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Dr. James Green Somerville is the 16th Senior Pastor in the 228-year history of First Baptist Church. Jim Somerville is a gifted preacher and a seasoned pastor. He has preached on the Chicago-based 30 Good Minutes, the internationally broadcast Day 1 radio program, and was one of the featured preachers at the Festival of Homiletics at the Washington National Cathedral in 2004. His articles and sermons have been published in Christian Century, Leadership, The Upper Room, Preaching, Lectionary Homiletics, and Preaching Great Texts. He was awarded the Clyde T. Francisco Preaching Award while a student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Jim served as Pastor of the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC for seven years before coming to Richmond. Prior to that, Jim served as Pastor of Wingate Baptist Church in Wingate, North Carolina, for nine years. While attending seminary, Jim was pastor of First Baptist Church in New Castle, Kentucky. Jim was a Boy Scout, earning Eagle Scout at the age of 13. At age 15 he began his studies at the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. In college he was an All-Conference distance runner and was editor of the Georgetown College campus newspaper. He was recognized as the Outstanding Senior in Art and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Georgetown. In his time off, Jim enjoys traveling, backpacking, sailing, reading, watching movies, and spending time with his family. Christine Treadwell Somerville earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Georgetown College. She is a natural teacher, and worked as Pre-K teacher at Ben W. Murch Elementary School in Washington. Her interests include marriage and family, friends, current events, gardening, reading, homemaking, and spending time at the beach and in the mountains. Christy is the daughter of well-known Baptist educator Bill Treadwell, who taught Christian Education and Leadership/Administration at both Southern and Truett Seminaries. The Somervilles have two daughters, Ellie and Catherine. Born March 14, 1959, in Selma, Alabama, Jim moved with his family to Wise, Virginia, in 1961, and to Boone County, West Virginia, in 1967. He grew up as the third of six sons of a Presbyterian minister who had a special ministry to the poor in West Virginia. He earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, in 1991. His major was New Testament and his minor, Preaching. He earned the Master of Divinity from Southern Seminary in 1987 with a concentration as a Pastor/Teacher. Jim was an Art major and minored in English when he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY, in 1981. He was ordained (1986) by First Baptist Church, New Castle, KY and licensed (1984) by Faith Baptist Church, Georgetown, KY. |
