It was the first time he ever set foot in a church, she said. What followed was a dedicated life of service to God and to the church, his wife told hundreds at a memorial service at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville.

Jim Tatum, a longtime Sunday School teacher at First Baptist, a leader in state denominational life and the father of four adopted children, died May 26. He was 85.

Known throughout the Southern Baptist Convention for his "Suits for Servants" ministry, Tatum clothed thousands of ministers and missionaries, domestically and internationally.

After a successful career in insurance, Tatum opened a string of men's clothing stores but eventually invested his time in operating only one while he traveled to show his wares at conferences, conventions, schools and seminaries.

Bernice Tatum joined First Baptist Jacksonville's pastor Mac Brunson, executive pastor of education Steve Clifton and Florida Baptist Convention's executive director-treasurer John Sullivan on the platform behind the flag-draped casket where her husband rested May 30.

She thanked those in attendance for honoring her "sweet husband" and lightened the moment with a revelation. "Can you believe he told me to do this?" After pausing for laughter, she said, "I thought that was stretching the submission."

Recalling young Tatum as a "very handsome visitor" at the young persons' fellowship following church those long years ago, Bernice spoke affectionately of his long, black, curly hair and his olive skin, blue eyes and "nice smile."

"I don't remember the first sentence I spoke to him, but I know what his was: 'Can I get your phone number?'" she chuckled.

A few weeks later the two were smitten and after four months (it took her mother that long to sew the bridesmaids' dresses) they were married, but only after Tatum was saved. After he had "gotten out of the rain," Bernice said. "He was immediately changed and eager to find out more and more and more."

The most meaningful habit the Tatums had in their marriage was their daily devotions, Bernice recalled. He made the coffee, fluffed her pillows, and then they spent time reading the Bible and praying together.

"God gave us four wonderful adopted children, and they gave us nine wonderful grandchildren; and so a lot of our prayer time was devoted to them, and he prayed by every one of them by name," Bernice said.

"He's just a man of prayer, he's the real deal. The same at home and at church," Bernice said. "Except he didn't shake as many of our hands."

What she will miss the most, Bernice said, is her daily quiet time with her husband. Reading Ecclesiastes 7 the day after he died, Bernice said she was surprised at Solomon's words, "the day of death is better than the day of birth.'"

While she pondered this, Bernice said that although some fear death and avoid going to funerals, "there is still time to change, to examine the direction our lives are going and have time to confess our sins before God before we have to stand in front of Him as our judge."

"Jim and I lived 63 happy years, and I pray that for all of you," she concluded. "Give God and His Word first place in your lives, and that's the most exciting life that you could ever live. Don't just show up at church Christmas and Easter. Give Him your best. All that Christ has done for us, how can we do less?"

Brunson spoke comforting words to family members and those gathered, reminding them Tatum had a great capacity to love. "Jim Tatum loved this church," Brunson said. "Because he loved this church, he loved the house of the Lord."

Comparing Tatum to Barnabas of the Bible, Brunson said Tatum was an encourager who taught people in his Sunday School class at First Baptist to go out and knock on doors to visit people before fellowshipping with each other.

"He loved people. He loved saved people, he loved lost people and he loved preachers," Brunson said of Tatum. "He pastored that class.... There's a legacy left to us in the man."

Through the business and ministry Tatum developed, Brunson recalled the layman taking men's suits to students at a seminary in upstate New York where the young men often would proclaim, "It's the only suit I've ever had."

In Germany, where First Baptist has a partnership training pastors in a church where Baptists' forefathers' worshiped, "a third of those preachers there I know have been clothed by Jim Tatum," Brunson said. Continued...