Rev. James Mercer Hancock, 95, of Greenville, South Carolina, formerly of Barney, Georgia, went to be with his Savior on January 21, 2020.  The funeral service was held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Lakeview Baptist Church in Lenox, Georgia.  A committal service with military honors followed at the Lenox Cemetery in Lenox.  Bruce Arnold provided the opening and welcome for the service; Gary James and Dick Kelly provided prayers at the service and testimonies of Rev. Hancock's life and legacy were given by his children: Virginia Arnold, Rose Mary Kelly, Paul Hancock and David Hancock.  The grandchildren and their spouses performed "I'd Rather Have Jesus" and a gospel hymn medley of "Jesus Paid It All" and "Bringing in the Sheaves."  The congregation sang "To God Be the Glory" and "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms."  Rev. Gary James performed the committal service at the cemetery.  Rev. Hancock's grandsons served as pallbearers.  Visitation took place from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, January 24, 2020, at Boone Funeral Home, 1804 S. Hutchinson Ave. in Adel, Georgia.

James was born near Lenox, Georgia on December 21, 1924, to the late Simmie Griffin Hancock and Ruth Allen Hancock. When he was nine years old, James placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized in Brushy Creek near the Brushy Creek Baptist Church where the family attended. James married Carrie Lou Godwin of Lenox on November 19, 1950.

When James and Carrie Lou married, James had already served for ten years in the US Army Artillery.  After receiving special instruction in field artillery in Oklahoma, Mr. Hancock was sent in March of 1945 to the South Pacific for the Philippine WWII invasion.  He was in northern Luzon near Baguio City in August, 1945, when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan and WWII soon ended.  After WWII, Mr. Hancock's work changed from the field of electronics to the field of nuclear special weapons.  In 1948 he changed from serving in the US Army to service in the United States Air Force.  When the Korean War began in 1950, the USA was under the threat of nuclear attack, and Staff Sergeant Hancock was assigned to Sandia Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he served from 1950-1955.  He was in charge of a school that trained men to set up remote outposts, complete with electrical systems, during times of war.

As part of the WWII pre-war and war effort James was stationed at Fort Taylor, Key West, Florida; Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia; Fort Story, Virginia Beach, Virginia (he was there on December 7, 1941.); Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, NC; Fort Pendleton, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Manila in the Philippines; Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas; Fort Myer, Arlington, Virginia; and Sandia AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  After they were married in 1950, James and Carrie Lou served for 12 more years in the military and were stationed at the following locations: Sandia AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Patrick AFB, Cocoa Beach Florida; Bentwater AFB, Ipswich, England; and Travis Air Force Base, Vacaville, California. Finally, in 1960, near the end of his military career, James and his family would come back (with three children and the fourth to be born in February, 1962) to Manzano Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  On December 31, 1962, after twenty-two years of military service as an Electrical Engineer and Nuclear Weapons Officer, James retired as a Chief Warrant Officer of the United States Air Force.  He had received the following medals: WWII Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal AR 600-68, American Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with one Bronze Star, Philippines Liberation Ribbon with one Bronze Star.

After retiring from the military, James returned to Georgia, his home state, and bought a farm between Barney and Morven, Georgia.  He answered the call of God to pastor churches in South Georgia.  He was ordained to the gospel ministry at Lakeview Baptist Church, Lenox, Georgia on October, 1,1964, and faithfully pastored for over forty years: Magnolia Baptist Church, Quitman Georgia; Pineview Baptist Church, Funston, Georgia; Berlin Baptist Church, Berlin Georgia; Philadelphia Baptist Church, Quitman, Georgia; and Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Moultrie, Georgia.  James also maintained a gospel preaching radio broadcast for fifty-one years on WMTM in Moultrie, Georgia.  The fifteen-minute program, called "Good News Time" aired every Sunday afternoon and included music and a short gospel message.  James also served as the moderator of a panel of pastors that answered Bible questions weekly on the air of the Christian radio station, WAFT, in Valdosta, Georgia.

James' family and those in his churches will remember him as passionate in his love for God and His Word and intense in his love for his wife, children, and spiritual family. James leaves behind his wife of 69 years, Carrie Lou Hancock of Greenville, SC; four children and their spouses, Virginia Mae Arnold (Bruce) in Greenville, SC; Rose Mary Kelly (Dick) in Greenville, SC; Paul Braston Hancock (Donna) in Birmingham AL; and David James Hancock (Dawn) in Humboldt, IA.

James also leaves eighteen grandchildren and their spouses: Nathan Arnold (Danielle) in Greenville, SC; Daniel Arnold (Jennifer) in Neunkirchen, Germany; Joel Arnold (Sarah) in Quezon City, Philippines; and Samuel Arnold (Esther) in Greenville, SC; Rebecca Kelly Goernandt (Christian) in Wedderstedt, Germany; Richard Kelly (Felicity) in Houston, TX; James Hancock Kelly (Ashley) in Houston, TX;  Hannah Kelly Rodriquez (Silas) in Austin, TX; and Esther Kelly Dean (Kyle) in San Antonio, TX; Michael Hancock in Valdosta, GA; Mark Hancock (Joy) in Simpsonville, SC; Matthew Hancock (Becky) in Cambodia; Mitchell Hancock (Aimee) in Kilgore, TX;  and Maria Hancock Graves (Bryant) in Greenville, SC; Naomi Hancock Ronan (Andrew) in Byron, MN; Joshua Hancock (Bethany) in Paullina, IA; Chris Hancock (Malarie) in Topeka, KS; Elizabeth Hancock Wilson (Jaron) in Paullina, IA.

He leaves 34 great-grandchildren: Robert James Arnold in Greenville, SC; Caleb, Lucy, Phillip, and  Silas Arnold in Neunkirchen, Germany; Jeremy, Zachary, Caroline, and Joy Arnold in Quezon City, Philippines; Martin, Olivia, and Tobi Goernandt in Wedderstedt, Germany; Alex and Auden James Hancock Kelly in Houston, TX; James and Grace Hancock in Valdosta, GA; Jonathan, Jedidiah, Hope, Hans David James, and Ethan Hancock in Cambodia; Francis and Eddie Hancock in Kilgore, TX; Marcus and Evelyn Graves in Greenville, SC; Liam, Levi, and Andrew Hancock in Paullina, IA; Eliana Ronan in Byron, MN; Jet, Avi, and Rowan Hancock in Topeka, KS; Walter and Peter Wilson in Paullina, IA.

James is survived by one sister, Mary Beadie (Hancock) Joiner of Adel, GA; one sister-in-law, Repsie Rose (Godwin) James of Lenox, GA and many nieces and nephews.

James was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Sim Hancock, his four brothers: Robert Jay Hancock of Pinehurst, GA, S.G. Hancock of Waxahachie, TX, Bill Hancock of San Antonio, TX, and Charles Hancock of MD.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to:

Gospel Fellowship Association (gfamissions.org/give/) 1809 Wade Hampton Blvd. Suite 110 Greenville SC 29609

Evangelical Mission to the Unreached (emuinternational.org/donate/) 209 Roberts Road Taylors, SC 29687

WGIB Radio (gleniris.net/wgib) 1137 10th Place South Birmingham, AL 35205.