Living Life To The Fullest: 98 Year Old Preacher Takes It To The Limits, Goes Skydiving For His Birthday

Recently, he celebrated his 98th birthday. Family and friends surrounded him. They ate great food, had a cake, and then jumped out of a plane.

His granddaughter wasn’t surprised, though. According to Southern Living, “‘I didn’t think he’d go through with it [...] not many surprises me these days from him,’ his granddaughter, April Lintner, told WECT. ‘He’s a risk taker, I guess.’”

Jernigan was born in Selma in 1925. Now, he lives with his daughter Linda in La Grange. Linda jumped with Jernigan and April this past weekend.

January 31, 2023

While many people are shocked, Jernigan has a simple explanation for being what his granddaughter calls a risk-taker. According to Southern Living, “‘Fear is a lack of faith, that’s what the Bible says,’ he told a friend of his decision to take the leap, per WRAL. ‘If you have fear, you don’t have faith.’”

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Skydiving is an exciting event in the preacher’s life, but it’s far from the only incredible chapter. He also enjoyed being in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Jernigan stepped up during WWII and joined the Navy when most people were running from the armed services.

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His career in the Navy saw him serve through Vietnam, the Korean conflict, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Then, after his retirement in 1967, Jernigan joined the ministry. He was a missionary to Native Americans for over 50 years.

He still runs a ministry from home, delivering sermons via his Facebook page. He’s lived a long, exciting life, and he has one piece of advice for everyone else. According to Southern Living, “My advice to anyone: if God blesses you and gives you the number of years that he’s given me, burn out your life living for others,” he told WECT. “You’ll never regret it.”