James L. Parker accepted Christ in February 1970 and in as little as 14 months he answered the call of God to preach, and that’s exactly what he’s done for the past 47 years. He recently retired from Damascus Baptist Church, Hanceville, where he served as pastor for five and half years.
Other churches Parker served as pastor include Baldwin Heights Baptist Church, Cullman; West Point Baptist Church, Cullman; Seventh Street Baptist Church, Bessemer; Central Baptist Church (now Valley Grande Baptist Church), Valley Grande; West Highland Baptist Church, Athens; and Beechwood Baptist Church, Mount Olive. He also served as associate pastor of Union Baptist Church, Lipscomb, and First Baptist Church, Pleasant Grove.
Leading churches isn’t his only passion, however. He also has a heart for missions and has served in Guatemala and South Korea. He currently serves as a chaplain with West Cullman Disaster Relief and plans to continue his service into retirement.
As he concludes his tenure as pastor, Parker has some words of advice for those who will come after him: “I would tell any young man in the ministry to stay focused, don’t let circumstances distract you from your vision, stay in the Word and stay in tune with Jesus.”
Though Parker is retiring from his position as pastor, he is not retiring from ministry. He plans to focus on his family while serving as interim pastor when needed.
Parker holds a bachelor’s degree from Samford University in Birmingham and a master of divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Parker and his wife, Jennifer, have three children and five grandsons. The couple resides in Bremen. To contact Parker for interim pastorates, supply preaching or teaching, call 256-962-1663. (TAB)
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