Biography
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- Past President of the National Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders.
- Delivered the Laity Address to the 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church.
- Former Conference Lay Leader of the North Arkansas Conference of The United Methodist Church.
Published Works:
- An article, highlighting Lay Speaking Ministries, entitled "Called to Serve", which appeared in the October 1988 issue of Interpreter magazine (the national program magazine of The United Methodist Church).
- A guideline booklet - - "Hinton Models for Ministry (United Methodist Lay Speakers in Ministry and Mission)" published in 1990 by the Hinton Rural Life Center, Hayesville, NC (A ministry of the Southeastern Jurisdiction for small membership and rural churches).
- "Lay Speaking: Guide for Conference and District Committees" a 32-page resource guide book for Conference and District Committees on Lay Speaking, The United Methodist Church, published in 1992, 1996 and 2000 by Discipleship Resources, General Board of Discipleship, The United Methodist Church (revised and republished in 2000).
- An article entitled "Laity Sunday Theme: 'Rejoice! God's People Sing with Joy' " that appeared in the July-August 1993 issue of Mens News, the national publication of the Division of United Methodist Men of the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church.
- The Lay Leader portion of Idea Mart in the July-August 1993 edition of Interpreter Magazine which gave local church lay leaders ideas on how to plan to celebrate Laity Sunday 1993 - "Rejoice! God's People Sing with Joy".
- "A Brief History of the Office of Lay Speaker in The United Methodist Church (and its predecessor bodies)". This booklet traces the history of what is now Lay Speaking Ministries to its beginning with the office of Exhorter in the early Methodist Societies in England and the United States. This booklet will become a part of the publication entitled "Lay Speaking: Guide for Conference and District Committees" when it is next republished. (published in 1998).
- "Pepper's Story" published in the Nov-Dec 2002 issue of Circuit Rider Magazine (a national magazine for United Methodist Clergy). Pepper was one of seven members of a group that Jim Lane lead through "Witness / Exploring and Sharing Your Christian Faith".
- Commentary: "Who is ‘right’ General Conference delegate?" published Dec. 9, 2002 by United Methodist News Service, Nashville, Tenn. A UMNS Commentary By James W. Lane. Also published in the Dec 27, 2002 issue of United Methodist Reporter.
Honors:
- Selected through blind submission of manuscripts to deliver the Laity Address to the 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church which was held in Denver, Colorado.
- Selected as Sunday School Teacher of the Year (1989), Levy United Methodist Church, North Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Listed in "A Sampling of Arkansas Lay Persons" as worthy representatives and as a tribute to all the laity of Arkansas, in the book entitled "Methodism in Arkansas, 1816 - 1976" by Dr. Walter N. Vernon.
- Picture included in "Keeping Up with a Revolution - The Story of United Methodist Communications 1940-1990" by Dr. Edwin H. Maynard. Pictured along with Dr. Roger L. Burgess, General Secretary of UMCom, Bishop Rueben P. Job, President of the General Commission of Communication; and Mrs. Mary Silva, Vice President. Jim Lane served on the Commission from 1984 thru 1992 (the last four years as Secretary of the Commission).
- Invited by Bishop Fritz Mutti to be the preacher at the opening worship service of the 1995 session of the Kansas East Annual Conference, meeting in Baldwin City, Kansas, on May 31, 1995.
- Presented the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from the Foundation for Evangelism at the 1996 session of the North Arkansas Conference.
- Featured in an article entitled "Laity in Ministry - Letting Our Light Shine" published in the Jul-August 1996 issue of Interpreter magazine (the national program magazine of The United Methodist Church).
- Featured with a picture and comments in the section entitled " Technology and New Ministries" in "Two Centuries of Methodism in Arkansas" (pages 279-281) written by Nancy Britton and published in 2000.
Organizational Affiliations:
Community Volunteer Activities:
- Member of Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Central Arkansas, Inc.
- Assist in teaching beginning computer lab course at Hays Senior Center, North Little Rock, Ark
Personal Data:
- Born August 4, 1936. Raised and educated in Little Rock, Arkansas.
- Retired from U. S. Government Federal Civil Service on July 3, 1993 after 29 years of service. Upon retirement was assigned as a Supervisory Staff Administrator (Department of the Army Civilian Employee) to a major U. S. Army Reserve command in North Little Rock (Camp Robinson), Arkansas. Awards for Civil Service include the Superior Civilian Service Award.
- Retired from the U. S. Army Reserve on August 4, 1996 as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW4) after 42 years of service. U. S. Army awards include The Legion of Merit.
- Married Nell Bizzell of Morrilton, Arkansas on February 2, 1963. No children.
Contact Information:
508 Brent Drive
Sherwood, AR 72120-6057
Home Phone: (501) 834-9492
Pager: 800-618-1204
E-Mail: jim@jimlane.org
Web Page: www.jimlane.org
PREVIOUSLY HELD OFFICES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Beyond the United Methodist Church:
- North Arkansas Conference Delegate to the International Conference on Christian Heritage in Government, London, England [1982].
- Member of the Board of Managers of the Department of Communications (of the Education, Communication and Discipleship Unit) of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, Inc. (NCC), New York City, NY (Nominated by The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church); 1984 through 1991.
Beyond the Local Church:
World Methodist Church:
- Delegate to the Fifteenth World Methodist Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, July 23-29, 1986.
- Delegate to the Sixteenth World Methodist Conference held in Singapore, July 23-29, 1991.
General Church:
- Member of the General Board of Discipleship (1996 - 2000) (also served as Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Evaluation and Legislation, as a member of the Executive Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Nominations).
- Delivered the Laity Address to the 1996 General Conference, in Denver, Colorado.
- Past-President and Member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders.
- Delegate to the 1996 General Conference (Head of Lay Delegation). Also served as Vice-Chair and secretary of the Area Delegation.
- President of the National Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders (1996-1997).
- Reserve Lay Delegate to the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 2000 General Conferences.
- Member of the "Forum of 32" of "The Connectional Issues Study" assigned to the General Council on Ministries by the 1992 General Conference. The "Forum of 32" was a widely diverse group of representatives of the total church [including the Central (overseas) Conferences] who received and generated input into the study.
- Reader/Consultant to the 1984 General Conference Hymnal Revision Committee.
- Secretary of the General Commission on Communication (United Methodist Communications) and its Executive Committee [and member of its Personnel Committee and Standing Committee on Production and Distribution; and Chairperson of UMCom General Conference Strategy Committee] [1984-1992].
Jurisdictional Conference:
- Lay Delegate to the 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 South Central Jurisdictional Conferences.
- Co-Jurisdictional Lay Leader (1992-1996).
- Member of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference Committee on the Episcopacy (1996-2000).
- Co-Chair, Jurisdictional Association of Annual Conference Lay Leaders (1992-1996).
- Member of Lay Advisory Council [and its Steering Committee], St. Paul School of Theology [United Methodist], Kansas City, Missouri.
Arkansas Area:
- Member of Arkansas Area Long Range Planning Committee.
- Co-Chair of Arkansas Area Committee on the Episcopacy.
- Member, Board of Directors, Aldersgate, Inc.
- Member, Board of Directors, Wesley Foundation, Univ of Ark at Little Rock.
- Chairperson, Board of Managers The Arkansas Methodist Newspaper.
North Arkansas Conference:
- Member of the North Arkansas Conference Extended Cabinet.
- Conference Lay Leader of the North Arkansas Conference (1993 - 2000).
- Chairperson of North Arkansas Conference Vision 2000 Task Force.
- Chairperson of North Arkansas Conference Council on Lay Life and Work.
- Chairperson of North Arkansas Conference Committee on the Episcopacy.
- Member of the North Arkansas Conference Council on Ministries and its Executive Committee.
- Member of North Arkansas Conference Committee on Nominations.
- Vice-Chairperson of North Arkansas Conference Annual Conference Planning Committee;
- Member of North Arkansas Conference Committee on Fiscal Responsibility (A Committee to Study the Finances, Organization and Staff of The Annual Conference).
- President, North Arkansas Conference United Methodist Men [1981-1982].
- Chairperson, North Arkansas Conference Board of Diaconal Ministry.
- Chairperson of North Arkansas Conference Committee on Policy and Review.
- Secretary of the Delegation to the 1988 and 1992 General and Jurisdictional Conferences; Chairperson of the North Arkansas Conference Committee on Planning and Research.
- North Arkansas Conference Director of Lay Speaking.
- Member of North Arkansas Conference Apportionment Study Task Force.
North Central District:
- District Lay Leader [1972 - 1980; and 1985 - 1988].
- Chairperson, District Committee on the District Superintendency.
- Secretary, District Board of Missions.
- Secretary, Task Force to Establish a New United Methodist Church in North Pulaski County [North Pulaski United Methodist Church, Gravel Ridge, Ark].
- Secretary, District Council on Ministries.
- Secretary, District Board of Church Location and Building.
- District President of United Methodist Men.
Local Church:
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508 Brent Drive 
