Terry Jones, the Would-Be Koran-Burning Preacher: Where Is He Now?

Terry Jones was just one of a host of people who momentarily grabbed the spotlight in 2010 and dominated a news cycle or two while getting their 15 minutes of fame. In this series, AOL News is checking in on 25 of these newsmakers and giving them a 16th minute.

Controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones stands at a small protest at the site of the Park 51 proposed mosque and community center November 16, 2010 in New York City.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

Terry Jones is pictured at the site of the proposed Park51 mosque and community center in New York City.

Terry Jones Made News in 2010 When He: Used Facebook to call on Americans to turn Sept. 11 into "International Burn a Koran Day." Jones attracted 8,400-plus fans on Facebook, and his message stirred widespread controversy.

The Full Story: Terry Jones is pastor of the ironically named Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla. After it was announced that there were plans to build a mosque near Manhattan's ground zero site -- a controversial decision that stirred national outrage -- Jones announced his intention to burn Korans on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Reporters flocked to Jones' tiny church, and they reported that Jones preached with a clearly visible firearm on his hip. There was stacked cordwood ready for burning and hundreds of Korans piled nearby. As his congregants prayed, Jones insisted that he was following God's orders and that unless otherwise instructed by God, he intended to burn the Korans on 9/11. Emma Jones, his daughter from his first marriage, said her father was crazy. Just last year he was relieved of his duties in the church he'd founded in Germany. Former church members said that a "climate of fear and control" prevailed in the congregation and that "blind obedience" was demanded. Jones told The New York Times he was ignorant of the Koran's contents but was going to burn the books anyway. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Department of Justice, Gen. David Petraeus, the FBI and Interpol, the Vatican, Angelina Jolie and Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin weighed in against him. They said Jones' plan was dangerous and could lead to the death of U.S. troops and acts of terror. An effigy of Jones -- wrapped in an American flag -- was burned in Afghanistan. Outside the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia, Muslims threatened violence, and the world held its breath.

What's Happened Since? On Sept. 9, Jones told the media he wasn't going to follow through on his threat because the people behind the planned Manhattan mosque had agreed to move it. When Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf denied that, Jones changed his mind again. Finally, on Sept. 10, Jones' son announced the plan was officially dead. Former Giants football player Brad Benson gave Jones a free Hyundai because he didn't burn the holy books. Jones said he's donating the car to a charity for Muslim women.

In His Own Words: Jones went to ground zero on Nov. 17 and told the New York Post he lost his entire congregation because "they wanted to hear that God loved them" and "not the truth about Muslims." He has since founded Stand Up America, which seeks to educate people "about the dangers of radical Islam."

Video: ABC's 'Nightline' interview with Jones

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