James Welborn Ellis

ELLIS, Rev. Dr. James Welborn Sr., passed away on December 18, 2014 with his loving wife of 56 years, Betty Gentry Ellis by his side. Dr. Ellis was born on July 22, 1926 in Covington County, Ala. He graduated from Auburn University in 1948 with a B.S. degree. In 1954, he graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., with a Bachelor of Divinity and in 1956 with a Master's degree in Theology. In 1958, he married his childhood sweetheart, Betty Sue Gentry. In 1978, he received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va. During his ministry, he served churches in Florida, Indiana, Missouri and Alabama. From 1959 to 1969, he served as Pastor of First Baptist Church, Livingston, Ala. In 1969, Dr. Ellis moved his family from Alabama to Ashland, Va., to become the Pastor at First Baptist Church, Ashland, where he spent the most significant part of his ministry from 1969 to 1992. During his ministerial career, he served on the Alabama Baptist State Executive Board (1965), the Virginia Baptist General Board (1974-78), served as moderator of the Dover Baptist Association (1980-82), chairman of the Executive Director Search Committee for the Virginia Baptist General Board (1986), member of the Board of Trustees of the Religious Herald and served two years as president of the Religious Herald (1983-1999). In retirement, he served as interim pastor of Hanover Evangelical Friends Church in Mechanicsville (1992-93) and intentional interim pastor of Orange Baptist Church, Orange, Va. (1995-96). He is survived by his wife, Betty; his son, Jim Ellis and his wife, Kate Dunn; his daughter, Beth Ellis Schubert and her husband, Ted Schubert; his four grandchildren, Cullen Ellis, Lucy Ellis, Ted Schubert and Ben Schubert; and a host of devoted family, friends from First Baptist Church and his Stebbins Street Family. The family will receive friends on Saturday, December 20, 2014 from 3 to 6 p.m., at the Chapel at First Baptist Church, Ashland. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, December 21, 2014 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Ashland with a reception to follow. Following the reception, burial will be at Woodland Cemetery in Ashland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the James W. Ellis Sr. Memorial Fund at First Baptist Church, Ashland.