RETIRED TBC LEADER JAMES PORCH DIES AT AGE 81

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

NASHVILLE — James Porch, who served as executive director of the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (now Tennessee Baptist Mission Board) for 18 years (1992-2010) died Aug. 3 at the age of 81.

A native of Pelahatchie, Miss., Porch was elected to succeed D.L. Lowrie as executive director in September of 1992. He came to the position from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Tullahoma, where he had served since 1977. 

Porch was known for his strong support of the Cooperative Program. When he retired in 2010, he noted in an interview with the Baptist and Reflector that he made it clear at the beginning of his tenure that the Tennessee Baptist Convention would only support the Cooperative Program. When he was elected, there was turmoil in the Southern Baptist Convention and some state conventions offered multiple giving options and some even formed other state conventions.

At his retirement, Porch said, “One of the things I take great joy in is that there is only one Tennessee Baptist Convention today,” he said.

He also is known for coining the phrase “One Servant Family” within a few years after becoming executive director. The phrase became the driving force behind all the ministries offered by the Executive Board through his retirement.

“My appreciation for Dr. Porch has grown deeper and deeper the longer I have served as his successor,” said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“Dr. Porch served during some very tumultuous days in TBC and SBC life. But at the end of the day, under his leadership, our network of churches remained together,” Davis said,

He noted that he had a “delightful conversation” just weeks ago with Porch. “He spoke very fondly of Kelly, his family and his boyhood years in Mississippi. He also spoke of his desire to finish a book of his memoirs. That would have been a book I would have loved to have read,” he said.

“He did a great job serving the Lord by serving Tennessee Baptist churches. I am honored to have followed Dr. Porch,” Davis added.

Steve Holt, church services director for the TBMB, joined the staff under Porch’s tenure. “I will always remember Dr. Porch as the person who gave me an opportunity to fulfill God’s calling on my life to move from serving a church to serving churches,” he said.

“Dr. Porch’s leadership philosophy was to identify individuals with a passion for a particular area of ministry and empower them to live out their calling in service to Tennessee Baptist churches. Over the years he brought together quite a team. I was blessed to be one of the members of that group,” he said.

William Maxwell, administrative director for the TBMB, joined the staff one year into Porch’s tenure. “Dr. Porch had a great passion for the church, especially the church in the small towns and rural areas. He always led our staff to develop resources and ministries to serve those churches,” he recalled.

Maxwell also noted Porch “was a great student of church history, especially Baptist history. He always sought to apply the lessons learned from history to project the future of the church so that it would be more effective in Great commission ministry.

“He was definitely a steady influence on the ministry of the convention during some difficult days providing calm and reflective influence on the convention staff,” Maxwell said.

Tony Rankin, minister of pastoral care at First Baptist Church, Nashville, was a former staff member under Porch and a longtime friend. “Dr. Porch loved to tell you stories. The stories included people, places, relationships and details of history. The stories always had a point or lesson and there was purpose behind the words. On occasion he would even make up or combine words for emphasis. Sometimes it was more obvious than others, but they were always there.”

He added that Porch “loved the people in the churches of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. … He surrounded himself with a staff of servant leaders that were interested in ministering to the small and the large church, to meet the needs of all types of congregations,” Rankin continued.

Rankin also observed that Porch “understood the hard work of the convention staff and encouraged us to be good stewards of our gifts and never got in the way of our calling. He wanted us to succeed in training others, setting examples for church leaders and enjoying our work and interactions. He wanted us to meet the needs of others, tell about life at the foot of the cross and have visions of doing it with excellence.”

Gary Rickman, now retired, was on the staff when Porch was elected as executive director. “All of us wondered how he would relate to the staff. He came with an open-door policy to all staff and that never changed during his tenure. He believed strongly in the mission of state conventions and asked us to think outside the box of what had always been done. We soon learned that he was an advocate for the local church, especially the small membership churches throughout our state,” Rickman said.

“One of Dr. Porch’s strongest initiatives as executive director was partnership missions. As a result of this, I had the privilege to travel with him across the country and the globe to begin the process with new mission partners. Oh, what an experience it was to travel with him! If you knew him well, you know he was a consummate storyteller. Having flown with him and ridden in cars for literally thousands of miles {with me mostly driving} I think I must of heard them all, some many times.”

Rickman said he counted it a privilege to have known Porch not only as a boss but as a friend. “I can say with all honesty in all the years in working with him there was never a dull moment or nothing to do. He always challenged me to do more and to do it with excellence. I can say that was his mantra for all of us who worked with him.” 

Porch was preceded in death by his first wife, the former Lynn Sullivan. Survivors include his wife, Kelly; son, Scott Porch; daughter, Terri Porch; and grandson, Aaron Porch.

A graveside service will be held Monday, Aug. 8, at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Tullahoma. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at First Baptist Church, Nashville, preceded by visitation at 1 p.m. B&R