Rev. Dr. James "Jim" Bassett Hurley

Rev. Dr. James Bassett "Jim" Hurley, 81, passed away peacefully on July 17, 2026, at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. Born on April 5, 1945, in Richmond, Virginia, Jim's life was defined by his love for his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In 1961, Jim became a Christ-follower through the ministry of L'Abri Fellowship in Huemoz, Switzerland. In 1966, he married his college sweetheart, Phyllis Black, at Park Hill Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. For the next 59 years, Jim and Phyllis served God together as husband and wife.

Jim's education reflected his commitment to Christ and others. He received a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary, as well as two Doctor of Philosophy degrees — one in New Testament from the University of Cambridge, the other in Marriage and the Family from Florida State University.

In 1985, Jim joined the faculty of Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a beloved professor of marriage and family therapy and the longest-serving residential faculty member in the seminary's history. Prior to his time at RTS, Jim served on staff at L'Abri Fellowship and taught as a professor of New Testament studies at Covenant College.

Jim was an avid and skilled hunter, often slipping coveralls on over his shirt and tie to hunt before or after work. He also loved gardening and delighted in picking blueberries and blackberries with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Phyllis Black Hurley; their sons, James Bassett Hurley Jr. and his wife, Jennifer, of Fairhope, Alabama; Andrew Laird Hurley and his wife, Leigh, also of Fairhope; and Timothy Philip Hurley and his wife, Susie, of Charlotte, North Carolina; and their eight grandchildren, Jane and Jack, Sylvia, Laura and Tessa, and Sarah, Susannah and Paul.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m., on Friday, July 24, 2026, at Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home – Fairhope Chapel in Fairhope, Alabama. A repast will follow at Christ Presbyterian Church in Daphne, Alabama.

A memorial service celebrating Jim's life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to Friends of Ugandan Children: https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/friends-of-ugandan-children-inc.

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