(Sacramento, CA) From former runaway and survivor of abuse, Jackie Turner now leads a radical urban mission rooting for the marginalized and forgotten. She’s the living proof that God works in the grayest, hardest places—and that those are the places where God's light shines the brightest.
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Jackie is the founder and executive director of Kingdom Roar Ministries.
A few years ago, after a shooting on K Street in Sacramento, Jackie lay awake, burdened and unsettled. After watching the news she whispered, “Lord, when will this stop?”
At that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke one word: “Go.”
Without hesitation, Jackie got dressed and drove straight to the scene. She prayed on the corner, waited by the hospital, and walked the streets. Then, at 1:00 a.m. outside a McDonald’s, she made a deal with God:
“If someone comes to talk about the Bible, I’ll stay.”
Within minutes, three guys—prophetically named Ezekiel, Daniel, and Malachi—showed up, and Burgers & Bible was born
Jackie brought cheeseburgers and seats on the curb for street folks. Asking, “Do you know the Lion? The Lamb? The Great I AM?” She drew crowds—30 to 40 deep. That nightly routine led her deeper: to Cesar Chavez Park, which she describes as an “urban Sodom & Gomorrah” but was fertile ground for revival.
From 6–8 p.m., Jackie and friends would patrol the streets, offering prayer and presence. The result? Literal miracles--dealers dropping drugs, gang members coming to Jesus, alcoholics and addicts finding freedom, and people transitioning into jobs and homes.
Once, a team brought 200 Thanksgiving meals—and just as they out of food, some teenagers showed up with tons of pizza, saying that "God told them to bring the food." They had more than enough food for everyone!
Jackie once found a man who was not in a healthy state in a restroom—blue, gray, and lifeless.
She prayed: “Breathe into him.”
He jolted awake with a shriek, and suddenly all of his color flooded back. Jackie says, “I watched his life return before my eyes.” In that moment, she said, “God, I’m all in.”
Street credibility got transformed into Kingdom infrastructure. A Philly cheesesteak shop on K Street became the base. Crews of people from the streets began to enjoy a weekly hot meal, and as Jackie preached the word, and miracles have abounded. People are getting jobs, addictions are falling away and folks are leaving the streets for permanent housing. Even building managers, security and local police support the vision as they watch, in real time, things start to change.
“The gospel isn’t past tense—it’s alive and active in the streets.” - Jackie Turner
Jackie’s testimony is pretty dramatic. Abused as a child, beaten and locked in closets, she ran away at 16 only to live on the streets of Philadelphia. She accepted Jesus while watching Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of The Christ, and eventually moved out to California. Jackie excelled with a 4.0 GPA at Sierra Community College, a BA in Pastoral Ministry and an MA in Chaplaincy at William Jessup University in Rocklin as well as a Crisis De-Escalation Certification.
Ms. Turner now works by day with Acres of Hope, a transitional home for homeless moms & kids and on nights and weekends, Jackie roams the darkest places in California, shining her bright light for Jesus.
In the past 14 years, Jackie has founded her non-profit (Kingdom Roar) as well as leading free international Bible studies, reaching people in Pakistan, India and Uganda. She conducts campus teaching in Smartsville, Penn Valley and online. She also impacts the community with Tuesday-night church.
Jackie's advice for people who want to start a homeless outreach?
“Don’t come with stereotypes or bias—homelessness is layered. Trauma. Mental health. Disabilities. Veterans.”
Jackie encourages local teams to listen first, serve second. She cites a 60-year-old woman who cursed them out then opened up. She got baptized in a Rubbermaid tub—and the park corner became sacred.
Jackie tells us that "Now nobody messes with 'The Lord’s Circle'.”
Jackie also highlights her board president and a regular on K-LOVE with his "1 Minute of Encouragement," Francis Anfuso, calling him her "spiritual papa"—a mentor and visionary helper.
“If you’re in the valley of the shadow, that is exactly where God shines. That is the place He amplifies His glory.” —Jackie Turner