James Willcutt - Minister/Elder
Meet Our Ministers...
Born in Mobile, Alabama. His grandfather, W. R. Willcutt, was a gospel preacher.
His parents, Tom and Blanche Willcutt, faithful Christians. He is a graduate of
Freed-Hardeman College, Alabama Christian School of Religion, and Abilene Christian
University. He has served churches in Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Texas and Alabama. Mission work in Canada, Jamaica, Ceylon and India. He, along
with J. C. Bailey, founded the Kakinada School of Preaching, Kakinada, India. He
has written tracts and articles for brotherhood publications, and spoken on several
lectureships, including Freed-Hardeman, Abilene, Faulkner and Fort Worth. He has
taught at the Brown Trail School of Preaching, Kakinada School of Preaching, Madras
Bible College, Faulkner University and Gus Nichols School of Biblical Studies.
Married to Brenda, whom he met at Freed-Hardeman. They have two children, Kellock
and Tom, and two grandchildren, Isaiah and Jalyn. Brenda taught ladies classes at
Brown Trail, Madras Bible College and Kakinada School in India and has always been
deeply involved in local work and teaching children.
The Willcutts have worked with the Sandusky congregation over 14 years. During
most of this time, he has also worked as an instructor for Faulkner University and
for the past two years as a teacher at the Gus Nichols School of Biblical Studies
Allan Davis - Associate Minister/Elder
Birmingham native, Evangelist Allen Davis Sr., is a 1958 graduate of Western Olin
High School. Leaving thereafter to attend Southwestern Christian College. Brother
Davis was unable to complete his studies there, but God blessed him in 1965 to become
a recipient of His blessings and grace as an employee of Norfolk Southern Railroad.
It was during the mid-sixties when Brother Davis’ life as a student of the Word of
God and minister of the gospel was beginning to take shape. Always active in the
local church and zealous for personal work, between 1968-1971, Brother Davis was
asked to assume the pulpit ministry at both the Woodlawn Park church of Christ and
the Jasper church of Christ. Realizing the great opportunity wrought by demographic
changes in the city of Birmingham, in 1976 Brother Davis and his family became the
second African American family to affiliate with the Southwest church of Christ,
where he labored as a great personal worker and supporter of the ministries there.
In 1980, brethren at the 4th Avenue church of Christ faced stark options: discontinue
the fellowship there and sell the extraordinary building to the highest bidder, or
find a faithful man of God who could begin a new work. Brother Davis, a resident
of Bush Hills, was asked to assume the responsibility of continuing the work in the
community. Along with only 3-4 families, the Bush Hills congregation began a new
era under the leadership of Brother Davis as pulpit minister. In 1984, Brother Davis’
successor, Brother Peter Moss, began as pulpit minister and Brother Davis was ordained
elder in 1986. Brother Davis began worshipping with the Hillview church of Christ
in 1998.
Nothing inspires and motivates Brother Davis more than personal work. His studies
with relatives, friends, co-workers and neighbors through the years has been instrumental
in many obeying the gospel. Whether studying through the years via correspondence
courses offered by Sunset School of Preaching, or in the classes of Brother Ernest
Clevenger and Brother Franklin Camp, Brother Davis seeks nothing like an understanding
of the Word of God and disseminating it to his brothers and sisters.
Brother Davis has been married to his beautiful wife, Emma, for 46 years. They are
the proud parents of three wonderful children: Linda, Donna and Allen, Jr.
Phillip Brown - Associate Minister
Phillip Brown is the son of Hayward Carl Brown and Jean Elmira Dean Brown. He is
the tenth of their twelve children and was born in Detroit, Michigan on the third
of July in 1964. With his father being a member of the church of Christ and a preacher
of the gospel Phillip was raised in the church and began preaching at the age of
seventeen.
Phillip completed his high school education at Elba High School in Elba, Alabama
in 1982 and went on to complete his BA Degree in ministry and biblical studies at
Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama in 1986. During his college years Phillip
worked as ministerial team leader to supply preachers for the Hooks Street church
of Christ in Fort Deposit, Alabama. Phillip has preached in various places throughout
Alabama and has served as the assistant minister at the church of Christ at Kinston
in Kinston, Alabama, the minister for the Church of Christ at Montgomery/Woodley
Rd in Montgomery, Alabama, and an associate minister for the Bush Hills church of
Christ in Birmingham, Alabama.
Phillip currently serves as an associate minister for the Sandusky church of Christ
in Birmingham, Alabama. He works as a teacher for the Jefferson County School System
and is currently in the process of completing a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration.
He has a genuine love for the Lord and prays that he will always be able to let
God use him to further the cause and growth of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
