WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) — Jim Shaddix, longtime seminary professor, pastor and ministry leader, died after a yearlong battle with brain cancer Feb. 1. He was 64.

Shaddix had been a preaching professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) for 12 years. Prior to that, he held an adjunct teaching position at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (now Gateway) from 2006-2012 and held several roles at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary from 1994-2005, including preaching professor, dean of the chapel and director of professional doctoral programs. Through all that, he continued to serve churches in various leadership roles.

“Dr. Shaddix left an indelible impact on the lives of countless individuals,” SEBTS said in a statement Monday (Feb. 3). “As a champion of prayer and expository preaching, Dr. Shaddix first and foremost sought God’s glory as he mentored young pastors, shepherded congregations, and taught thousands of students how to exposit the Word of God with humility and faithfulness. He was deeply passionate about the character of the pastor and the preparation of preaching God’s Word, and in his life he faithfully modeled what he taught.”

Shaddix held the W.A. Criswell Chair of Expository Preaching at SEBTS and was the senior fellow of the seminary’s Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership. In December of last year, the seminary installed a chair of expository preaching in Shaddix’s honor.

SEBTS President Danny Akin said Shaddix’s loss will be felt.

“Jim Shaddix was a unique and precious gift to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Akin said. “He was also a much loved and cherished friend. He was a great teacher and preacher of the Bible. He was an unbelievable mentor and disciple maker. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Simply put, he was a man of God and a faithful servant of King Jesus. I will miss him tremendously. But I am also comforted by the fact that I will see him again.”

Shaddix is the author of several books on preaching, including two co-written with Jerry Vines. He was a sought-after speaker at numerous conferences, revivals and lecture series.

His most recent full-time pastoral role was serving as pastor of teaching/training at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., from 2012-2015. He served as senior pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Denver (2005-2012), Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans (2002-2004) and Pine Grove Baptist Church in Picayune, Miss., (1993-1994) and was founding pastor of Arlington Park Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, where he served from 1984-1993. He also served as interim pastor at numerous churches throughout the Southeast.

Shaddix was saved at the age of 9 and called to preach at age 21. According to a memorial page released from SEBTS, he was troubled by what he perceived to be hypocrisy among some preachers he admired as a young man. He later said that experience caused him to strive to be the same man both publicly and privately.

“It was a very disillusioning time for me,” he is quoted as saying, “and that was one of the things God used to show me that our actions — the things we say, things we do — have an impact on people.”

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee President and CEO Jeff Iorg said Shaddix’s consistency was evident.

“Jim Shaddix was a man of truth and integrity,” Iorg told Baptist Press. “I’m grateful he was the same man everywhere he was.”

Chuck Lawless, SEBTS dean, professor and well-known ministry leader, noticed it too.

“No matter how old I get, I continually watch for godly, consistent, authentic men who are role models of faith for me,” Lawless wrote on Shaddix’s memorial page. “I count Jim Shaddix among that number. I, along with generations of students, love the Lord more because of Dr. Shaddix’s influence in our lives”

When asked to give advice to young pastors, Shaddix told SEBTS, “Everything comes back to the Word. We have to trust the Word to do its work. … Depend on that, start there, and stay there and trust that.

“Trust that to be where your content comes from, where your authority comes from, where your power comes from. Everything comes back to the Word, and I know it begins to sound trite when you’re constantly saying just preach the Word. But the reality is that’s what Paul said to do.”

In an SEBTS chapel service last year, Shaddix and Akin discussed the Bible’s promises of eternal life for the Christian, including the promise that the Lord will wipe away all tears.

“I can’t tell you how rich that becomes when you’re actually looking at that and thinking about that, because there’s been a lot of pain and crying and mourning in this journey,” Shaddix said.

“From an eschatological standpoint, knowing that that is what awaits me on the other side — it has been such an encouragement, such a blessing — and that Jesus is going to usher that in, usher me into that.”

Shaddix is survived by his wife of 42 years Debra, adult children Clint, Shane and Dallys, and several grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, Feb. 7, at 1 p.m. in Binkley Chapel on the campus of SEBTS. Following the funeral, there will be a reception in the Jacumin-Simpson Rotunda.

The seminary has invited people to post memorials to Shaddix at a special page here.