Meet Our Staff

Pastor Bruce Wimberley was born and raised in Texas. In his teenage years Pastor Bruce participated in an youth group that was "on-fire for Jesus" at a local Baptist church. It was here, at age 13, that Pastor Bruce dedicated his life to full time ministry. However, he never felt that the openings in the denominational setting were exactly what God was calling him to, so he simply waited for more direction from God. During this waiting period, Pastor Bruce married Elaine, fathered three children, served as an Army Lieutenant, became a rancher, farmer, teacher, and deacon. His exeriences in these roles have provided Pastor Bruce with a wealth of sermon illustrations. No experience is ever wasted!

In 1969-70, God's direction took Bruce into leadership of a small Bible study group which expanded into a worship and praise group with the move of the Holy Spirit that was sweeping the world at that time. Before long (1977), a number of people in this group felt led of the Lord to move with Pastor Bruce and his wife Elaine to Jackson, Mississippi to plant a church. This was the seed of the church that was adopted into the Vineyard in 1993.

Elaine has been married to Bruce for forty-five years. They grew up in the same city in Texas, went to the same High School, same church, participated in the same Youth Group and God was knitting their lives together and setting them on the same course all that time. Both of them felt called to some kind of ministry that was not yet defined, but they knew God called them to life together. They were married while in still in college.

Elaine said, "God put Bruce and I together so that our abilities and personalities could be complementary and together we could serve Him better than either could separately. I have adjusted to many different roles that God has had for Bruce and therefore for me as co-laborer. There was always a knowing that God was being purposeful in our journey, even though I often felt impatient with the process. All the experiences have proven valuable and along the way I learned to not forsake joy just because I felt impatient with the experience that was on my plate. Today, it is my true joy to serve as Co-Pastor at Vineyard Church."

Today Pastor Bruce leads the Vineyard Church of Jackson, serves as the head of Vineyard missions partnership for Colombia, South America, and both he and Elaine serve on the Vineyard Missionary Care Team for Vineyard missionaries world wide.