Even though he was saved in Chicago in 1961, James “Jimmy” Harrison said he understood the gospel message for the first time in Alabama on April 4 of that same year.
“From that time that I was saved (at age 25) I just had a real desire to go to church and read the Bible and to share my faith in Christ. And God just dealt with me. … I knew He was calling me to something.”
That something was a life in ministry. On April 23, 1967, Harrison accepted God’s call on his life and hasn’t wavered from it for the past 50 years.
From that moment when he gave God the reigns, Harrison got his degree from the Baptist Bible Institute (now the Baptist College of Florida) in Graceville and started serving as a pastor. In addition to serving churches in Florida, Tennessee and Louisiana, Harrison has served as pastor of Hodgesville Baptist Church, Dothan; Oakley Baptist Church, New Market; Steele Baptist Church; Second Baptist Church, Boaz; and Bethany Baptist Church, Attalla, where he continues to preach despite retiring in 2012.
“I just love preaching to people and being around God’s people,” said the 81-year-old.
“I would encourage younger pastors to just really give their life and live close to the Lord and just preach the Bible in the church, verse by verse,” he said. “That’ll get the job done when nothing else will.”
He and his wife, Faye, have two children and three grandchildren. (TAB)
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