James Brinks

James McLeod Brinks, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, was the tenth child born to Walter Franklin Brinks and Ethel Roverta McLeod Brinks on January 6th, 1934 in Dothan, Alabama. He graduated from Dothan High School in 1952, and it was about that time when he knew he wanted to devote his life to God and become a minister and missionary for the United Methodist Church. Jim attended Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky for two years and then went on to graduate from Lynchburg College in Virginia, where he received a B.A. in History. He then attended the University of Pittsburgh where he received a Master's degree in Asian Studies. While still in school, he was working for the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare where he met the love of his life, Bonnie Ann Champney. They married in Monroeville, PA, on May 22, 1960. Continuing his education, Jim received a Bachelor of Divinity from the Pittsburgh Theological School in 1963, while serving as the pastor to Shannopin United Methodist Church in South Heights, Pennsylvania. His next assignments were as the Associate Pastor at the First Methodist Church in Elyria, Ohio and then as Pastor of the Edison Memorial UMC in Milan, Ohio. During this time, Bonnie and Jim expanded their family with four daughters, Wynne, Paige, Kaye Lyn and Lee Ann. While in Milan, Jim applied to the Board of Global Ministries and was assigned to a church in Sibu Sarawak, Malaysia, where he and his family served from 1969-1972. Upon returning to the states, Jim became the Executive Director of INSA, a United Methodist Missions program at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Jim, Bonnie and family lived in Atlanta for 10 years until they relocated to Longmont, CO, where Jim was the Vice President of the Rocky Mountain Methodist Homes for the next two years. Jim and Bonnie eventually retired in eastern Pennsylvania after Jim served for ten years as the Vice President of Development for the Brethren Home in New Oxford, PA. In 2000, Jim and Bonnie moved to Traverse City, MI, near Bonnie's family. The Brinks family loved to travel, and travel they did. If they were not basking in the beauty of northern Michigan summers, Jim and Bonnie were traveling the world together. All told, they visited 38 countries, all of the Canadian Provinces, and all 50 United States. As a lifelong Methodist, James McLeod entered into the Church Triumphant on January 31st, 2017. He was preceded in death by his parents, seven brothers and two sisters. He is survived by his wife Bonnie, cherished daughters and sons-in-law, Wynne and Brett Hoffacker, Paige Aranda, Kaye Lyn and Robert Beach, and Lee Ann Brinks. He is also survived by his adored grandchildren, Kiersen and Julia Hoffacker, Madison and Anthony Aranda, and by many nieces and nephews. For those who wish to do so, memorial gifts may be made in lieu of flowers, to the James M. Brinks Memorial Mission Fund at Williamsburg United Methodist Church, Box 40 Williamsburg MI, 49690.