Jim was born on October 13, 1957. He was born again on June 12, 1994 at a Billy Graham Crusade at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. He graduated in 1975 from Mayfield High School, Mayfield, Ohio. After receiving an Associate in Arts in 1978 from Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina, Jim spent 25 years as the owner of Great Lakes Decorating, a Northeast Ohio painting company. Choosing to follow Christ, Jim was called to full time ministry in 2000, and received an Associates in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute in 2006. Serving as an ordained minister and chaplain for The Way Out Prison Ministry, Jim has been sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in prisons, jails and detention facilities with people looking for hope. In October 2013, Jim became the Director of Ministry.