Rev. James R. Blackshear

J. R. Blackshear was born in a sharecropper's cabin on the Judd Hill Plantation near Trumann, Arkansas, on August 6, 1937. His parents were Robert and Lottie Blackshear. He has only one sibling, a younger sister, Patricia, living and serving the Lord, along with her husband, Don, near Rector, Arkansas. His mother and father were very active members of their local church. His spiritual roots go back to his grandparents, the C. E. Talleys, who received the Holy Ghost and were baptized in Jesus' name in the 1940s. He married his cute, little, blond nurse, Betty Smith, on June 10, 1961, and is the very thankful father of two beautiful daughters, Alice and Barbara, and his son Jim, who has successfully succeeded him as pastor in Anchorage. He is the proud grandfather of seven grandchildren, all of whom, he is happy to say, have been baptized in Jesus' name.

J. R. Blackshear has been an active licensed minister of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) since May 1961. He began his ministry in May 1960 while still serving in the US army at Fort Richardson, Alaska, and attending the First United Pentecostal Church in Anchorage, Alaska, pastored by Agnes Rich. Agnes Rich was very helpful to him as he recognized the call of God to preach the gospel and expressed his desire to enter the ministry. She became his mentor and opened her pulpit to him, allowing him to begin his public ministry.

J. R. Blackshear has served the UPCI in several capacities, as an evangelist for a short time, a Home Missions pastor in Kodiak, Alaska, as well as pastor of the United Pentecostal Church in Fairbanks, Alaska. He pastored for nearly five years in the Wisconsin District, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He and his family returned to Anchorage, Alaska in 1972 to pastor the First United Pentecostal Church of Anchorage. He was led of the Lord to organize the few Home Missions churches in Alaska into an official district of the UPCI and served a total of thirty-five years as overseer and district superintendent -- three years by General Board appointment and thirty-two years by election. He currently serves as an honorary member of the Alaska-Yukon District board, as well as an honorary General Board member.

Being encouraged by pilot and fellow UPCI preacher, Bill Crumpacker, J. R. Blackshear took it upon himself to become a pilot. He then became a licensed and certified flight instructor for the main purpose of training others to fly in order to provide a mode of transportation for gospel workers to reach the rural villages of the extremely large geographical area. He has taught many aspiring gospel workers to fly, as well as flying literally thousands of hours across the rural areas of the Alaska-Yukon District and into the many villages that have the need for a truth-preaching church.

J. R. Blackshear has told it far and wide that the UPCI is by far the very best Oneness ministerial organization there is. He would like to thank the UPCI family for allowing him to serve these many years. He prays that the blessings of the Lord continue to flow through us until He comes for His bride.