James W. Black was born September 8, 1886, near Roanoke, Virginia, the son of William Henry and Anna Whitlock Black.   His father, who had a farm near Roanoake, was a Methodist preacher, but he also worked on the railroad, to help support his family.

     When James was very young, his mother died, and shortly thereafter, his father took the children, and moved to Illinois; and here the boy grew to manhood.

     When he was old enough, he also began working for the railroad, and thus he made the acquaintance of another worker, a Mr. Wilson, and his family, and when the Wilson family decided to go to California in 1914, young James W. Black went along with them.   Leaving behind his father and the rest of his family in Illinois, he migrated to the new state.

     June 15, 1915, at the Baptist Church in Goleta, California, James W. Black was united in marriage to Anna Mary Wilson, the daughter of James T. and Martha Rozena Wilson, the friends with whom he had come to California.   They were at that time, living in Santa Barbara.

     James W. Black was saved at the Baptist Church in Goleta, California, in July, 1915, and before long, he felt called to preach the gospel.   He attended the Bible Institute of Los Angeles for two years, 1918 to 1920, and was ordained at the Goleta Baptist Church in July, 1920.

     Brother Black's first work in the ministry, was in Washington, where he pastored two churches, one at Lebam and one at Pe Ell, for two years.

     Then he returned to Santa Barbara, to run a men's hotel, and rescue mission.   This mission was destroyed in the terrible earthquake of June, 1925.

     Brother Black returned to Lebam, Washington, in 1925, but only for a short time, for he had become acquainted with the Landmark Baptist work, to which he felt drawn by his knowledge of the Word.   He was soon called to the church at Fossil, Oregon, and he arrived there, with his family, late at night, on October 30th, 1925.

     Elder J. W. Black pastored the Fossil church, for about eight years.   The Lord blessed the work there, and meanwhile he was continually going out in mission work, preaching somewhere, at Spray, and other small places, almost every Sunday afternoon, and also at times during the week.

     In 1933, he left Fossil to go into the home mission work, for which he was approved by the Middle Oregon Baptist Association, and then he moved his family to Portland.   Through his influence, the Temple Baptist Church of Salem, came into the association in 1934.   This church continued a few years, under three different pastors; but at last hard times and lack of money to make payments on their building, caused them to give up.

     In 1935, when Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Portland, started the Pacific Coast Baptist Bible Institute, Brother Black was invited to join Dr. J. T. Moore on the teaching staff.

     After the death of Dr. Moore in 1938, he continued as the main teacher, and in 1939, was made superintendent of the Bible Institute, and he continued in this position until 1942, when the school closed because of the war.

     While teaching in the Bible Institute, Brother Black also did home mission work, and organized the St. Helens Missionary Baptist Church about 1937.   He also pastored this church at various times, up to as late as 1947.   When the Bible Institute closed, he went to work for Radio Specialty in Portland, and here, he would preach to the assembled workers, during the lunch hour.

     After the war, as part of his mission work, Brother Black began a "Baptist Book Store" in downtown Portland, where Christian books of all kinds, and sound Baptist Books, were sold.

     Sister Black usually kept the store, while Brother Black was busy with other mission work.   After a few years, Sister Black's health failed, and it became impossible to continue caring for the store, so he sold it to the Southern Baptists, in 1951, to recover a little of his investment.   Sister Black then passed away, August 22, 1952, leaving him all alone.

     After his wife's death, Brother Black pastored a couple of years in Cottage Grove, Oregon, then he pastored in Port Orchard, Washington, until 1956.   There he married Mrs. Rose Jenkens, an elderly widow lady, and they moved back to Portland.   He continued to preach there, until his eyes began to fail him.

     The health of his second wife also failed, but he cared for her until 1964, when he was no longer able to do so, and she was placed in a nursing home, where she died in 1965.

     The last part of his life, Brother Black lived in a trailer house, next to his son, Frank, in Southeast Portland, and from there, he went home to glory on May 9, 1966, just lacking four months of being 80 years of age.

     James W. and Anna Mary Black had five children: Lee was born August 22, 1916, at Santa Barbara, California; Martha was born July 6, 1918, at Santa Barbara, California; Francis Dan was born July 21, 1927, at Fossil, Oregon; Joseph was born January 9, 1932, at Fossil, Oregon; and James was born September 15, 1935, at Portland, Oregon.   (The above information was provided by Brother Blacks's daughter, Mrs Clyde Cole, now living at Rosamond, California.)

     It is hard for this writer to express fully, his great appreciation for Brother Black, for his ever humble and dedicated life in the Lord's Service.   He was a man who went through many hardships and trials, yet with the patience of Job; who always appeared bright faced and smiling, and with his faith fast fixed in the Lord.

     He was a man of the Word, a great Bible teacher, familiar with his subject, and one who ever enjoyed teaching it.   At the organization of the Bible Missionary Baptist Church in Portland, November, 1946, Brother Black was there, and sat in council with us.

     After my family went out on the mission field to Japan, he continued to write and send something until he could no longer see to do so.

     Brother Black always had a joy in his heart, and as a result, he wrote a number of songs, at least seven of which were published.   The music was written for them by his music teacher at BIOLA, Herbert G. Tovey.   One of these songs, I remember, was in a well known hymnal, but was mistakenly credited to James M. Black, another song writer, rather than James W. Black.

     Brother Black is gone today, but he is still held in loving memory, not only by his children, but by a multitude of friends, who remember him well, and hopefully look for that day when we'll all meet again.

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