A Lifetime of Service

Alumnus Timothy James was just a young man when he accepted a 10 week summer job in Kansas City, Missouri for a short-term ministry experience. It was 1972 and the ongoing Vietnam War required Timothy to apply for the draft. Being raised in a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) family with seven children, he understood what it would mean to be uprooted to follow a calling. “I had never used the Bible as a defenseful position, but I could feel the Lord putting his hands on me,” Timothy recalled as he chose to follow his calling to ministry. It was that summer where he met Gary Rowlen ’66, also a pastor’s kid and a Culver-Stockton College alumnus. “Gary personally took me to campus because he knew they had a religion program,” Timothy said. “While I was visiting I met President Helsabeck, and I told him my situation of finishing junior college in Alameda, California and not knowing where to go next.” During that visit, the C-SC staff and faculty assisted with the application process and helped him obtain his transcripts “before I knew it, I was attending Culver-Stockton instead of going back home to California,” Timothy recalled. The initial connections, warm welcomes into the community, provisions of respite and outpouring of opportunities, helped shape a young man from California with a heart of reconciliation, into a transformational leader for the greater community.

It was that first interaction, a connection that led to a friendship, that became a pivotal part of the now Reverend Dr. Timothy James ’74 lifelong commitment to ministry. As a religion and philosophy student at C-SC during a time in history when colleges were beginning to integrate, joining the Kappas was Dr. James’ first impact on “the Hill.” Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. is a historically African American organization, founded on biblical principles with a purpose focused on achievement. As one of the founding members, James recalls “my pledge group had 13 and we dwindled

down to eight; so we became the black eight of the negro.” The small group, packed with perseverance, was able to fully pledge the Theta Kappa chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi in May 1974. For Dr. James, the sense of pride he felt as an endowing leader endured through many instances of stepping out on faith and first-time’s. He recalls “segregation and racism were prevalent when I arrived at CulverStockton College,” with a 10% population of African American students, there were only 15 women and 45 men on campus. Dr. James had alternative opportunities to rush with predominantly white fraternities but at that time, many organizations contained bylaws pertaining to segregation and he did not desire to “be a pioneer in that venue.” Making the choice to join Kappa Alpha Psi provided him a sense of identity and belonging in a divided world. “Choosing to join the black fraternity was a blessing to me,” James stated. Since his time on campus, Dr. James has stayed connected to the global fraternity, both as an alumni supporter and having his sermons published in the Kappa Journal; his hope is to seek engagement in the local channel to fill his retirement days.

“You have to hold your head up for the people who were there,” Dr. James stated in response to interacting with the Canton community. In 1972 the town averaged 50 minorities, which meant during the academic year, the black population doubled. A young man who had been relocated many times due to his father’s ministry, Timothy encountered disheartened community members whom he connected with. “The mindset of second-class citizenship was very heavy,” he recalled, and he took it upon himself to create bonds with everyone he met to empower the black residents to find their own worth.

During his time as a student, James was responsible for completing coursework requirements specific to religion, which was performed in area Disciples of Christ churches. All students preparing for ministry spent time reading scriptures and providing the message during worship services. James recalled one instance where he found himself counseled by Jack Barnes ’57, a valued religion professor and regional minister; the instructor guided him through a challenging situation as the white congregations in town would not allow Timothy to preach regularly in their churches. “Culver was eye opening” James said, as he told how the First Christian Church would allow him to read scriptures but not to teach because “the white congregations were not ready for a black minister.” During his senior year Second Christian Church in New London welcomed Timothy to their congregation twice a month to practice his craft of preaching, ultimately preparing him for the profession. Dr. James remembers his white peers had the opportunity to practice sermons weekly but is very thankful to Second Christian because they provided him the experiential learning that led to his career in ministry. The parish represented his journey of “living and learning” because the congregation was established by the church to welcome all races. It had been less than ten years since C-SC integrated, which placed Timothy in an extraordinary role to connect the College to the church and provide value of the black presence to the community.

A third-generation Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister, Reverend James understands fully the commitment to the Lord and serving His people. He recently retired with 40 years of service as the associate General Minister and the Administrative Secretary for the National Convocation, a role he states “was crucial to shepherd the people and community to maintain a sense of peace amongst all the pressure.” From his first days on campus, and the obstacles he overcame, Dr. James will forever be grateful for the skills and wisdom he gained on “the Hill” that prepared him for a life of service to others, that all began with a connection between a Culver-Stockton alumnus and a young man from California.