Meet Pastor Jim

My name is James “Jim” Bills, and I have the privilege of serving as pastor of Wiley Hill Baptist Church.

I believe pastoral ministry is about more than standing behind a pulpit on Sunday morning. It is about walking with people through life, opening the Scriptures together, praying together, caring for one another, and continually pointing one another back to Jesus Christ.

My desire as a pastor is simple: to faithfully preach the Word of God, help people grow as disciples of Christ, and care for the people God has entrusted to me.

My Journey into Ministry

God has used many different seasons of life to shape me as a pastor.

Before coming to Wiley Hill Baptist Church, I served Lifeline Community Church for fifteen years. That season taught me much about preaching, pastoral care, discipleship, leadership, and the importance of simply being present with people through both joyful and difficult seasons.

When Lifeline eventually closed, I did not know exactly what ministry would look like next. For a time, I thought perhaps my years of serving as a pastor had come to an end and that I would simply help churches wherever I was needed.

But God had another chapter ahead.

In His providence, He opened the door for me to serve Wiley Hill Baptist Church. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to pastor this congregation and to see what God will continue to do among us.

One of the lessons I continue to learn is that God is faithful even when the road takes turns we did not expect.

Education and Preparation

My formal theological education has played an important role in shaping my ministry.

I graduated from Reformed Bible College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree, focusing on pre-seminary studies.

I later attended Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, graduating in 2016.

Those years of study strengthened my conviction that the Bible is the Word of God and that the task of the preacher is not to entertain people or simply offer good advice, but to faithfully open the Scriptures and point people to Christ.

I continue to be a student of Scripture. I do not believe a pastor ever reaches the point where he has finished learning. There is always more to discover about the character of God, the riches of His Word, and the grace we have been given in Jesus Christ.

My Family

God has blessed me with a wonderful family.

My wife, Lisa, has walked beside me through the joys, challenges, uncertainties, and unexpected turns of ministry. She has been a tremendous source of encouragement throughout the years, and I am deeply grateful for the life God has given us together.

We are also blessed to be the parents of our son, Isaac.

Our journey to becoming parents has made the grace and providence of God especially precious to us. Our family story has not always followed the path we might have written for ourselves, but through it God has repeatedly reminded us that His faithfulness is greater than our circumstances.

Like every family, we are still learning, growing, laughing, making mistakes, and depending upon God's grace one day at a time.

More Than a Pastor

One thing people quickly discover about me is that I am very comfortable being around ordinary people in ordinary life.

In addition to serving as a pastor, I have spent years working as a school bus driver and now also help train other professional drivers. It may seem like an unusual combination, but I have come to appreciate how much ministry happens outside the walls of a church.

Whether I am standing behind a pulpit, sitting with someone who is hurting, teaching a Bible study, driving a school bus, or talking with someone over a cup of coffee, I want my life to reflect the same calling: to follow Christ faithfully and care for the people God places in front of me.

What Matters Most to Me

There are many things I could tell you about myself, but ultimately I hope people come away knowing this:

I love Jesus Christ.
I believe His Word is true.
I believe His grace is greater than our failures.
And I believe the Church should be a place where people can encounter that grace together.

I do not have everything figured out.

I am still learning what it means to depend upon the Holy Spirit, receive the mercy of God for myself, and follow Christ faithfully in each new season.

But I know where my hope is found.

It is found in Jesus.

And my prayer for Wiley Hill Baptist Church is that we would be a people who keep following Him together.

Following Christ. Living Redeemed.