Longtime pastor at St. James Missionary Baptist Church dies at age 85
The Rev. J.P. Dennis Jr. was always developing relationships.
First with God, then with family, church, community and really anyone who would come across his path, said his daughter, Lori Dennis Johnson of Wichita.
“What I learned from Dad was the importance of faith and family. Dad showed us when you live your life, accept your calling and faithfully serve, that’s what gives you peace. He was a great servant of God.”
The Rev. Dennis, pastor of the St. James Missionary Baptist Church for more than half a century, died Feb. 2 at the age of 85. Visitation with family and friends will be at 6 p.m. Friday at St. James, 1350 N. Ash; his funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Evangelical Free Church, 1825 N. Woodlawn.
The Rev. Dennis was born on Jan. 5, 1930, near Buckner, Ark. It was a rural community, and the neighbor girl that would later grow up and become his wife lived down the road. By the time he was 12, he was following a life of ministry.
“As they were growing up, Dad would be the only child willing to be called upon to lead a prayer,” Dennis Johnson said. “When he was 12 years old, he told her he had a feeling she might become his wife.”
When his wife, Sarah, died in 2012, the couple had been married for 63 years. They had nine children. For decades, the Dennis Family Music Ministry and its annual Christmas show was a Wichita tradition.
The Rev. Dennis and his wife, Sarah, moved to Wichita in 1952. He initially was an aircraft worker, then a construction worker and cement finisher while also working in the ministry. He was named pastor of St. James in 1962. He attended Wichita State University and received his doctorate of divinity in 1987 from Central America Bible College of Kansas City, Mo.
During the 1960s, the Rev. Dennis supported the nonviolent movement of Martin Luther King Jr. and, in fact, attended his funeral, Dennis Johnson said.
“Dr. King was one of the people he looked to as an example – that he was willing to die for what he believed in,” Dennis Johnson said. “That’s how Dad lived his life. He lived with passion and taught us the importance of embracing all people from all walks of life.”
The Rev. Dennis was a former police chaplain and past member of the board of directors for the Center for Health and Wellness. He recorded an album, “The Man Who Brought His Brother to Jesus,” and was inducted into the Religious Hall of Fame in 2003 in Dallas.
In 2008, the Rev. Dennis received the Legacy Award from the Wichita Branch of the NAACP for a lifetime of service. In 2013, he received the National Laymen’s Day Award from the National Baptist Convention.
He is survived by daughters and sons-in-law Annie and Lincoln Montgomery, Jerris Martin, Cherrie and Edward Cottner, Lori Dennis-Johnson and Terre Johnson, Donna and Wesley Roberts, Jacqueline and Kenneth Palmer Sr.; sons and daughters-in-law Larry Dennis, Jettie P. and Sheri Dennis III, Jason and Ashlie Dennis; three brothers; two sisters; 17 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Memorials may be sent to the Pastor J.P. Dennis Jr. Memorial Fund, 2307 E. 20th St. North, Wichita, KS 67214.
This story was originally published February 8, 2015 at 7:32 PM with the headline "Longtime pastor at St. James Missionary Baptist Church dies at age 85."