A Tribute to Dr. Jim Bearden

Dr. Jim Bearden went to heaven last Sunday (October 28, 2018).  His life and ministry intersected my life and ministry in several significant ways.  

Jim Bearden’s father-in-law, the late Rev. O. C. Rushing, was the pastor who baptized me. A photo of that event from my childhood has a treasured place in my office.

Jim Bearden was the speaker at the youth camp in Summersville, West Virginia, where, as a young teenager, I discovered my vocation would be the Christian ministry.  I had long forgotten who the preacher was that night, only to be delighted a few years ago—while going through some old boxes in our basement—to find the handbook from that camp and discover that Dr. Jim was the preacher.  I wrote him a letter the next day, telling him that he could take either the blame or the credit for my call to ministry—the choice was his—but that I would forever be grateful for how God used him.

Our biggest connection is that we both served the South Carolina District as superintendent. An effective leader, Dr. Jim served that district for a record 20 years. I followed in his footsteps and observed his fingerprints all over the district—from the church planting efforts he led, to the quality pastors he placed, to the missional initiatives he implemented, to the solid systems and structures he developed. He stewarded the district well, made significant improvements to the district campground, and built an extraordinary district office (in both staff and structure).  I inherited a lot of good things from Dr. Jim’s service, including a district financially healthy enough to weather the recession of 2008-2009. 

When you were around Dr. Jim, one thing was for sure—you were not going to be bored. He could be quite entertaining, especially when sharing opinions or observations in his unfiltered style.  One of my favorite memories is of the way his eyes twinkled as he smiled after winning a game of Rook in which his competitive banter had been quite pronounced. 

I am grateful for his life, for his service, for his faith, for his legacy.

Our prayers are offered for Charlotte, Jamie and Stan, Rick and Beth, Julie and Kyle, Cathy and Chris, and their families.