James Clifton Seymour

James Clifton Seymour, age 86, of the Latimer Community went to be with the Lord on July 11, 2009. He was born November 2, 1922 in Latimer, MS and spent his life as a pastor with a passion for reaching the lost for Christ. In 1939 he attended Southeastern Bible College and in 1940 began his first Home Missions work in Atlanta, Ga. While in school at SEBC he met his future bride and love of his life, Doris Mae Hargrove. He graduated from Southeastern as valedictorian in 1943. At that time he became the Associate Pastor at Pascagoula Assembly of God. They married in 1944 after she graduated from SEBC. The morning after they were married they were called back to the college where he accepted the position of Dean of Men and she became Secretary/Treasurer for a year. In 1944 he was responsible for securing the GI Bill Accreditation allowing servicemen to be able to attend SEBC. In 1945 they left Southeastern to pastor West Highland Assembly of God in Andulsia, AL. Their first son Rodney was born in Hartford, AL where they pastored Post Oak Assembly of God. Other churches they pastored included: Mt. Carmel Assembly of God in Newton, AL; First Assembly of Quincey, FL; Shady Grove Assembly in Baker, FL where their second son Jeff was born; First Assembly in Jonesboro, LA; Bayou Gauche Assembly in Bayou Gauche, LA where they also founded the Des Allemands and Boute Assembly of God and their third son Jerry was born; Westwego Assembly in Westwego, LA; La Grange Assembly in La Grange, GA; Evangel Assembly in Laurel, MS where they helped establish Eastside Assembly of God; Pascagoula Assembly in Pascagoula, MS; University Assembly in Hattiesburg, MS where they served as campus ministers for the University of Southern MS and organized college prayer meetings and five Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship groups. In 1976 they went back to Pascagoula where they opened “Promise House”. Promise House is a part of Teen Challenge a national organization ministering to teenage girls. From 1977-1979 they conducted daily prayer meetings at the ship yard in Pascagoula. They retired in 1979 and in 1981 returned to Bayou Gauche as Associate Pastors for 5 yrs. In all, under their leadership as pastors there were 55 who entered the ministry and they started 5 new churches. He was the last living sibling of 7 children born to Camille and Daisy Seymour. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters: Louise Page and Loraine Smith; and brothers: Donald, Harold, Jeff and Floyd Seymour. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Doris Mae Hargrove Seymour; three sons: Rodney and wife Brenda of Vancleave, Jeff and wife Marilyn of Beavercreek, OH, and Jerry and wife Barbara of Greer, SC; one granddaughter: Elizabeth Jeananne Seymour of Jacksonville, FL; 3 grandsons; Chris Seymour of Clermont, FL, Jonathan Seymour, wife Amanda and first expected great-grandson to be born in August of Greer, SC, and Ryan Seymour and wife Katie of Panama City, FL. The family wishes to extend a warm invitation to visitation from 9:00 am until start of service at 11:00 am on Saturday July 18, 2009 in the Chapel of Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home on Porter Ave in Ocean Springs, MS. Burial will follow in the family cemetery on Jim Ramsay Cutoff Road Latimer, MS. His sons and grandsons will serve as Pall Bearers with granddaughter Anne serving as Honorary Pall Bearer. In lieu of flowers Rev Seymour’s wishes were that memorials would be sent to the Extreme Peru Missions Fund through Crossroads Church 6150 Firestone St., Ocean Springs, Ms 39564 to build a church in Peru. He was very excited about the plans for building 100 churches in Peru in the next 3 years.