Bible Institute of South Africa

Athelstone Harry Jeffree James, long time friend, trustee and lecturer at BI was born in England on 24th November 1915.  

He attended a Sunday School run by the Christian Brethren and made a commitment of his life to Christ at the age of 11. At school he particularly enjoyed history, debating, and reading.

The late 1920’s and early 1930’s was a time of economic depression and this impacted badly upon the family’s circumstances. Harry took up caddying from the age of 11 to supplement the family income. (He would sometimes caddie twice on a Saturday: 3 shillings for 8 miles!) At the age of 14 he was forced to leave school and became ‘general factotum’ (‘starting at the bottom of the economic ladder’, as he euphemistically put it) at a Christian Bookshop in Weston-Super-Mare, where he worked for the next six years. Fortunately for his future, Harry met this adversity by improving his education through part-time studies and reading widely. 

He was baptized and also came to listen to the Wycliffe preachers belonging to the Protestant Truth Society. He identified with their message, and at the age of 20 he enrolled at the Kensit Memorial and Wycliffe Bible College in London and became a Wycliffe preacher himself, being ordained in July 1936. He then spent three valuable and formative years travelling and preaching throughout England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

One month into World War II, Harry took up a call to the ministry of the Litchfield Street Baptist Church, Willenhall, the ‘locks & keys’ town near Birmingham. 

On 27th December 1939, he married Irene Ruby Kindred, a farmer’s daughter, whom he had met during a Wycliffe preaching tour to East Anglia three years earlier.

In 1944 Harry received an invitation to be the Secretary of the Protestant Association of South Africa (which had been established in 1923). At very short notice, he boarded the ‘Merchant Captain’ in Liverpool on Christmas Eve, arriving in Cape Town in mid-January 1945. Because of news blackouts he arrived unannounced; and because of post-war limitations in shipping capacity, Irene and their little son, Ivan, were able to arrive here only in August 1946.

In South Africa, Harry James promoted the principles of the Protestant Association for sixty-four years, his ministry having three main focuses: 

In the early years, Harry travelled around Southern Africa a great deal, with many preaching and lecturing engagements relating to Protestant witness. His early lectures were illustrated by means of glass ‘lantern’ slides (8x8cm!) that although heavy and cumbersome, were remarkably clear. It was to gain material for his lectures and publications that he visited Fascist Spain in 1951 and Columbia in 1960 to research at first hand a life-long concern of his, namely the crucial need for religious freedom and the right of all to practice their beliefs according to the dictates of conscience, unhindered by State or Church. 

He also screened the ‘Martin Luther’ film throughout the county to promote the principles of the Protestant Reformation.

The latter half of his ministry involved much less travelling, but he continued the second avenue of Protestant activity -- the regular publication of a magazine, “Protestant Reveille”, from 1945 onwards. 

The third aspect of his ministry was the opening of a Christian bookshop in Progress Lane, in the heart of Cape Town. In 1975 a small shop and two derelict houses in Main Road Mowbray were bought and re-developed as one large complex for both the Protestant Association and the Protestant Book Centre, which by this time had significantly expanded its scope to include wholesaling. 

A strong partnership was developed with Inter-Varsity Press (UK). This included the printing locally and co-publishing of a number of titles in response to the catastrophic fall in the Rand. In a warm tribute, Brian Wilson CEO of IVP says: (Regarding the publishing of books) Jeffree was a man of firm principles. He was always clear about what he stood for and why. Never short of an opinion, he could always explain why Scripture had brought him to that particular conclusion. Our partnership was primarily one of shared (Christian) ministry.

Harry saw his ministry in broad terms: 

It is interesting to recall now that he was once actively involved in youth ministry: in the early 1950’s with the Church of England youth and young peoples’ holiday camps on a farm near Firgrove; later as camp director at Baptist Youth camps up in the mountains in Happy Valley, Bains Kloof. The latter were held under entirely canvas, and one memorable Easter the river came down heavily in flood, with the result that hikers had to be assisted across the river with guy ropes hastily taken from the sodden tents!

Almost from the outset of his ministry in South Africa, Harry served on the committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Cape Town. In favour of far greater autonomy, he strongly espoused the establishment of what was to become the Bible Society of South Africa; then continuing what was to become a life-long involvement by serving on both the local and national boards.

Harry James was at the re-establishment ceremony of the Bible Institute of South Africa in 1945.  He was invited to lecture on Church History, a key interest of his, and on related subjects there, continuing to do so for the next 25 years. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Council for many years, and finally as Chairman for 12 years.

He also played a part in both the formation of the Cape Evangelical Bible Institute (now known as Cornerstone Christian College) and the George Whitfield College (which serves mainly the Church of England in South Africa). 

Over the years he was a loyal member of the Baptist pastoral fraternity, preaching in many Baptist Churches and playing an active role in denominational life:

He served for many years on the Citizenship committee of the Baptist Union of South Africa. Rev. Peter Holness, former Chairman, comments: Harry’s greatest contribution to the Union lay, I believe, in the socio-political realm where his writings were powerful and prophetic. He combined foresight, clarity and moral courage as he tackled the “big issues”, both political and ecclesiastical.  

In response to the challenge of building churches and establishing a ministry among the burgeoning communities on the Cape Flats, Harry James proposed to the Baptist Union that a theological college be established in the Western Cape. This was accepted, and he became closely involved in the early development of what has developed into the present-day Cape Town Baptist Seminary. 

Hand-in-hand with the training of pastors at the college in its early days went the work of the Extension Committee of the Western Province Baptist Association. Harry James and fellow committee members facilitated the establishment of many new Baptist churches, inter alia, by securing suitable building sites as the townships expanded. 

Pinelands and Family Matters: 

It was in 1947, a year after Irene and Ivan had joined Harry in South Africa that the little family settled in the suburb of Pinelands. He was part of the committee that met to discuss the starting of morning services in the home of Dr Robert Turner in 1948 – a group that became the Pinelands Baptist Church in February 1949. The Baptist Women’s Association met in the James’ home, with Irene James as the President. 

Two more sons were born into the James family – Hugh (January 1949) and Martin (September 1960). All three sons trained in the teaching profession, although Hugh first spent some years as a navigating officer in the merchant navy. 

On 8th May 1989 Irene passed away after a prolonged illness, and Harry kept the memory of her alive within the family circle, speaking lovingly and appreciatively of her gentleness, and lovely, gracious, qualities. From then on the family rallied round, and Harry had regular weekly dates to have supper at the households of his sons. In what he described as one of the best decisions of his life, he took up residence in the newly established Pinewood Retirement Village 16 years ago. He enjoyed staying there and was well-liked by his fellow villagers. 

At the time of his passing, Harry James had eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The family photographs which lined his walls and bookcases were evidence of the fact that his family was of paramount importance to him, and he took particular delight in the progress of the great-grandchildren.