The BSK Community is celebrating the life of Jimmy Stevens, who passed away on January 31. Jimmy was the Pastor of New Covenant Faith Baptist Church as well as the President of 7th District Baptist Association of Southwest Louisiana. Members of the BSK Community recently expressed words of remembrance about Jimmy, many of them referring to his gentle and kind spirit. Dr. Mark Medley, Professor of Theology and Interim Academic Dean at BSK wrote, “Jimmy was such a gentle, kind, and humble soul, always expressing gratitude for his classes, his classmates, his professors, and the seminary. And he was a wonderful example of the transformative character of seminary education. Always eager to learn.”
Jimmy recruited many of his fellow BSK students and was always sharing his love of BSK with his congregants and colleagues. Abby Sizemore, BSK’s Director of Admissions wrote, “Jimmy was such a quiet, gentle, and kind presence. I was never able to meet him in person, but he called me often, always thinking of ways to tell others about BSK. He often recruited students to BSK and I could always count on him to call me with the names of 5-10 new prospective students.”
One of Jimmy’s longtime friends, colleagues, and fellow BSK student, Gerald Perkins, expressed deep love for Jimmy as he wrote, “Jimmy Stevens is one of the most genuine persons I have ever known. He had a heart for evangelism and a love for God’s Word. Jimmy and I were good friends for over 40 years. We were in most of our classes together. He was instrumental in getting me in BSK. Join me in prayers for his family and his church.”
Jimmy’s classmates, many of whom only ever met him via Zoom, felt an instant connection to him in their interactions within their classes. BSK student, Leigh Anne Armstrong wrote, “Whether we were discussing the mysteries of Powerpoint, the challenges of bridging cultural and generational divides in ministry, or just offering each other encouragement and marveling over the goodness of a God who stood in the middle of all this with us, Brother Jimmy was a steady one for me on this journey.” While BSK student, Haydn Primrose wrote, “In class, he would regularly chime in to tell our fellow classmates just how valued and cherished they were. He would always have a kind word; if you ever felt blue, he could brighten your spirits like few others I have met.” BSK student Devan Franklin wrote, “Jimmy was a joy to share class with! A picture of mature faith and stellar leadership. Though we never met in person, his personality and character could not be contained by the little box on my computer screen. I am grateful to have interacted with him even if it was at a distance.”
Jimmy was pursuing the Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Black Church Studies. Dr. Lewis Brogdon, Executive Director for BSK’s Institute for Black Church Studies and Associate Professor of Preaching and Black Church Studies wrote, “Jimmy was one of my Black Church Studies students. He was pursuing the concentration. He took all my classes and attended almost every lecture I delivered in Louisiana for the LHFMBC meetings. Reading books by people who looked like him and cared about issues Black people faced revolutionized his thinking and ministry arc. The Holy Spirit was using these courses to inspire passions and insights for a new season of ministry. His emails “testifying” to the transformative nature of class sessions and books he read reminded me why I love teaching.”
To learn more about Jimmy’s life and the arrangements being made to honor him, click here.
