James Wood, who died on 11 March at the age of 88, had a wide and significant pastoral ministry over many years.
Born in Bolton in 1931, he was saved as a boy and sensed God’s call to ministry in his teens. He served for a while at Capernwray Hall with Major Ian Thomas, and intended to train for the Anglican ministry at Tyndale Hall in Bristol following national service (1950–52).
Influences
However, as his views on baptism changed he moved instead towards Baptist church ministry. He entered London Bible College (LBC) in 1952 where Ernest Kevin was the Principal, at the same time attending Westminster Chapel where Martyn Lloyd Jones was the preacher. Both men had a major impact on his thinking, his life and his future ministry.
1956 was a special year. He finished his studies at LBC, was called to his first church, and married Ailsa Howarth. They were married for 58 years, had three sons – Jonathan, Marcus and Timothy – and faithfully served God together.
James pastored three churches: the first was West Street Baptist Church in Crewe (1956-71), and then there were two churches in north-east London – Broadmead Baptist Church in Woodford Green (1971-86) and Central Baptist Church in Walthamstow (1989-98). During his pastorates he saw men, women and young people coming to faith in Christ, and also a number of young men being called to ministry in the UK and overseas, including two of his own sons. At one very special service in Crewe he baptised both his own father and his eldest son.
Mission – UK and abroad
James had a heart for mission. In 1986-87 he and his wife spent some time in Machakos, Kenya, where he taught at a Bible School. He served for several years on the board of the Regions Beyond Mission Union (RBMU). He twice visited Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) on behalf of RBMU, meeting with church leaders and pastoring missionaries. He was also chairman of the London In-Reach project, whose purpose was to plant churches in Soho and Covent Garden. He longed to see revival, and for many years was energetically involved with the Reformation and Revival Fellowship (formerly the Baptist Revival Fellowship), serving for a period as its chairman.
Ailsa predeceased him in 2014, and James was buried alongside her, in Fordham, Essex, on 27 March. He spent his life telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ, and encouraging others to do the same. He was a faithful man of God, and he persevered sometimes through severe trials. In his later years, in increasing physical frailty, he would speak of how the word of God was becoming ever more precious to him.
