A Life Devoted to One Alabama Town

PRICHARD, Ala.—“They are my children,” is how Mary Evelyn Sims describes the members of the Wilson Avenue Church of God. “I dedicated them as babies, trained them, and watched them grow up,” she said after recently retiring from 34 years of pastoral minis- try in Prichard, a town of 27,000 people near Mobile.

In 1969, Sister Sims was sitting in her Methodist church when a feeling came over her that she described as a “hunger and thirst for more.” She told a friend that she was going to look for a “holiness revival” to attend. A few weeks later she found one—a Church of God

revival in which she was sancti- fied. Two months later, she was in her bedroom rejoicing over what God had done in her life when she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Whew!” she rejoiced as she recounted this experience. “He’s still real to me!”

“I knew I couldn’t go back to the Methodist church after that,” she said, “and the Lord showed me where He wanted me to go.” That Sunday, with- out the rest of her family, she went to the Wilson Avenue Church of God, a mission church started by Earl Hall. She joined the church the first Sun- day, telling the pastor she was

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DECEASED

ready to work! She began teach- ing a Sunday school class, but the Lord had more in mind. The Lord began to deal with Sister Sims about pastoral ministry. She was unsure, but she obeyed the Lord. When the opportunity came in 1975, Mary Sims became the pastor of the Wilson Avenue Church. “There was a lot of con- flict about it,” she said. “Some people made comments about it, telling me they would find a man to pastor the church, but I just kept on. We worked hard to grow the church. We went door to door, finding out people’s needs and praying for them. Some doors were closed in our faces. Young people would walk the streets of Prichard on their way to church, inviting everyone they met to come with them. Groceries were carried to people in need. We had ‘shut-in’ meet- ings where we would meet for three days at a time, drinking only water while we prayed.” In 1979, Hurricane Freder- ick devastated the Gulf Coast, destroying many buildings and badly damaging others, includ- ing the Wilson Avenue Church. Sister Sims enlisted the help of others and saw to it that the church building was properly repaired.

For 40 years Sister Sims taught, preached, discipled, bap- tized, and loved the people of Prichard. She counseled young people at Alabama youth camps and walked the streets of Prich-

Mary Evelyn Sims

DILBECK, Robin L.; 48; exhorter; New York; James Dilbeck (husband)

GAYLE, Peter; 81; ordained bishop; Florida; Emeline Gayle (wife)

GIBSON, Edna Belle; 84; ordained minister; Missis- sippi; Elizabeth Harris (sister)

HOUSLEY, Joe Earl; 79; exhorter; Mississippi; Mary Helen Housley (wife)

McGUIRE, Jonathan R.; 57; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Elaine McGuire (wife)

ROSS, Bobby Gene; 79; ordained bishop; North Carolina; René King (wife)

SMITH, Jesse Lee; 91; ordained bishop; Texas; Louise Smith (wife)

ard looking for people needing prayer. She endured hardships and once had her life threat- ened, but through it all she says, “I’m going to miss it. I’m ready for the next thing that God has in mind for me. I can still work

for Him!”—Tammie Box

EVANGEL • MAY 2010 29

MINISTERS and COMPANIONS

BOREN, Tillman Ray; 60; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Mary Ann Boren (wife)

BRYANT, Herman Eugene; 72; ordained bishop; Tennes- see; Margie Bryant (wife) Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33