He met his wife, Mary Lou Reece, while a student at the University of Kansas, and they were married 18 August 1979. She is the President of Reece Construction Company, with offices in Scandia, Kansas, Salina, Kansas, and Prosper, Texas. The couple have three children: Jameson (a student at Stanford University), Arthur and Marynell. All three are graduates of the University of Kansas. Arthur is currently studying at Duke Divinity School.

Bishop Jones' younger brother, L. Gregory Jones, is the Dean of Duke Divinity School, a United Methodist Seminary.

Jones earned a B.A. degree in philosophy at the University of Kansas (1977 with highest honors). He is a member of Delta Lambda Phi. He earned an M.Th. degree at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University (1981 with high honors). Jones's Ph.D. is also from Southern Methodist University, which he earned in 1992 in Religious Studies.

Jones was a Deacon in the Kansas East Annual Conference (1978), and an Elder in the North Texas Annual Conference (1987). Rev. Jones was Pastor of the First U.M.C. of Prosper, Texas (1986-91), First U.M.C. of Howe, Texas (1991-95) and First U.M.C. of Commerce, Texas (1995-97). While a Pastor, Jones also served as adjunct faculty at Perkins School of Theology, teaching United Methodist history.

Dr. Jones returned to Perkins in 1997 as the McCreless Assistant/Associate Professor of Evangelism and as the Director of the Center for the Advanced Study and Practice of Evangelism, thereby pursuing his passion to help his denomination focus on its mission. As an academic, Dr. Jones spent the next seven years preaching and teaching throughout the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia.

The Rev. Dr. Jones was a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences (1996-2004). He also chaired the Equipping Disciples Team for the North Texas Conference. He has served as a Member of the Joint International Commission for Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council (W.M.C.) from 1996 until 2004, also serving on the Executive Committee of the W.M.C. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Wesley Foundation at S.M.U.

Bishop Jones was elected by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the U.M.C. in July 2004. He was endorsed for election by the North Texas Conference Delegation to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned to the Kansas Episcopal Area, with offices in Wichita, Kansas.