'''Thomas James "Brother Jim" Spencer, Jr.''' (August 8, 1938 — February 28, 2006), was a Southern Baptist minister who pastored Kingsville Baptist Church (founded 1931) in Ball, north of Alexandria-Pineville, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, for nearly 30 years — from 1976 until his death after a lengthy battle with cancer. Spencer was known for his fiery oratory, enthusiastic optimism, and conservative interpretation of Scripture. He engineered several building programs through the Kingsville church, which has some 1,200 resident members. Spencer was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana to the late Thomas J. Spencer, Sr., and Marion Spencer. Marion re-married the late F.G. Fortenberry. She had another son by the second marriage, Daryl Fortenberry. Both Marion and Daryl Fortenberry reside in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jim Spencer surrendered to the ministry at the age of sixteen in 1954 and began his service as a supply pastor. He was ordained into the ministry in 1962. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Mississippi College in Clinton, and he did his graduate work at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He pastored throughout Mississippi until 1971, when he relocated to Louisiana. He served at the Comite Baptist Church in Baton Rouge for more than five years, when he was called to Kingsville. The Kingsville church more than doubled in size and attendance during his long tenure. Spencer emphasized preaching, missions, and pastoral care. Spencer served on the board of trustees of Louisiana College in Pineville for six years, including two stints as chairman. He was a member of the executive board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, which is headquartered in Alexandria, a member of the board of the Arcadia Home for the Aging in Arcadia in Bienville Parish, and a member of the North American Mission Board. He also held leadership positions over the years in the Southern Baptist Convention, based in Nashville, Tennessee. After a major heart attack that required eight graphs to his heart (a record for Cabrini Hospital), Spencer strongly supported the Rapides Foundation with the placement of automated external defibrillators throughout Central Louisiana. Services were held at the Kingsville Baptist Church with the Reverend Wayne Jenkins (Kingsville's interim pastor), Brian South, Wilburn Walker (Kingsville's music minister), Dr. Tom Robinson, Tom Spencer (Jim Spencer's son), and Chaplain (and Jim Spencer's brother) Daryl Fortenberry officiating. Burial was at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, located across U.S. Highway 165 from the church. In addition to his mother and brother, Spencer was survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Faye K. Spencer; a son, Tom Spencer and wife Dawn Spencer of Pollock in Grant Parish; three daughters, Deb Spencer Forbes and husband Kendall Forbes of Baton Rouge, Sharon Spencer Richardson and husband Bob Richardson of Lafayette, and Beth Spencer Bryant and husband Josh Bryant of Ball, and thirteen grandchildren. The family requested memorials to the Sarah Thomson Memorial Mission Fund of Kingsville Baptist Church, 3911 Monroe Highway, Ball, Louisiana 71405. The current pastor (2011) is Bart Walker.

'''References'''

*Jim Spencer obituary, ''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', March 3, 2006 *www.rapidesfoundation.org/uploads/2003TRFAnnualReport.pdf *http://www.kingsvillebaptist.org/templates/cla25bl/default.asp?id=22303