Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
On August 5, 2024, Jim Anderson, retired Director of Pastoral Care for the NCD, went home to be with the Lord following a six-year battle with brain cancer. He entered Glory with his family by his side at a hospice facility in Edina. Shortly after Jim was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, I called him to see how he was handling the news, and his heart came through loud and clear. With a break in his voice, he said: “I don’t know if I will be able continue to serve and give.” This is the man we remember today.
In his years with the EFCA, Jim, with Lois at his side, served as a pastoral intern at Windom EFC in Windom, MN, and as Senior Pastor at Grace EFC in Bettendorf/Davenport, IA, Conover EFC in Conover, WI, and Grace Fellowship, an EFC church in Overland Park, KS. During this season of ministry, he also served on the Central District Board and the EFCA Board of Overseas Missions.
Jim received his Master of Divinity in 1978 from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) just prior to starting his pastoral ministry, and subsequently obtained his Doctor of Ministry in 1991, also from TEDS. Jim’s thesis was on the Theology of Sabbath Rest, which eventually became the groundwork for many years of facilitating Sabbath Rest Retreats for pastors and ministry leaders. This subsequently led to his first book: For God’s Sake, Rest! Discovering the Pleasure of His Rest, published in 2007. This teaching also took him and Lois to Russia and Africa many times where he taught A Theology of Rest, a Masters-level course, at various seminaries.
Jim published his second book The Seven Essential Powers of Friendship: A Path to Authentic Relationships, in 2020. Jim’s heart again came through in this work as well when he referred to the topics of rest and friendship as the “survival tools for pastors, missionaries, and those who are in people related services.”
After pastoring for 25 years, Jim and Lois returned to MN and Jim took on the role of Pastoral Care Director for the North Central District of the EFCA while also serving as a Relationship Consultant at Anderson Trucking Service, the family business in St. Cloud. Jim’s role with the family business, much like his NCD ministry, often put him in contact with hurting people who needed to see the love of Jesus lived out face to face, and Jim was there with a listening ear, a smile, a hug, and a prayer.
Our experience with Jim and Lois, starting in 2006, reflects their hearts for caring and discipleship. We came into the NCD with timid and uncertain hearts, and they spoke courage and wisdom into us while God used them to open doors, remove barriers, make connections, and pave the way forward. We would not be where we are if not for Jim and Lois. And I suspect there are many in the world who could make the same statement, whether they be pastors, pastor’s wives, lay leaders, or truck drivers.
Jim held the role of Director until his retirement in 2015. Even after his retirement, he continued to meet with the pastor cluster in the Brainerd Lakes area. This does not surprise me as it was his heart to serve. Jim described himself in this way: “I am a very ordinary guy with average abilities who was given many opportunities to honor and serve Christ during my lifetime.” In one of my last conversations with Jim, he shared something he had received from his mentor, the idea that we need to stay “Surrendered and Surrounded.” Surrendered to the will of the Father and surrounded by people who can speak truth into our lives. Even as his life was coming to an end, he sought to stay in those two places. Jim’s legacy of faithfully teaching, serving, and giving will continue to bear fruit across the NCD, the greater EFCA, and around the world for years to come. Rest well, our good and faithful brother.
NCD Pastoral Care
James L. Anderson Obituary HERE