Troy Hamby

There’s so much I can say about my Dad, Jim Hamby, but I don’t think I could do it justice if I sat here and typed all day long. In a time when such a large portion of pastors drop out of the ministry due to stress and burnout, my Dad persevered no matter how many crazy church members came against him, no matter how bad the finances looked, no matter how much the devil was attacking him and his family. He was faithful because he was called and he never forgot that calling. Even when his kidneys were failing him and he couldn’t see out of 1 eye and his feet were so swelled that he could barely get shoes on, he preached his heart out and cared for his church people like they were family. He was a man of God…a man of integrity, honesty, compassion and grace.

But, he was so much more than that to me. He was my Dad. He was the ultimate example of what a provider should be. When we lived on a shoe string budget and we barely had food, we always had everything that we needed and more…even if it meant him having to work 2 or 3 other jobs while pastoring full time. When I became a teenager and rebelled against everything and everyone, my Dad never made me feel bad or like a failure. He was just there for me. When I would stagger in at 4 am, drunk as a skunk, he would be sitting there on the porch, waiting for me. He didn’t yell at me or look at me with a disappointed look…he just got up, opened the door and put his arm around me as we went inside. When I got kicked out of Lee College twice for drugs, he came down and got me and took me home, making sure he stopped at my favorite restaurant on the way home.

Jim Hamby was a living example of how a man should be. A devoted husband, a caring and loving father and a child of God who was madly in love with Jesus. Dad, we’ll miss you horribly but we are all so happy that you are with your savior now and we’ll see you soon!