Elwood Sims — who served in pastoral ministry for 70 years, including 40 years at New Bethel Baptist Church in Braggs — died Oct. 15. He was 92.
Sims was saved at age 9 and called to preach at 17. He was ordained in 1952. His first major preaching opportunity came when he assisted with revival meetings at Forrest Avenue Baptist Church in Gadsden.
While earning his bachelor’s degree from Howard College (now Samford University), Sims served as interim pastor of South Park Baptist Church in Birmingham and Macedonia Baptist Church in Bessemer.
In 1954, he began serving as pastor of three part-time churches in the Selma Baptist Association — Benton Baptist; Sister Springs Baptist in Tyler; and Bethany Baptist in Collirene.
In 1957, Sims moved to Kentucky to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While there, he served as a student pastor, led a mission church and served as pastor of two churches in Indiana.
Back to Alabama
He did post-graduate work at the University of Alabama, University of Montevallo and Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama).
In 1963, Sims was called as pastor of Semmes First Baptist Church. After four years there, he moved back to Selma to be bivocational minister at Orrville Baptist Church while working as a teacher and principal in Dallas County schools. In 1977, he was called by Ephesus Baptist Church in Sprott.
Then in 1983, he began serving at New Bethel Baptist Church in Braggs, where he served 40 years, retiring in 2023. In 1994, Sims also retired from Dallas County schools.
Sims is survived by his wife, Sarah Ruth Epley; daughter, Ruth Elizabeth; sons, George Elwood, William Lee, Robert Lamar and Michael Vaughn; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Share with others: