Jean Amos was a tiny little lady, but one with a mighty vision. I first spoke for her at her newly developed Religious Science ministry in Dallas, Texas in the spring of 1964.

She had felt guided to leave her home in California and go to "Big D" to pioneer a Religious Science ministry there. She had no funds for such a daunting task, but set out anyway to work toward her goal. She had got "a day job" for the first year she was in Dallas, using every spare minute to study Dr. Ernest Holmes' textbook and soak up its contents. She constantly did spiritual mind treatment (prayer) work toward her goal of a church.

When I spoke for her in a small chapel she had, located off North Central Expressway in Dallas, it consisted of a small room that would seat about 50 people and a tiny adjacent office where she could do spiritual counseling. It also contained a display of books for sale.

My book, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity, had been published in 1962, and Religious Science churches everywhere were stocking and selling it. So my name and work had become known in the Religious Science movement and she was delighted to have me.

Dr. Bill Hornaday at Founder's Church of Religious Science, Los Angeles, had stated that after my book was published, its study doubled the size of attendance of Religious Science churches in Southern California; and its study also doubled the incomes of those churches. Apparently Jean was aware of this.

With her usual undaunted optimism, she said to me, "Dallas is growing north. I expect to have a nice church filled with Dallas millionaires, and I am doing the spiritual/prayer work for that purpose." We had standing room only for that first meeting.

Within five years, I lectured in the church her growing congregation had just bought in North Dallas. One of her millionaire Board members and his wife entertained me in their home afterward.

When I invited Jean to speak to my Austin group and tell them how she had managed such a feat, she arrived in a private plane piloted by one of her Board members. That same night, after her lecture, she and her millionaire pilot and his wife returned to Dallas in his plane. Because of the questionable flying conditions, they flew in and out on an instrument approach, and thought nothing of it. It never occurred to them to cancel their flight because of the flying conditions, which grounded many private flights. Jean's optimism and "It can be done" attitude spilled over into every phase of her life.

She remained "Dallas-deep" in millionaires until her retirement back to the west coast some years later. The last time I saw Jean was at the International New Thought Alliance Congress party that I gave in Phoenix, Arizona. She was her usual feisty self, relating to me how she was spending and enjoying her retirement years. She was a tiny, spunky, delightful little lady who had proved our New Thought teaching—big time. She had every right to be happy and satisfied, knowing she had accomplished a job nobody else wanted, a job well done.

When I think of Rev. Jean Amos, I remember the New Thought teaching, "Picture a thing and bring it through, rather than trying to reason it through or force it through. You can hasten your good through picturing it." Also, "Picturing causes the mind to rise above time and space to produce the desired results." Her proof of the power of picturing is a reminder to us of its power, and a challenge to go and do likewise in the accomplishment of our goals.

© Catherine Ponder. All rights reserved.
No usage or posting of any kind is permitted without prior written permission from Catherine Ponder.
Used with permission.

[TruthUnity note:

I would very much like to publish a picture of Jean Amos here. If you have one, please contact Mark Hicks. Thanks!

from Find A Grave: Birth: Mar. 2, 1902, Navajo County, Arizona, USA, Death: Aug. 28, 1990, USA
born jewel black dallas/fort worth,texas. 2 sons jay wayne and jarvis, 2 daughters joyce and janice. 16 grandchildren. Many great grandchildren. aka dr jewel black amos of church of reglious science.. Gone but never forgotten.
Burial: Heber Cemetery Heber Navajo County Arizona, USA]