Advocate of the Month: Lifting up others
In past 60 years pastor has never tired of helping people
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J.V Helms Ministry: 60 years
Helms hits his 80th birthday on July 26, his 60th year ministry mark July 16, and his 56th wedding anniversary Aug. 7
Helms ministered full-time at five churches
Since his retirement in 1994, he ...
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J.V Helms Ministry: 60 years
Helms hits his 80th birthday on July 26, his 60th year ministry mark July 16, and his 56th wedding anniversary Aug. 7
Helms ministered full-time at five churches
Since his retirement in 1994, he has been interim pastor at 32 different Baptist churches in the Golden Crescent
He's been a wedding minister 225 times
He's delivered more than 11,000 speeches, messages, or sermons of any kind
Has spoken at nearly 500 funerals
Do you know of someone who has given of themselves to help their community or a group in their community? If so then they could be an Advocate of the Month. Please send the person's name, some information about them, their contact information, your contact information to newsroom@vicad.com put in subject: Advocate of the Month; by mail: P.O. Box 1518 Victoria, TX 77902; fax: 361-574-1220 attention Advocate of the Month; or hand deliver to the newsroom at 311 E. Constitution St. We look forward to hearing from you.
Even after speaking at nearly 500 funerals, giving 11,000 speeches, and ministering at 225 weddings, the Rev. Joseph "J.V." Helms still enjoys what he does.
Helms, of Victoria, retired in 1994 from being a Baptist minister, but he's been interim pastor ever since.
"I've never woken up one morning and say 'I wish I didn't do this'," Helms, 79, said. "I have never tired of working with people and ministering to them. I've just enjoyed working with people and then seeing the evidence of improvement. I still make hospital calls and home calls, mostly to people in homes who are ill."
Since March, he has been interim pastor at First Baptist Church in Bloomington until a full-time pastor is found.
Helms last ministered full time at Baptist Temple Church in Victoria for 22 years until 1994, when he retired.
Marvin Williamson of Victoria appreciated the way Helms responded to Williamson's family tragedy in 2003.
A drunken driver crashed into Williamson's house and ran across the bed of his son Kelley while he slept and killed him.
"My wife called him, and he said he'd be right over," Williamson, 72, said. "He and his wife both came, and he comforted us and prayed with us. He tried to do anything he could do as a pastor and friend. That's the kind of person he is."
Helms also uses humor in his sermons, Williamson said.
"He's got a good sense of humor," Williamson said. "He tries to throw you off a bit. He told a lot of humorous stories and could usually relate them to his message and help keep the people interested in his sermon and keep the attention on God."
Helms is a personable kind of pastor, said Ron Dickson of Victoria.
"He's one that is an extremely warm person," Dickson, 62, said. "He really cares about his people, each one individually. And he always brings a warm and personal touch to all the funerals he holds."
Helms was born a twin in Moulton in 1929, only his mother didn't know it until 15 minutes before the delivery.
"My brother was born first," he said. "Then the nurse called the doctor back, and said, 'Molly, you're going to be having another baby.' I had no name."
His mother wasn't prepared for a second child. They had a three-bedroom farm house in Moulton. She had to think of another name somehow, he said.
"My brother was Junior. The doctor's name was Joseph Vincent Dozier. So, Daddy discussed it and decided to name me Joseph Vincent after the doctor."
Helms got his bachelor of arts in Bible studies and two minors in Greek and church education from what is now Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 1953.
While in college, he met his wife, Ola.
"He stopped to change my tire, said Ola, 76. "I was by myself and had a flat on campus. He stopped and fixed it. He asked for my number, and then he called me. The rest was history."
The couple are coming up on their 56th wedding anniversary this August. They will also have a family reunion on the Fourth of July weekend.
Marrying a pastor had never crossed Ola's mind, she said.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would marry a minister," Ola said. " But it's been good. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
Helms first ministered at Papalote Baptist Mission in Skidmore in 1951.
"They paid me $12 a week," he said.
Through the next few years, Helms ministered at churches in Stephenville, Point Comfort and La Marque.
In the late 1970s, Helms had a five-minute television show called "Strength for Today," where he'd give short devotionals five days a week. The show aired for 11 years.
He also helped out in crusades and missionary trips in California, Ohio, and Mexico.
He arrived at Baptist Temple Church in Victoria in 1972. Ola remained at his side the entire time.
"We do a lot of things together," she said. "We do visitations, church work, hospital ministries, and I feel like that's an important part of my calling to be a helpmate."
As hard as it is sometimes to help people with marriage problems, and drug and alcohol addictions, Helms said, he never got discouraged.
"I've always tried to attend meetings or seminaries that would help me to stay on the positive side of things," he said. "I've spent a lot of time with people that have lifted me up too. When you're a people person and working with them, you don't take a lot of time to think about yourself. You're out there with others."
Families tend to be too busy these days and aren't spending enough time together as they should, Helms said. Be sure to set time aside with your family.
"Being too busy has caused fragmentation of the family," he said. "The kids come in and they get their mac and cheese that they make themselves, and then they're gone. Make whatever time you have quality time. It takes a lot of discipline to do that."
Doris Dickson said she cherishes all that Helms has taught her and her family.
He's just a wonderful, sincere person who takes his calling to the ministry very seriously," Dickson said. "That's not something people just retire from. Even though he's not a full-time pastor, he's still ministering to churches when they need him. He doesn't feel like it was something that you just give up."
