Rev. James Randle

Rev. James T. (Jim) Randle Jr.
Rev. Jim Randle of Jonesboro, 77, went to his final appointment as a minister and a servant of God on Monday, January 20, 2014, at Lakeside Nursing Center in Lake City, Arkansas.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 2201 South Culberhouse in Jonesboro at 1:00 pm with Rev.’s Rex Darling, Jerry Reed, and Charles Sigman officiating. During the memorial, all visitors are encouraged to share a special memory of Jim.
He was born February 15, 1936 in Memphis, TN, to Lillian Bibb Randle and Rev. James T. Randle Sr. He grew up in several cities across Arkansas as the child of a United Methodist Minister. After the passing of his father when he was 16, he began his service to God as a licensed preacher.

He graduated from Marianna High School, and attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree. He went on to Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and received his master’s degree in Theology. He attended the Institute of Religion in Houston, Texas and trained as a chaplain. Later he attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas and received his master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.

He pastored several local churches in Texas while attending Perkins. He returned to Arkansas and served appointments to United Methodist Churches in Fayetteville, Van Buren, Tuckerman, the Wesley Foundation at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Fort Smith, Clarendon, Bay, Hughes, Hardy, Crawfordsville and Earle along with many smaller local churches in Arkansas.

He also had served the communities where he pastored as a member of Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs, and Masonic Lodges.

Jim was the 23rd Randle in the Methodist Ministry dating back to the Christmas Conference of 1784 and was an ordained elder in the Arkansas United Methodist Church.
Jim met Virginia while he was attending Perkins. They were married in Greene Chapel on the campus of Hendrix College in June of 1962. They ministered together wherever they were.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of over 51 years Virginia, son Tom (Melisa) and grandsons Joshua and Matthew of Jonesboro. One brother Joe (Becky) Randle of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and nieces Dodie (Gary) Lemke and Betsy Randle of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
A special thanks to his caregivers at Lakeside Nursing Center for their loving care and comfort over the past 3 years.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that anyone wishing to honor Jim donate to their church, organization or charity in his memory and as a testament to his lifelong actions of placing others before himself.