Local pastor’s ministry spans 30 years at one church
Jim Morris, who pastors Mountain View Christian Church and has for the past 30 years, describes himself as a farm boy from Monticello, Ky., with a deep love for people and a heart for missions.
His first ministry was in the coal fields of Roderfield, W. Va., and before coming to Craig County he started a new church in Bedford.
Pastor Jim Morris - Gwen Johnson photo
“In 1980 I answered the call to Mountain View because it looked like the little church needed some help,” he explained. He and his wife, Judy and their three children, David, Allen and Robin, moved into the parsonage on Feb. 10 of that year and he preached his first sermon on Feb. 12 to a congregation of between 30 and 35 people.
“The church was an old congregation,” Morris said. “We have some records dated 1880-1881.”
Before Morris there was a ministerial student who pastored the church for a while. During his early years in the ministry there, Morris said he had to take on another job because the church was unable to pay him enough to maintain a family at that time. So he pastored Crossroads Church as well as Mountain View. He also taught at New Castle High School which was where the Commons is today until the church was able to pay him a little better.
During his time at NCHS he coached basketball and was the assistant football coach. “I coached both of my sons in basketball and my daughter was a cheerleader,” he added with just a hint of pride in his family.
“When they got ready to build the gymnasium for the high school they asked me if I would draw up some rough plans for it since I was on the planning committee for the school,” he recalled. “Of course, I was no architect by any means but the gymnasium was built pretty much according to my rough draft.”
He said the only thing different was that instead of splitting the bleachers and putting them on each side of the gym, all the bleachers were put all on one side, which saved a lot of money.
Because Mountain View grew to a running membership of around 200 people over the years Morris has seen the church through several building programs in his time. The first was the building of the Fellowship Hall along with classrooms and two bathrooms in 1983, and the next phase was the addition of a new auditorium or sanctuary early in 2000. Both projects were done by the men of the church with the help of volunteers. Later a picnic shelter and playgrounds were added.
In addition to his deep love for his congregation, Morris has always had a heart for missions.
“Russell Hall, who is a dear friend and now serves as a missionary in Cambodia, encouraged me to become a preacher,” he recalled fondly. “This past November he made a second trip to Cambodia to preach and teach Bible classes to young men studying to become preachers.” While he was over there he and Hall were presented with a Medal of Honor by the Secretary of State there which had been awarded by the Prime Minister of Cambodia in appreciation for the work they had done.
“Stateside I had gathered enough money to build a fishpond over there so a young preacher would have fish to sell in order to feed himself and his family and even some of the community,” Morris said, adding, “A few thousand dollars is a huge amount of money to those people.” He has also made two mission trips to India to preach and teach and three trips to Mexico.
“I believe with all my heart any success in my ministry has been from God. I believe firmly that a minister is not a success unless he is a minister from his heart and not just for pay,” he said, with conviction.
Today, in spite of some troubles within the congregation, Morris plans to stay, he said. “I refuse to be an hireling because Jesus Christ said, ‘When the wolf comes the hireling will leave the flock,’ but I love the people too much to leave them now. And it’s not with the attitude of arrogance that I won’t be a hireling,” Morris added. “It’s an attitude of love, the same kind of love that took me on mission trips.”
He says the only love that he has that is greater than for the people in the church and in the county is his love for God and His Word. “Because of my love for God and His Word I won’t compromise His word one jot or one tittle.”
Morris says he continues to serve the church “because it belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.” It isn’t Morris’ to control. “Christ died for it and I have faith and confidence in Him and hope to be able to continue to preach the Word wherever God wants me. Mountain View has always made me welcome, and I intend to stay there as long as they want me and God is willing,” Morris said. “God knows how much I love the people.”
The congregation celebrated their pastor’s years of service Sunday with a covered dish dinner.
