Dr. James F. Allen (“Jim”), age 87, of Colleyville, Texas, quietly passed away on November 5, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. A man of great faith, he left this world knowing he would be reunited with loved ones and the Lord.
Jim was born on February 6, 1935, to Lewis and Pauline Allen in East Rochester, New York, and was the youngest of twelve siblings. After graduating from East Rochester High School, he followed God’s call to ministry and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Theology from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. There he also met the love of his life, Frances Gunnarson, and Jim and Fran married on August 6, 1956.
An ordained minister, Jim started his life-long career as a pastor in 1955. With his wife, Fran, by his side they served and pastored Assemblies of God churches in Clay Hill, Missouri, Ada, Minnesota, Slayton, Minnesota, Sisseton, South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Lexington, Minnesota. While pastoring in Sioux Falls, he obtained a Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Ministry degree from North American Baptist Seminary, (now Sioux Falls Seminary). In addition, he served as a presbyter for the South Dakota Assemblies of God District.
Jim added the title “Professor” to his career and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1981 to be the Chair for the Bible and Theology Department at North Central University, where he served for close to 30 years. Jim loved teaching and mentoring students during those years and he and Fran were always hosting students, faculty, and staff at their home. Jim also loved to travel and meet people, and during the summers he and Fran would travel abroad where he taught and trained students for ministry in over twenty different countries. Jim impacted the lives of thousands of people over the years as a pastor and a professor, and his pastoral spirit of love, kindness, generosity, and hospitality was evident in all he did.
Jim lived a full life with Fran and together raised four wonderful children that expanded to include three great daughters-in-law, eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Jim was loved and cherished by so many in his life and was preceded in death by his parents, Lewis and Pauline Allen, his three sisters and eight brothers, and several nephews. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Fran Allen; his son, Jim Allen and wife Tara and children, Mallory, Matthew and Madison; his daughter, Linda Allen; his son John Allen and wife Tamara and children, Hannah, Heidi and Haylee; and son Mark Allen and wife Josie and children Lindsey and Lauren; and numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and close friends throughout the world.
Visitation will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home from 4:00 -6:00 p.m., and a Celebration of Life service will be held on November 16, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Fossil Creek Community Church, at 6700 Riverside Drive, Fort Worth, TX. For those not able to attend, the service will be livestreamed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to one or both of the scholarship funds established in recognition of Dr. James Allen at Evangel University, James F. Allen Endowment or North Central University, please click here.https://mail.sci-
To leave an online remembrance or condolence to the family, please visit our website at BluebonnetHills.com
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