[3] Jones underwent a brief period of rebellion against his heritage and his parents' religious standards during his freshman year of high school, such as having a few hidden rock recordings—prohibited on the BJU campus—which he confessed to his father.

Further, when asked if he felt ideologically closer to his father's engagement with politics or to other evangelicals who have tried to avoid civic involvement, he answered, "The gospel is for individuals.

"[6] In a 2005 Washington Post interview, Jones dodged political questions and even admitted that he was embarrassed by "some of the more vitriolic comments" made by his predecessors.

"[9] In the fall of 2010, Jones was "nearly incapacitated" after suffering a severely damaged nerve due to an ear infection; he took extended medical leave after experiencing persistent nausea, dizziness, and migraines.

After spending three weeks at the Cleveland Clinic Pain Management Center in the summer of 2012, Jones returned to work, telling a reporter that his time of illness "grew the university family.

"[11] Nevertheless, citing "persistence of my health issues," Jones resigned from the presidency of BJU on December 13, 2013, and was succeeded by Steve Pettit on May 10, 2014.