Trials strengthen Marion County pastor

During the mid-1980s, James Nichols came home from a prohibition rally one night, parked his car in the driveway and went to bed pondering the upcoming wet-dry election in Marion County. During the blackness of the night, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an explosion. When he and his wife looked out their window, they were shocked to find their car engulfed in flames.
   
“James took a stand, and someone burned his auto,” said Danny Knight, director of missions for Marion Baptist Association.
   
The car bombing is just one of several life-threatening incidents that have occurred during Nichols’ pastorate in the small northwest Alabama town of Hackleburg. As James and Eva Nichols celebrated their 25 years of ministry at Mount Olive Baptist Church recently, Nichols and friends reflected on the way God has worked through these events to make him a more effective pastor.
   
“I had open-heart surgery in 1976 at the age of 32,” Nichols said. “Back then, UAB in Birmingham and (a hospital in) Houston, Texas, were the only two places that did open-heart surgery. It was a scary thing.”
   
Depression set in after the heart surgery, as it often does. He had the same surgery again in 1989. Later that year, he had an automobile accident that proved to be a worse trial than both surgeries combined.
   
He suffered a broken neck, two broken legs and a broken arm in the accident, and wore a halo device for eight weeks.
   
“I’ve felt like throwing in the towel and quitting at times, and I’ve asked, ‘Why me, Lord?’ Now, I look back and see how the Lord took care of those things and how they helped me to counsel people, especially those in similar situations.”
   
Mount Olive members helped the couple celebrate their 25th anniversary with a surprise service that included words from Knight, a U.S. flag that had flown over the nation’s capitol from their congressman, Robert Aderholt (R-Fourth District), and a $5,000 check from the congregation.
   
Before going to Mount Olive, the Nicholses were at Mount Zion Baptist Church, Hamilton, and Shiloh Baptist Church, Red Bay.
   
During their time at Mount Olive, the church has added a fellowship hall and a new auditorium. Nichols had baptized 259 by the time of the anniversary celebration.
   
“He’s a soul-winner,” said Knight. “Mount Olive led the association in baptisms three times during his ministry, with a high of 33 one of those years.”
   
During the anniversary service, Knight asked for those who had been baptized by Nichols to stand. “It was an emotional moment,” Knight said.
   
There is much more to  Nichols’ ministry than bricks and numbers, however. Longtime church member Ann Emerson calls him “a great pastor,” but says his teaching is what everybody talks about. “He’s a wonderful teacher,” she says. “Everybody always says that everything they’ve ever learned about the Bible they learned from Bro. Nichols.”
   
She says Nichols is a voracious reader, covering such topics as history, politics and biographies, especially biographies about people of faith. She believes this hobby has helped to shape his ministry.
   
“Every Sunday morning he has an outline of his sermon on the back of the bulletin, and we’ll fill in the blanks,” she said. “For the past few months, we’ve been going through a series called, “Heroes of the Bible” on Sunday nights.”
   
Knight said the word “faithfulness” best characterizes Nichols’ ministry, and Emerson agrees.
   
“You can always count on Bro. James, he’s always there for sickness, weddings and everything else,” said Emerson. “My son, Brad, was the first baby born under his pastorate, on July 25, 1976. Bro. James baptized him, saw him finish school, and married him. All our kids grew up with Bro. James.”
   
Nichols has been director of the association’s weekly WERH (Hamilton) radio program, “The Baptist Witness,” for 15 years. He praises his wife, Eva, for her “great support” to his ministry, adding that he respects her input and suggestions. She also tries to encourage her husband, Mrs. Nichols said.
   
“We know almost everybody here,” Mrs. Nichols says of Hodges, the town where the church is actually located.
   
“We’ve seen these kids grow up, have children, and some our age have even started on great-grandchildren. I think the people have helped us to grow and they’ve been a blessing to us. I guess we’ve all grown up together,” she said.