Longtime worship minister Gerald Sims dies at 86

Gerald Max Sims, who served as a bivocational music minister for his entire adult life, died Aug. 8. He was 86.

A native of Hamilton, Sims was a real estate broker and agent for Met Life. All during his career, he led music at various churches — most recently Central Baptist Church in Florence, where he served as minister of worship.

Sims is preceded in death by his wife, Anna Louise, who died in 2018. He is survived by his sons, Marty and Jonathan; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.