James Maddux Webb

James Maddux Webb Jim was born on April 20, 1919 in Springfield, Ohio during the great flu pandemic and passed away on December 5, 2013 at the Penney Retirement Community in Florida at the age of 94 He was the only son of Maud Maddux and James Brown Webb. After graduating from Springfield High School, he earned his B.A. from Colgate University and his M. Div. from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. In 1942 Jim married Martha Louise Lindsay. Then followed an American Baptist pastoral career of twenty years, which included service to churches in Hastings, Nebraska, Newark, Ohio, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois. He enjoyed preaching and strove to relate the Gospel to individuals and society including protesting Eastman Kodak’s refusal to hire blacks, urging Roosevelt in 1945 to allow greater emigration of Jews to Palestine, marching with Cesar Chavez, and developing programs for migrant tobacco workers in Connecticut. Following graduate study in ecumenism at the Boston University School of Theology in 1964, Jim began a second career in ecumenical ministry. He served sequentially as General Secretary for the Councils of Churches of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Illinois, and Cape Cod, retiring in 1990. Throughout his career he has been a strong advocate for cooperation and unity among the churches. He served on the Governing Board and Executive Committee of the National Council of Churches as well as with the U.S. Office of the World Council of Churches. Over the years Jim was involved in regional projects such as the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Church Plan Commission; the New England Conference of Church Leaders; the Geneva Point Center in Lake Winnipesaukee, NH; and the Conference Point Center in Lake Geneva, WI. He was preceded in death by his only son, James Lindsay Webb, in 2010 and his wife, of 69 years, Martha, in 2011. Surviving him are two daughters, Margaret A. Brown of Longmont, Colorado and Judith W. Kay of Tacoma, Washington, five grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held January 18, 2014 at 2:00 pm in Penney Memorial Chapel, Penney Farms, FL, with reception to follow.