Jim Moebes, longtime Mountain Brook pastor, dies at age 78

Jim Moebes, longtime Mountain Brook pastor, dies at age 78

James D. “Jim” Moebes — senior minister of Mountain Brook Baptist Church for more than 30 years — died July 14. He was 78.

A Decatur native, Moebes was ordained to the ministry at Mountain Brook Baptist in 1963, the year he graduated from Samford University. He later earned a master of divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and a master of arts and doctorate in counseling and educational psychology from the University of Alabama.

At the beginning of his ministry, he was on staff at Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, and pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church near Aliceville. Moebes also served as a pastor in Kentucky and interim pastor in Georgia and Huntsville.

In 1975, he became Mountain Brook Baptist’s executive minister, then in 1981 he became the senior minister.

Through the years, Moebes was active in national and international missions and took dozens of Builders for Christ trips.

He also served as the chair of the Alabama Baptist Education Commission, on the board of directors of the Baptist Health Foundation, on the board of trustees of Trinity Medical Center in Birmingham and was involved in various other organizations. He retired in 2011 after more than 53 years total in the ministry.

Moebes is survived by his wife, Gail; son, David; daughter, Stacey; and five grandchildren. (TAB)