Pastor J.Randy Grimes

On February 2, 2022, Dr. Rev/Pastor James "Randy" Grimes stepped from this life to his eternal reward and home after a brief illness. Randy was born in Norton, Virginia on February 14, 1951 to Charles Homer "Charlie" Grimes and Annie Bell (Maggard) Grimes from Appalachia, Virginia. Randy met the love of his life, Angie Barker as a teenager, and they were married when Randy was just 17 years old, and Angie was 14.

Randy and Angie moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1968 for employment and to start their own family. They have four wonderful children, Lisa Chafin (husband Hank), Rev. Joshua Grimes (wife Melissa), Jacob Grimes (wife Amanda), and Luke Grimes (wife Bianca), along with seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Pastor Randy loved hunting, fishing, and traveling, and he loved doing it all with his family. They were his first priority.

Pastor Randy started pastoring at Open Bible Christian Church in 1977 at the young age of 26, following in the footsteps of his father while fulfilling his own calling from the Lord. He worked, attended Bible College, and raised a family at the same time. For over 44 years, Pastor Randy faithfully served at Open Bible Christian Church with a strong emphasis on "Building Relationships That Make a Difference" and intentionally raising up a new generation of leaders. Scores of ministers, church leaders, and ministry leaders owe their start and formative years to Pastor Randy's mentorship. Pastor Randy was a lifelong learner earning his Doctorate of Ministry at United Theological Seminary in 2006. This helped solidify Pastor Randy's heart and intentions in investing in future leaders. For the last 15 years, Pastor Randy, while pastoring OBC, also worked closely with UTS students helping to mentor and guide their education and preparation for ministry. Dr. Rev/Pastor Randy Grimes will be sorely missed by his family, his church family, his students, and all who knew him. What can be best said of Pastor Randy is a truth of scripture "He fought the good fight, he finished his race, and there is now laid up for him a crown of righteousness which the Lord gave to him on that day"!

The family wants to thank everyone for their overflowing of love and concern for them during this deeply emotional and challenging time. Services for Pastor Randy are as follows.

Friday, February 11, from 4:00pm-7:00pm, there will be a visitation to show your condolences to the family.

Saturday, February 12, at 12:00 pm (Noon), there will be a Celebration of Life Service to Celebrate Pastor Randy's life with a graveside service to follow. All extended family, friends, and those influenced by Pastor Randy are invited to come.

Visitation and Service Location: Way of the Cross Church 612 Beatrice Dr. Dayton, OH 45404

Gravesite: Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery 8135 N Dixie Dr., Dayton 45414

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given toward a memorial bench in Pastor Randy's honor. Donations can be given at the services or sent to Open Bible Christian Church 4715 Burkhardt Ave Dayton, Ohio 45403. Checks can be made out to Open Bible Christian Church marked Memorial Bench in the memo. Thank You!

To share a memory of Pastor Randy or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.