James Bennett Obituary

Rev. Dr. James E. Bennett
Aiken - The Rev. Dr. James E. Bennett, 87, a resident of Trinity on Laurens Retirement Community, died on January 21, 2023, following a brief period of declining health. He is now in the arms of the Lord and reunited with his beloved wife, Charlotte Bennett, who passed away in July 2019. He was born to the late Mary and C. Thorne Bennett in 1935 in Brookeville, PA. He earned his B.A. degree at Thiel College, Greenville, PA; his M. Div. at Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary, Minneapolis, MN; and his D. Min. at Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY.
Dr. Bennett was ordained into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament on June 1, 1960. During his 60 years of ministry, he served as senior pastor at various ELCA congregations, including churches in Export, PA, Lexington, KY, and Pittsburgh, PA. In 1987, he accepted a call to St. Martin's Lutheran Church, Austin, TX and served there until his election as Bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod in 1994. He held that position until retirement in 2000.
Jim and Char moved to Aiken in 2007, where they formed close relationships with new friends and neighbors. They were active members at St. Paul Lutheran Church, where they both sang in the choir, and truly enjoyed living in Aiken for their retirement years. The family wishes to thank the entire staff at Trinity on Laurens who provided love and care for Jim over the past year. Blessings to all who visited and prayed.
Dr. Bennett was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Charlotte, in 2019. He is survived by children Chris Bennett (Jeri) of Charlotte, NC; Shelley Stamm (Bill) of Poolesville, MD; and Cindy Bennett (Dan) of Crownsville, MD; seven loving grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The service will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aiken, SC, and will be followed by a short reception.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program, Trinity on Laurens in Aiken, SC, or the charity of your choice.
The Historic George Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 211 Park Ave., SW, Aiken, SC 29801 (803.649.6234), has charge of arrangements.
Expressions of sympathy for the family may be
left by visiting www.georgefuneralhomes.com