By Jim Nieman
Dr. James B. North, 81, longtime professor of church history at Cincinnati Christian University, frequent lecturer on church history, and a man who wrote extensively on the history of Christian churches and churches of Christ in America, died on Monday after battling cancer.
North wrote A History of the Church: From Pentecost to the Present (College Press, 1983) and Union In Truth: An Interpretive History of the Restoration Movement (Standard Publishing, 1994). He taught at CCU from 1977 until the early 2000s. His wife, Martha, to whom he was married 55 years, died in 2018.
Upon hearing of North’s death, friends, colleagues, and former students shared remembrances and tributes via social media.
“‘Little Jimmie’ became a giant in a Restoration Movement [with] Union In Truth,” Ziden Nutt, founder of Good News Productions, International, wrote on Facebook. “As friends from early childhood [in Indiana], he was a great inspiration in living in love and humility, integrity and scholarship, commitment and focus.”
“He was a great teacher, friend, and colleague,” Mike Shannon wrote on his Facebook page. “I loved the classes I had with him. He was a great storyteller. He was a tough grader, but fair. When I was a ministry professor at CCU, I had the privilege of occupying the office next to his for a time. As a history buff, I enjoyed our many conversations about the history of the Restoration Movement, the Civil War, the American Revolution, World War II, presidential history, and many other things. He and I even sang a comedy duet . . . in a grad forum.”
Another former colleague, Rick Cherok, wrote via Facebook: “He was truly a scholar and a Christian gentleman. While serving as Academic VP at Cincinnati Christian University (then known as Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary), Dr. North hired me onto the school’s faculty. Thank you, Dr. North. . . . As King David said at the death of Abner, ‘A great man has fallen in Israel this day’ (2 Samuel 3:38).”
“Jim was a storyteller who made church history come alive,” said David Faust, who taught at CCU and later served as the institution’s president. “For him, history meant more than mere dates and quotes; it was also about interesting personalities and practical principles. Jim had a wry sense of humor and an eye for details. He was a stickler for good grammar who expected a lot from his students. . . . He loved the Lord, and he loved the Restoration Movement.
“In my last visit with him a few weeks ago, I asked about his faith,” Faust said. “Without hesitation, Jim responded by quoting from the King James Version of Job 13:15—‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.’”
Dan Burton, associate minister with LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, where North attended, had been friends with North since meeting him at CCU in 1990. Beyond his friend’s stateside teaching, Burton noted, North traveled to Austria 16 times to teach at TCM’s Haus Edelweiss.
Still another former CCU colleague, Jon Weatherly shared via Facebook about North’s brief foray into church ministry early in his career.
“Jim shared openly that as a young man with a degree from a Bible college, he took a ministry position with a church,” Weatherly wrote. “In a short, difficult time, he lost the position. He was devastated. He believed that he didn’t have what it takes. I sensed that graduate school and teaching in Christian higher education was for him at least in part the pursuit of something he could do that was useful as ministry (as indeed it was, as we who were around him knew) without being the ministry that he wasn’t ‘up to.’”
Weatherly said North subsequently conducted an extensive interim preaching ministry throughout his teaching years. And on that particular day, as they passed near a church he had served as an interim, North “had a flash of insight . . . Maybe I can do this after all.”
James Brownlee North was born in Hammond, Ind., on Jan. 21, 1941, the son of Ralph Benton and Charlotte M. North. He graduated from Lincoln (Ill.) Christian College, Lincoln Christian Seminary, and the University of Chicago. He received the doctorate in American history from the University of lllinois in 1973.
In addition to his wife, Martha, he was preceded in death by one brother, Ralph.
He is survived by two daughters, Cynthia Logan and Jennifer Watrous; two grandchildren; and one sister, Eleanor Kabala.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at LifeSpring Christian Church in Cincinnati, where the funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be at Shelby Cemetery in Versailles, Ind.
Memorials may be made to TCM International Institute, P.O. Box 24560, Indianapolis, IN 46209.
(A complete obituary is available here.)
Jim Nieman serves as managing editor of Christian Standard.
Jim served as an important part of the Open Forum in talks with the Church of God, Anderson and in talks with the Churches of Christ and the Disciples of Christ. With the Church of God, Anderson we signed a Consensus of Faith, the only such document by our people. Christian unity was important to Jim. A good scholar and a great brother in Christ. John Mills
Many may not speak about Jim’s tenacity in opposing liberal encroachment into Higher Christian Education.
Jim knew the enemies of Christ in the various high places. He called them out courageously.
Those who aren’t speaking of that side of Jim are betraying themselves as not as brave as Jim was.
I hope some will remember his witness for Christ in the face of liberal unaccountable supposed scholarship.
In the 1970’s, Jim was a professor at San Jose Bible College. He and Martha, Cindy and Jenny were part of Green Valley Christian Church where we became fast friends. Jim often taught an adult Sunday morning class, and we all benefitted from his wisdom, kindness, and grasp of Church history.
One morning Jim was completing his series on the missionary journeys of Paul. This was before the days of power point and marker boards. He quickly drew a rough chalk sketch on the board of Paul’s first two journeys–one with pink chalk, the other with blue. He proceeded to introduce the day’s lesson by picking up a piece of tan chalk. With all seriousness, he announced, “We will have Paul taking his third missionary journey in the buff!” He had no idea what he had said. Several of us could hardly contain ourselves. When the class was over, we shared with him what he had unintentionally said. Of course, he had a great sense of humor and we enjoyed a good laugh together.
Jim was a true servant of the Lord. He had a gift for taking what could be very dry material and bringing it to life. He was a humble man who had his priorities in order. He was completely devoted to Martha, and adored his daughters and grandchildren. Heaven has gained a great servant and follower of Christ.
I was part of the CC / Anderson dialogue as well as the Disciples, CC/CC, church of Christ dialogue groups for 10 years. Jim was a major blessing. One of the kindest men I have ever met.
I will always remember Dr. North and the way he made history come alive. My wife (Delores) and I attended Green Valley where we became morr than students and professor. We were asked to house sit for them but before we got away from school someone had already burglarized their home. We were devastated but Jim and Martha were very gracious to us. I will always remember the twinkle in his eye and the sly smile he offered. I often wonder if he ever learned to appreciate guitars in worship.
I took Dr. North’s class on the Restoration Movement. I so enjoyed listening to his lectures. It was like he had been there to witness for himself those events. J. D. Saunders
Jim and Martha were our closest friends while he and I were graduate students at the University of Illinois in 1968 and 1969.
Their friendship was invaluable during a challenging time in my life.
Years ago, Dr. North ventured to the Columbus, IN, area several times for a monthly series on Restoration Movement History presented to the men of the South Central Indiana Men’s Fellowship. It was very well received, as he made it all very enjoyable. Will always remember him and be grateful for his teachings.
I have to wonder if the elipses in this article are correct. He was a big stickler about that.
After my first class with Jim in grad school, I became a fan and tried to take every class he taught. I didn’t succeed, but what a wealth of information I received from them. The thing that Jim had perfected was putting in stories about persons and events that made history come alive. He guided me through my thesis, even reading it while on Sabbatical. When I broached one topic for my thesis to him, he paused and suggested a biography of Burris Butler. He said my first suggestion anyone could do. I have treasured his friendship and now will treasure his memory. Glad he’s home safe with Jesus.
Dr. North was a friend to me as soon as I started teaching at the seminary; and he vacated his office to me, a newcomer, which I enjoyed for over seven years. Dr. North also asked me to teach American History to undergraduates and gave me his notes to guide me. Dr. North was always encouraging and a great example of teaching history and will always be respected and loved.
Dr. North was a fabulous teacher of Restoration Movement and Early Church History at Cincinnati Christian Seminary–thorough, insightful, and demanding. Always respectful of students, his exacting lectures kept us engaged in the material at hand each and every class period. And his standard for perfect grammar on seminar papers–one error debits one letter grade–forced us to proofread and edit our work to the highest quality. He will be missed.
As an Elder at Park Christian Church in St. Paul Park, MN I began a discussion with Rod Hale of Grey Cloud Island, MN. Rod was an elder at the St. Paul Park Church of God. Rod and I oversaw the merger of these two churches into Discovery Community Church of St. Paul Park, MN. As we were trying to work out shared ministry (before the merger) we were going to have a church retreat. I convinced my fellow elders that Dr. James B North was the right guy to be our speaker. Jim came to MN and did an amazing job of helping us past our few remaining hurdles with his inspirational teaching. I found him to be a good friend, an amazing man of God, and a great professor. I look forward to seeing him again “around the throne”.