My father was born October 6, 1927, and he entered into glory last night, May 25, 2022. As we remember his life and legacy in the days to come, I will obviously have more to say, but I wanted to register one central thing at the outset.
I wanted to thank God for giving me a father who was so manifestly present in my life, for as long as I can remember. Whatever, whenever, he was there. He was constantly there, and in his manner of being there, he was constant. Always steady, always reliable, always responsible. Constant. And I find that he was present in such a way as to remain present with us even after being gathered to his people.
Three memories will serve, not as detached fragments, but rather as representative of a steady presence. These are just samplings that represent a host of other incidents and events.
I remember standing in our front yard and having him put a humorous fist in my face, and doing it in a way that communicated nothing but security. The three rules in our house were simple. No disobedience. No lying. No disrespecting your mother. Life was simple. Trust God. Honor your parents. Stay in fellowship.
He was active and busy and in much demand—as an evangelist, and as a conference speaker. But he routinely carved out time to serve as a coach for our various little guy teams. That was how he carved out time on the calendar. But he also carved out time in the evenings, reading to us, reading to us, reading to us, from Lantern Waste to the Hundred Acre Wood, and back again
I remember my father, standing behind me, teaching me how to tie a necktie. Such a father.
Praise the Lord!
Weeping and rejoicing with you all. ❤️
What a gift!
This is beautiful Doug. Thankful for such a father and such a legacy.
He sounds like an amazing man and example.
God is so kind. God saves Jim, and Jim fathers and raises Doug into a man who blesses many people around the world, me included right here in Indiana.
My family in Kansas City, MO has been blessed by Grandpa Jim in many ways. His legacy in the Wilson’s lives, the impact of his teaching passed through Doug and Nancy and their children’s children, his Saturation Love pdf., and many more things.
Asking the Lord to comfort and bless the families who morn and celebrate his passing to Christ’ arms as we praise and thank God for working in Grandpa Jim to bless our young family.
My wife and I are in Kansas City too! What church do you guys go to?
“May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.” Amen.
Jim’s book “how to be free from bitterness” has been an absolute gift of Godly wisdom and loving insight. Praying for you Doug and your family.
May you be comforted by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ in this difficult time. Rejoice that your father is now with the Lord in eternal rest and that you will see him again. Soli Deo Gloria!
Uncle Jim was one good man, and I will never forget him. As he said before he became a Christian, if he’s not in Heaven, Heaven will be pretty thinly populated. Now, we can be sure that, not only is he with Jesus, but he has received a great reward. I am sorry to see him go, but I am glad for him because of where he is now.
I am brother to the Jim being honored, Dad to the one honoring him,and a. companion of everyone who fears God and keeps His commandments Anybody got a problem with that?
Jim Wilson met with me a dozen times or so between 2005-2009. He had counseled me to pursue something in faith, believing and without apology. I did. When that thing did not turn out the way I thought it should, Jim said, “This is easy, now we will call in the Heavys”. What he meant of course was that now we would pray that the Lord would work His perfect will through the situation. More than that, Jim prayed specifically that the Lord would accomplish some specific things in my life to His glory. He did. The way that he… Read more »
Such an incredible man! He had an impact on so many lives, including John and I. God was glorified through him.
🔥☀🕊
He was truly a great man.
Great fathers — the need of the hour. You are a blessed man.
Great fathers — the need of the hour. You are a blessed man.
Praying for comfort and peace for you all as you learn how to live with this temporary separation. ❤️ Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints!
“I have called you Abba, Father;
you my all in all shall be.
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather,
all must work for good to me.”
–Henry Francis Lyte (1825)
He had counseled me when I was in college in 1981 on how to honor my parents when they were upset I left the Catholic Church. Hé suggested many ways to love them—that would communicate more than anything about how Christ Jesus changed me. I wrote a letter to my dad about how I appreciated him. He kept it in his wallet for decades.
I believe your dad lived what he taught. I hope to do likewise. By God’s grace I will. I’m thankful for the books he wrote and the family he raised. God bless all of you as you grieve and rejoice. I’m crying with you, while also enjoying the rich legacy he left.
I met Jim years ago when I was an undergrad. “How to be free from Bitterness” still is a great book. Well done Jim! Praying for the rest of y’all.
Love you Doug! Praise God!
Thank you for this testimony of Jim’s fatherhood. What a remarkable Christian man. We mourn and rejoice with the Wilsons. May God comfort you and your family.
I remember having lunch with your Dad when he was a speaker at our USNA OCF retreats. He always made you feel like you were the most important person to him when he spoke to you. He was a great example and mentor to so many young men. You should be a proud son, and you’re still building his legacy.
Thank you for this tribute to your father.
Praying for you each tonight. THANKFUL for grandpa Jim.
It’s been an inspiration seeing your family’s beautiful relationship with your father, and he’s been an inspiration to me as well through his books. God bless you all.
Pastor Dough…Tried to connect with you several times..but in vain…Today ,I was reading and re-reading Mathew where Jesus talks about living lightly with the Father..Then comes this Message..saddened as someone leaves and also emboldened by the assurance of our Destination..write back whenever…me a filmmaker, from.Kolkta,India .
Pastor Jim was such an encouraging man. Last summer I reached out, after over 13 years, to say thanks for the encouragement and books he had provided when I was a teen and attended his church before my family moved out of state. Always a blessing to others, Jim responded, remembering me after so many years and was still there to offer encouragement and asked for my mailing address so he could send me more books to read! Despite being in church my entire life, no pastor has had that much of an impact on my life and played such… Read more »
Carry on his legacy… He is a giant in the faith… Well done good and faithful servant. Wish I could be there in your sorrow. May the Lord carry on his legacy through you all… I sorrow with you all. 😭
My condolences and prayer for you and your family Doug. I only knew your dad through his books that I’ve read and those exhibited a bold and humble man of God. He fought the good fight and kept the faith. May the Lord comfort you as you mourn.
You have honored him. He is proud of you. Jesus loves you both. The gospel is astonishingly good news.
The legacy of fathers is God’s glorious imaging of Himself to us. Praise the Lord for Jim’s faithful witness, his guiding hand, his loving arm, and his constant presence.
May you be comforted beyond measure!
A man who left a footprint.
God’s mercies and favor to us in this life are beyond mortal comprehension. Yes, we do rejoice and cry with you –but, mostly rejoice.
What a wonderful blessing, indeed! Fantastic tribute. To God be the glory! You and your family are in my prayers, Pastor Wilson.
Thanks, Pastor.
How often can you say that you have read books authored by three generations of the same family and profited from and enjoyed all of them? What a life and legacy!
(((Hugs))) to you and all your family!
What an impact one man’s life can make, together with a God fearing wife, raise sharp arrows that hit a couple from Seattle who needed the teaching you sent out via books. May God give you many more years Pastor Doug encouraging the saints, like your father before you.
So much gratitude for your father’s love teaching you how to do the same,
Carla
Your father taught me and three friends how to be free from bitterness in South Carolina. What a servant of God. I’m personally thankful for his life on earth and his eternal life in heaven. I know you and your children and grandchildren will miss him for now.
I read the Bitterness book this spring for the first time, was quite wrecked by it, knew it to be one of those grab-a-gear sort of sanctification experiences, and thought several times in the aftermath that I should write to Pastor Wilson and express my gratitude before the Lord called him. I did not, to my great sadness now. Thank you for this good tribute. My dad passed a year ago this month. He was also “what a father”. I read the sonnet before I came here, and these two in tandem make for a good toast. Praise be to… Read more »
What a gift! This encourages me as a father!
I’m sorry for your loss, pastor Wilson.
Praise the Lord for your Dad.
Never heard of your dad before today. But I know the feeling of losing the day to day interactions with a father who lived as an example of following Christ. The bittersweetness is a unique manifestation of the truth of the gospel. May we all enjoy that truth.
Sorry for your family’s loss but happy for him and the gain in Heaven in the presence of his King.
❤️❤️❤️
Jim blessed so many with “How to Be Free From Bitterness”… He will have many crowns to cast. How can a comparable man be found?
Beautiful words regarding the life of a beautiful man who shined the hope, love, grace & joy of Jesus to thousands in such a natural and authentic way. I am a better man due to Jim. I know there are many that he touched in this life that greeted him as he entered heaven. I know my son Peter was one of those saints who treated him. As well as Jesus whom said “well done my good and faithful servant”. Thanks Doug for sharing….your family has been a blessing to me and my family over the decades.
I’ll never forget the story my late husband, Jude Donato, told me about Jim. After Jude and a few others had been passing out copies of The Realist at the U of Idaho campus, Jim received some complaints from people who were offended by their evangelism. When Jim called Jude and the others to meet with him about the matter, Jude thought he was going to tell them they would have to cease distribution of the material. To his surprise, Jim instructed them to double their efforts to cover the campus with the newspaper. This is just one example of… Read more »
Dear Wilson family and the staff of CCM,
We are so sorry for your loss.
We love Pastor Jim and his teachings. We believe that Jim is in Glory.
Thank you all for taking good care of Pastor Jim in the years when he was in a wheelchair.
We miss Jim, and pray for you.