Jim was born in Iowa in the home of a missionary pastor. The seed of the gospel was sown from the first days of remembrance, and Jim trusted Jesus Christ to be his Savior at a young age. Subsequent growth followed, and Jim was certain the Lord was calling him to a life of ministry.

In 1987, Jim enrolled in Southeastern Bible College’s pastoral theology program. In his last year he met Amber, also the daughter of a rural pastor. Though both of them were certain the Lord was calling them to full-time ministry, neither was inclined to pastoral ministry; Jim didn’t think the Lord was leading him that direction, and Amber didn’t want to be a pastor’s wife.

Jim graduated from SBC with a BA in Pastoral Theology and Bible. After being married in 1993, Jim and Amber began to pursue the Lord’s direction in their lives. Through the Lord’s leading and timing, it became clear that Jim was to be engaged in full-time pastoral ministry, and they loved it. In 1996, Jim began serving in Texas as a Youth and Family Pastor, then as Youth and College Pastor in two respective churches. In 2000, Jim accepted a call to pastor a church in Indiana, followed by a church in Pennsylvania in 2007.

In 20212, Jim accompanied Dr. Steve Van Horn, founder and director of ITEM, on a teaching trip to Kenya and Uganda. By the end of the first seminar, Jim was so moved by the evident need that he told the Lord, "If you want me to do this full-time, I’ll do it." God made it progressively more clear this was indeed His will, and they began raising support in 2016. By 2019, God had provided enough for them to move to Uganda, on the border with Kenya, to serve with ITEM full-time.