Sharon Elizabeth James
Published 10:26 am Thursday, May 8, 2025
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VIRGINIA BEACH – Rev. Sharon Elizabeth James, age 73, died on May 5, 2025, at her home in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Sharon was born on Oct. 3, 1951 in Fairfax, Virginia to Mildred and Roy James. The fourth of six children, she grew up on a dairy farm in Amelia, Virginia. After graduating from Amelia High School in 1970, she attended Radford University, where she earned a degree in Elementary Education. Sharon spent four years teaching in Amelia County and two years as a Journeyman missionary in the Dominican Republic.
Sharon Elizabeth James
attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky from 1980 to 1984, graduating with a Master of Divinity.
After graduation, she was called to Franklin Baptist Church in Franklin, Virginia, where she would spend the next 30 years serving as their Associate Pastor. During a time when ordaining women in Baptist ministry was becoming more controversial, the congregation affirmed her call to ministry and ordained her in 1986. She was an early member of Virginia Baptist Women in Ministry and an advocate for the Franklin Cooperative Ministry. Upon retirement in 2014, she was named Associate Pastor for Education Emeritus at Franklin Baptist.
In her retirement, Sharon moved to Virginia Beach, where she cherished having more time for crafts and for visits with family. She joined Freemason Street Baptist Church where she enjoyed experiencing the “volunteer side” of church service.
Sharon was preceded in death by her parents and by her brother, Clayton James. She is survived by her brothers, Marvin James (Vivian) and Wesley James; sisters, Anita Rourke (Bob) and Wanda Konkright (Dan); and a whole host of cousins, nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 24, at 11 a.m. at Freemason Street Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia. The family will greet visitors one hour before the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Freemason Street Baptist Church, 400 E. Freemason Street, Norfolk, VA 23510.