Obituaries: James Tilbert Ledbetter

Edited by Greg Ledbetter

James Tilbert Ledbetter
March 15, 1929 Elmwood, TN – November 25, 2020 Happy Valley, OR

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Jim (also known to some as JT and Led) was born to Nellie Mae (Bolton) and James Jackson “Jack” Ledbetter at the start of the Great Depression in the hardscrabble hills of Tennessee. He was the eldest of three brothers.  He moved with his family to Chowchilla, CA in 1935. 

Jim attended ABC related Linfield College in McMinnville OR from which he graduated with a BA in Religion in 1951.  While preaching during ministry outreach event met the musically talented Faithe Colene Oestreicher.  They were married on June 13, 1952.  Jim received his Bachelor of Divinity in 1954 from the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School (and later returned to BBDS to upgrade his degree to an Master of Divinity).  For the remainder of their lives, Jim and Faithe were deeply blessed by the many rich friendships of former college and seminary classmates.

Following seminary, Jim was ordained, pastoring American Baptist churches in Washington, California and Hawaii.  He was also a denominational leader serving as an Area Minister in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California and, finally, as the Executive Minister of Oregon, retiring from the last in 1994. Jim was honored in 1987 with an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the American Baptist Seminary of the West (newly named “Berkeley School of Theology”).

Throughout his life, Jim expressed an enthusiastic love of the outdoors, camping and hiking every summer with his family, leading youth trail camps in the Cascade mountains, and winter RV camping in the Southwestern deserts with Faithe. He was also a nearly lifelong jogger and fulfilled a dream by running the Boston Marathon at the age of 50.

As a pastor and person, Jim was shaped and gave expression to the vision of a just and peaceable world as championed by two of his “heroes”: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Clarence Jordan. Jim and Faithe were active supporters of the work of the Baptist Peace Fellowship-Bautista por la Paz, attending peace camp for a number of years and regularly supporting its work with their gifts and, ultimately, a bequest from their estate. Jim also served as a board member and was a BPFNA Palestinian trip participant.

Jim died in Happy Valley, Oregon from COVID-19 related causes and was buried at Providence Pioneer Cemetery near Scio, OR in a small family ceremony.  A Public Zoom Memorial Service to be announced through Weddle Funeral Service, Stayton, OR (weddle-funeral.com).  Memorial gifts can be directed to the Homeless Ministry Fund of Rivergate Community Church, 4737 N. Lombard, Portland, OR 97203.

Jim is survived by his wife Faithe, daughter Karen (Raymond), son Tim (Gail) and son Greg (Jan), brothers Felix and Paul, plus 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. 

Requiescat in pace, Dad.

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Solo disponible en ingles.

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