Lifetime Member Jim Newton Dies
Jim Newton, 75, longtime Southern Baptist journalist and Lifetime Member of Baptist Communicators Association, died Jan. 16 at the Baptist Hospital Hospice Care in Jackson, Miss. He passed away within weeks following an unexpected recurrence of his leukemia.
Following his graduation from Baylor University in 1958, he began his career as assistant editor of The Bishop News in Bishop, Texas, then moved on to become press representative for the Baptist General Convention of Texas and later assistant director/news of Baptist Press. While working at the Texas convention, he began a courtship via the office teletype machine with the former Patricia Tullos, who was employed at the (Mississippi) Baptist Record. They later married and had two daughters, Jana and Kayla.
Jim continued his career in Memphis, serving for eight years as editor of the World Mission Journal of the Baptist Brotherhood Commission. He then joined the Home Mission Board (HMB) news department in 1980.
The Kingsville, Texas, native left the HMB in 1987 for a brief stint with Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, an assignment intended to have taken him and his wife to Singapore. But an economic slump prevented the move, and he returned to lead the news department for a second time before it was combined with the Public Relations Office.
Jim retired from the Board in 1992 as public relations director to accept a communications position with the U.S. based-office of World Vision International in California. Following his retirement, he and Pat returned to Clinton, Miss., to be near their children and grandchildren.
 Jim worked extensively as a communications consultant with World Vision, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, a ministry of the BGEA. In 1981 he wrote the missions book The Way to Timbuktu, published by Convention Press for the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board).
He was the winner of 26 awards from the Baptist Public Relations Association (now BCA) and a three-time recipient of BPRA's prestigious Frank M. Burkhalter Award for religious journalism.
Jim was an ordained minister and deacon serving in various capacities in the local churches where he lived.
He was a member of Trace Ridge Baptist Church in Ridgeland, Miss., a suburb of Jackson. In addition to his wife and two daughters, Jim is survived by five grandchildren.
Visitation is Jan. 18 from 5-7 p.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Jackson. Services will be at 1 p.m. Jan. 19 at Trace Ridge Baptist Church, following a noon visitation.
Notes and cards may be sent to Pat Newton at 719 Winding Hills, Clinton, MS 39056.
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