Jim Bill McInteer

One of my heroes died today. Brother Jim Bill McInteer was a prince of a man, a gentleman, a man of God’s Word. Where do you start in remembering this godly man? He casts a long shadow and in the minds of many he the last of small group of preachers who so strongly influenced our brotherhood - Ira North, Willard Collins, BC Goodpasture, Batsell Barret Baxter and Jim Bill McInteer. His life entered into so many spheres. He was a founding force for 21st Century Christian. He preached for 25 years with a congregation that in it’s heyday was as influential as any (West End in Nashville). He served on the board of directors for Harding University. It is said that he was on that he served on that board longer than any board member of any private university in America. He was a friend to and encourager of preachers. He was an honorary Kentucky Colonel and farmed on his own farm there for roughly 50 years. He’d take every Thursday off and go to the farm. He was the epitome of a faithful Christian husband. When Miss Betty got Alzheimer’s he devoted himself to her care. When she got to where she could no longer get out, he rarely left her side.

If I might be personal here (and I suppose I can since it is my blog), it was a joy to consider him a friend.

I suppose my first memory of Brother McInteer was when my mom used to read to us from “Daily Visits with God” by Jim Bill McInteer. And then “More Daily Visits with God”.

I first made contact with him when I moved to work in my first full time work in 1984. I wrote 500 churches and asked to receive their church bulletin. The West End bulletin was one I started getting. It was not even close to the prettiest bulletin and the design was rather bland BUT his style was awesome. It was eight pages and was pretty much all text, written in first person by Brother Jim Bill reviewing the past week (talking about nearly every visitor they’d had on Sunday), telling about what was upcoming and giving news from far and wide. I didn’t know anyone at West End - but I read most every word! He was the wordsmith of wordsmiths. To this day I have never met anyone even close to him when it came to taking our 27 letters and making them sound like poetry.

I saw where he was holding a meeting and called for the tapes (you remember tapes don’t you? :)). The sermon was on Joseph. He took three verses and drew a masterpiece. I later heard him say there is a sermon in every verse. Then I learned what he meant when he preached for 13 weeks at Granny White on the book of Philemon.

When I was blessed to be invited to work with the Granny White church he send me a letter - I still have it. He had never met me but assured me that GW could never have made as wise a choice and that the future would be awesome. I wanted to frame it - and now I may :). He made me sound like I was actually important to the work there and that I could actually effect some positive things there. He had that way about him. I never got a letter from Brother Jim Bill that I didn’t want to frame it. At times he almost convinced me that I was as good as he seemed to think I was. He had been doing the interim work at Granny White and after I arrived he would often scoot in and sit at the back. His presence was loud even without ever saying a word.

I will never forget the day my phone ran and it was his faithful secretary telling me that Jim Bill McInteer was on the line, “will you hold?” I wondered who wouldn’t? He said he had something he wanted to get with me on and could I have lunch one day that week. I thought: “I suppose if the Lord was on my calendar I’d say ‘no’ but other than that, I’d clear anything - of course”. He asked me to take over the editorship and help revamp the adult material for 21st Century Christian. He was going to “do something different with that time” - Brother Jim Bill believed it was wrong to retire - he’d just move on to other things. As he told me it was the largest used material in the brotherhood but they wanted to go a different style and wanted me to do it I was floored. Naturally I was very honored and said “yes”. But to this day I’m not sure why I was so tapped.

Then about three years later the same scenario with the phone happened. This luncheon he asked me to take over the middle Tennessee ministers’ luncheon. Again I was shocked and humbled to be asked.

He became a friend. A friend. To just consider a man of such gravity a friend was a blessing. We swapped information and shared stories and always laughed. He rejoiced over the work at Spring Meadows. I tried on three or four occasions to “get him here”. He always wanted to come but it never materialized. I wish “our” people could have met him and he could have seen “our” people. It would have blessed both.

I will miss my friend but trust we will meet again. He was a blessing to my life.