James Clinton Barry PHD

BARRY, JAMES C., Ph.D, age 100 of Nashville went to be with the Lord on December 12, 2020. He is preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Naomi Lancaster Barry. He is survived by two sons in Nashville: James Michael (Fredia) and David Bruce (Teresa); also daughter Nancy Barry Moss (Dr. Ronald Moss) of Winfield, AL, and three grandchildren: Leslie Moss McNutt (Grant), Barry Moss (Deborah) and Lydia Moss McBryde (Will); seven great grandchildren.

Barry retired from the Baptist Sunday School Board (LifeWay Christian Resources) in 1989 as Senior Consultant in Preaching and Worship. In 1984 Barry was honored by the Board with the Career Professional Employee Award for outstanding service as Senior Consultant in Pastoral Ministries. In July 1987 he received the Career of Excellence Award.

In 1970, the Board sensed a need of helping ministers to stay fresh and effective with their preaching and worship leadership. To meet this need, Barry was asked to design and implement a program of continuing education for all ministers in all 50 states. This called for special approaches to meet the needs of pastors from bi-vocational to those in mega-churches. He averaged teaching 3,000 ministers yearly covering the 50 states.

He called on effective, leading pastors to help with workshops and conferences. To support these conferences/classes he wrote or compiled numerous books, such as Preaching in Today's World, Preach the Word in Love and Power, Preaching That Impacts Lives, Ideas for Effective Worship Services and Leading Dynamic Worship. He continued to lead preaching/worship conferences for several years after retirement. Among these were trips to Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, KY, where he lectured for 40 years. They honored him with the James C. Barry Lectures on Preaching and Worship, which will continue, they say, "until the Lord comes again".

He was an active member of the Academy of Homiletics for many years. Since retirement Barry has taught Worship and/or Preaching classes during the "J Terms" at Baptist seminaries in New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Alaska and many universities.

Prior to Barry's work with pastors, the Baptist Board asked him to design and implement a church program of Weekday Religious Education. He was invited to leave his pastorate in Emporia, VA in 1954 to assume this new position. The full design included church kindergartens, nursery schools, all-day care for working mothers and church schools, grades 1-12. This called for the preparation of administration and educational resources for each. The need for such was strong because of the absence of kindergartens in the public schools at that time. By 1970 over 2,000 Baptist churches had kindergartens plus some of the other programs with over 100,0000 enrolled. During this time he designed and edited the parent magazine, "Living With Children", The Kindergarten Resource Book and Bible study textbooks for teacher and student for all grades through high school.

Barry was born on a farm near Elizabethtown, KY to Everett and Edith Barry along with a total of 8 children. All of the family attended a one-room country church-Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 8 miles from their home. During the August revival in 1931 he confessed Christ as his Savior and in another August revival in 1940 he responded to the call to preach. Three weeks later he was enrolled in Western College in Bowling Green, KY, where he received the BA degree, and invited Naomi Lancaster from Versailles, KY to become his wife.

In 1944 they entered Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, where they spent 7 years as James received 3 degrees-BD, Th.M and Ph.D. During the last 3 years James served as Teaching Fellow in Church History. Naomi gave birth to two boys during this time. Pastoral leadership skills were developed during this period while serving as pastor of Garfield Baptist Church, Garfield, KY on 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays, and Corn Creek Baptist near Bedford, KY on the 2nd and 4th. During this time he served on the Executive Committee of the KY Baptist Convention.

In 1951 Barry accepted the call as pastor from the Main Street Baptist Church in Emporia, VA. During the 3+ years he was there, Sunday School attendance doubled, money was raised for a new church building and 6 youth felt called into the ministry, and daughter, Nancy Lynne was born. This church had a different view of ministry from that in KY and helped to equip the pastor to understand and serve churches in all 50 states.

Since coming to Nashville in 1954 Barry has served as Interim Pastor of 46 congregations, ranging in attendance from 7 to 2000, including one in Scotland and another in the Bahamas. Naomi Lancaster Barry shared richly in all! A private family entombment will be held in the Woodlawn Cross Mausoleum. A Memorial Service will be held at a future date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask that donations be made to The James Barry Lecture Series at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, 300 Clear Creek Rd, Pineville, KY 40977.