Jerry Mannery brings a “Four-Fold” wealthy of experience in Music, Management, Marketing and Ministry.

 

He served as Executive Director of the Gospel Division of Malaco/Savoy Music Group for over a decade – overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Division, including promotion, production, artist relations, marketing, and administration. He has served on several national music industries Board of Directors, including the Gospel Music Association, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the American Gospel Quartet Convention, and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. He is a voting member of The

Grammy organization NARAS and has served as Second Vice-President of the Memphis Chapter, as well as a 12-year stint on the Grammy Awards National Screening Committee for Gospel Music.

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Jerry is the founder of the Mississippi Children’s Choir, and a founding member of the Mississippi Mass Choir, where he serves as Executive Director, and one of its composer and producer. He has booked and managed tours throughout the country and around the

world, including Japan, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Greece, and the Canary Islands. In 1968, he was one of the first African American students to integrate the then all white Florence High School in Florence, Mississippi.

 

In 1995, he became the first African American to retire from the Jackson, MS Fire Department with the rank of Captain. He was named Fireman of the Year in 1991 and 1994. In 1996 he was named National Alumnus of the Year at Lanier High School. He was a Journalism and English Literature major at Jackson State University, where he met his mentor, acclaimed poet, and novelist Dr. Margaret Walker Alexander, who convinced him that his writing was very lyrical and that that he should focus on songwriting.

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A very prolific and diverse songwriter, he has written over 100 songs, recorded by legendary R&B, Blues and Gospel artist. He is the co-writer of Mississippi Mass Choir’s single “The Promise,” recognized by Billboard MEDIABASE Gospel Airplay as the #1

Gospel song in December 2023, and the co-writer of the Choir’s current single “Only One Way Home.”

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In 2003 he received The Gospel Music Workshop of America Founder’s Award, named in honor of the convention founder, Rev. James Cleveland for Distinguished Service to the Gospel Music Industry. In 2025 he received the BMI Citation of Achievement for

songwriting success across broadcast and streaming platforms. For five years he served as Client Service Director of OwensMorris Communications; a full-service marketing communications agency, with corporate and entertainment clients

including cable television network TV One, and fortune 500 companies ExxonMobil and McDonalds.

 

In 2011, he co-founded Faith-Based Communications; a full-service marketing and communication agency, dedicated to helping their clients reach and influence the faith- based market. He managed and produced the 15 cities McDonald’s Inspiration

Celebration Gospel Tour, where he also served as Tour Operations Manager for seven years.

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In 2017 he became a published poet with the release of “Plumb Lines,” a collection of poems, prose, proverbs, and painting to glorify and extol the Lord, and to enlighten, encourage, and edify the readers. Notwithstanding, his career crowning moment came in 2019 when he was appointed Pastor of We Are One United Methodist Church in Jackson, MS.

He, and his wife of forty-three years - Sharon – are blessed with two children- Dr. Yanci Olivia Mannery-Baker and Jerron Eli Mannery (Kassundra). They have four adorable grandchildren – Kennedi, Landon, Ansleigh, and Olivia.

When asked to sum it all up in a nutshell  he will say: “By the grace of God, I am what I am... “(1 Corinthians 15:10)