{"id":22586,"date":"2026-06-23T09:48:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T13:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=22586"},"modified":"2026-06-23T09:48:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T13:48:42","slug":"a-modern-day-mother-teresa-skid-row-missionary-willie-jordan-dies-at-93","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2026\/06\/a-modern-day-mother-teresa-skid-row-missionary-willie-jordan-dies-at-93.html","title":{"rendered":"‘A Modern-Day Mother Teresa’: Skid Row Missionary Willie Jordan Dies at 93"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Businesswire<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Willie L. Jordan, a beloved missionary, broadcaster, and longtime leader of Fred Jordan Missions, has died at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of Gospel ministry that touched countless lives on Los Angeles’ Skid Row and around the world.<\/p>\n

Jordan passed away peacefully at her home in Glendora, California. Her son, Joe Jordan, who now serves as president of Fred Jordan Missions, announced her passing in a heartfelt statement.<\/p>\n

“She went to sleep in her home and woke up to Jesus saying, ‘Well done, thy good and faithful servant,'” he said. Joe Jordan noted that his mother’s 93 years were marked by a devoted marriage, seven children, and a global ministry spanning more than 7 decades.<\/p>\n

According to the ministry, Jordan dedicated more than 75 years to serving the poor, sharing the Gospel, and caring for those often forgotten by society. Her calling began early. At just 13 years old, she sensed God leading her to tell others about His love. By age 15, she was teaching evangelism in churches throughout Southern California and encouraging young people to dedicate their lives to Christian service.<\/p>\n

One of the defining moments of her ministry came during a trip to South Korea shortly after the Korean War. There, she encountered a severely injured child whose mother had been searching for roots to boil for food. Though the child later died, the experience deeply impacted Jordan. After returning to the United States to raise support, she went back to Korea seven months later and established an orphanage. Over the years, that ministry grew into one of South Korea’s largest care facilities for children with disabilities, serving more than 500 young people.<\/p>\n

Jordan’s ministry expanded significantly after she married evangelist Fred Jordan, founder of the American Soul Clinic on Skid Row. She joined the ministry in 1949 and spent the next several decades serving alongside her husband. Together, they established churches, schools, mission stations, and orphanages in countries including Japan, Liberia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mexico, Ghana, and Argentina.<\/p>\n

In 1951, the couple launched the television program “Church in the Home,” bringing biblical teaching and evangelism into living rooms across America. Jordan later hosted “Take Three,” a daily program on Southern California Christian radio station K-Wave.<\/p>\n

After Fred Jordan died<\/a> in 1988, Willie assumed leadership of the ministry, becoming its only female president. She renamed the organization Fred Jordan Missions in honor of her late husband and expanded outreach efforts to women and children. In 1989, she partnered with Foot Locker for its first Back-to-School initiative, helping families in need.<\/p>\n

Her commitment to ministry was also a family affair. Jordan once said she and her husband brought their children to Skid Row from the time they were only weeks old, hoping to instill compassion and a love for God.<\/p>\n

“We always hoped our children would love God and have compassion for people in need,” she said.<\/p>\n

Pastor Greg Laurie, Jordan’s nephew and founder of Harvest Christian Fellowship, paid tribute to his aunt following her death.<\/p>\n

“She was a modern-day Mother Teresa,” Laurie said in an Instagram video, praising her lifelong commitment to serving the poor and sharing Christ’s love.<\/p>\n

Jordan never wavered from her conviction that the Gospel must remain central to ministry. In a 2013 interview with Pastor Jack Hibbs, she explained that the mission always preached Christ first and then addressed physical needs. Referring to Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, she believed serving “the least of these” was ultimately serving Christ Himself.<\/p>\n

Willie Jordan is survived by her seven children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Though her earthly ministry has ended, her legacy of faith, compassion, and service will continue through the countless lives she impacted and the mission she helped build.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Willie L. Jordan, a beloved missionary, broadcaster, and longtime leader of Fred Jordan Missions, has died at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of Gospel ministry that touched countless lives on Los Angeles’ Skid Row and around the world. Jordan passed away peacefully at her home in Glendora, California. Her son, Joe Jordan,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":22589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-messages"],"yoast_head":"\n'A Modern-Day Mother Teresa': Skid Row Missionary Willie Jordan Dies at 93<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Skid Row missionary Willie Jordan dies at 93 after decades of sharing Christ's love with the poor and hurting worldwide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2026\/06\/a-modern-day-mother-teresa-skid-row-missionary-willie-jordan-dies-at-93.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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