Preacher retires after 44 years of service

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) -After nearly half a century of service, a local preacher is calling it a career.

It’s been 44 years since someone other than Jimmy Adcox has preached at Southwest Church of Christ in Jonesboro. Now, he’s passing the torch to a new generation.

“Well, it’s hard in a way because it becomes your identity. It’s who you are,” Adcox said.

The church held a celebration for Adcox on Sunday where his congregation and religious leaders from across Jonesboro shared stories of his legacy and impact. After four decades in the pulpit, there was no shortage of stories and kind words.

However, this isn’t the end of his journey.

Adcox said he will still be working part-time with the church...after a six-month sabbatical, at least.

“We’re just thankful and grateful and just wish the best for our church and our community. We still want to be a part of that,” he said.

Adcox and his wife, Ann, look forward to spending more time with their nine grandchildren in this new chapter of their lives

“She deserves my semi-retirement so that we can do more things together,” he said with a chuckle.

The couple moved to Jonesboro in 1977 and fell in love with the area and their church, but all good things must come to an end.

“Four and a half years ago, we did something like this (banquet) to honor us for serving forty years. I couldn’t help but think, the people who worked so hard to make all this happen probably thought ‘if he had just retired then, we wouldn’t have to do this all over again.,’” Adcox said during the event Sunday.

Now, a new face will take over preaching duties. Adam Brewer, an Alabama native, was introduced at the ceremony as the church’s next leader. He and his wife, Natalie, and two children just moved to Jonesboro and look forward to serving the community.

However, filling the shoes of a pastor whose tenure stretches over four decades can be a bit intimidating. Still, he’s thankful to be in the position he’s in.

“It was a big consideration to come to a church where someone had been serving for so long and serving well for so long. And I would be lying if I said there weren’t some anxieties around that,” Brewer said. “This is a church and a city that has loved this minister for 44 years. That says a lot about this church and it says a lot about this place, the city of Jonesboro.”

It’s a journey a lifetime in the making, and the Adcox family is ready to take it on

“We’re excited about it. We’ve kind of got the best of both worlds. We get to continue with this family of people here who are important to us, and we have a little more flexibility to do the things we’re passionate about,” Adcox said.

EDIT: An earlier version of this story said Adcox would continue preaching at the church. That information was incorrect. He will be helping with the transition, but preaching duties have been fully turned over to Adam Brewer.

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