I was born on a farm in Greene County, Mississippi in 1929, in Indian
Hill Community; lived there and attended Indian Hill a one room school, 
one teacher,and  Sand Hill Consolidated School through the seventh grade. 
In 1942, I moved with my family to Pascagoula, Mississippi where my father 
took a job, during W.W. II, as a Machinist, at Ingalls Shipyard.

	I graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1947, and worked for a year
at Ingalls and Walkers Shipyards, saving money to go to College. During that
year, God called me to preach, and I committed my life to be a Minister of 
he Gospel January 11,1948, at Calvary Baptist Church, Pascagoula, MS. In 1998,
 I celebrated 50 years preaching the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

	I entered Clarke College, Newton, Mississippi in the Fall of 1948,
graduated from this Junior College in the Spring of 1950; then entered
Mississippi College in the Fall of 1950, graduating with a B. A. Degree in
1952. The following Fall I entered The New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary, graduating in 1955 with a B. D. Degree, which now has been
changed to a M. Div. Degree.

	During College and Seminary, I was pastor of  country Churches in
Jones and Greene Counties. My first pastorate was the Bethel Baptist
Church in Jones County. My second Church was the Antioch Baptist
Church in Greene County. In Greene County, I served the Antioch Baptist
Church, Leaf Baptist Church, Pine Level Baptist Church, and Cedar Grove
Baptist Church.

	In 1955, after graduation, I was called by the Mignon Baptist
Church, Sylacauga, Alabama as Associate Pastor, where I was Education,
Music and Youth Director, which was quite an undertaking, but I was still
single at the time and gave myself to the challenge.

	In 1957, I was called as Pastor of the Park Place Baptist Church,
Pensacola, Florida, and I served there until 1962. I had a wonderful
ministry there and, in that city, met my wife-to-be who was serving on
the staff of the First Baptist Church as Secretary to the Pastor, Dr.
James L Pleitz. Betty Sue Holt and I were married March 3, 1961, in
the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.

	In the Summer of 1962, we were called to the First Baptist
Church, Fernandina Beach, Florida. This Church is in the very Northeast
Corner of the State about 30 miles from Jacksonville, Florida. We had a
great time there for six years in this beautiful and, at that time, an
undiscovered, historic City. Two of our children were born there.

	In 1968, we were called to the First Baptist Church, Cocoa,
Florida. This is near Cape Canaveral, and we were there during the moon
landing and many of the historic space launchings during the next 10 years.
Our third child James, Jr. , and only son, was born in Cocoa. In 1978 we were called
to the Northgate Baptist Church, Tampa, Florida.

	I served the Northgate Church for two happy years. When we
moved to Tampa, we purchased our first home in a rapidly growing area
of the Carrollwood area. As I saw hundreds of homes being built, and few
churches in the area, the Lord led us to accept a Mission Church, that
became the First Baptist Church of Carrollwood. The church grew so rapidly
that within a year we were in a building program. The church grew from
29 to over 400 in two years. We served there until the Lord led us to begin
another Church in 1984. This was the Northdale Baptist Church, where we
served until I began to have heart problems which, in 1988, led to open
heart surgery.

	I thought I would not be able to pastor again, and began working out
retirement plans. During this period after the surgery, I began to feel stronger and
the Lord led us back to First Baptist Church, Fernandina Beach as Interim
Pastor. After about six months, the Church took on new life and the Church
called us again to serve as Full time Pastor. In 1994, when I reached
retirement age, I retired from the Church and began serving as interim
pastor in churches in Georgia and Florida. In 1997, we moved to Orlando,
Florida to be near our only grand daughter, and daughter, Susan Raines,
where I am supplying in churches and enjoying retirement. We are also
just about an hour from our other two children who live in Tampa: Jamie,
one of our daughters, and our son, James, Jr.
    
    In 2001 we returned to Greene County, Mississippi. We bought and
renovated a very nice but smaller home on Old Avera Road that had earlier
been the home of my only brother, Bill Dunnam. We served several churches
during the next  five years. During this period of time I have had the unique
privilege of leading the County in renovating the old county jail and
making it into a museum. This museum was dedicated on May 24 2006.
"