Charles Sims
The Columbus community — and a much more expansive international faith community — owe much to retiring Bishop Charles A. Sims and his wife and co-pastor, Jane. Theirs is a legacy worthy of celebration.
That will come soon, when a banquet in their honor is rescheduled. There, many well-wishers will gather to commemorate the 47 years that The Rev. Charles Sims, and later his wife, ministered in Columbus. An event to honor the couple that had been scheduled was postponed as Bishop Sims recovered from COVID-19.
As The Republic’s Brian Blair reported last week, the couple have had a profound impact beyond the pulpit of Calvary Community Church and the more than 60 churches affiliated with Pentecostal Assemblies of the World — as far away as Nigeria and Cameroon — over which Bishop Sims presides.
“The 77-year-old clergyman, among the longest serving pastors ever locally with his wife and co-pastor … has been a big voice for racial equality at seemingly just the right time — when more minorities were moving into the area to take jobs with worldwide firms,” Blair wrote.
Likewise, Jane Sims has embodied a voice for women in leadership, especially in churches. “We’ve made some strides in those areas,” she told Blair. “And I believe we have been able to have some impact, including upon the general (church) relationships between males and females.”
The Simses have led from a position of faith to help ensure that our community was a place of equality, opportunity and inclusion for all, finding and nurturing common ground in the shared humanity that binds us. Yet as Blair reported, they have never flinched in calling out racism. Their faith, and the finest of every faith tradition, calls us all to do so.
When Charles Sims came to Columbus in 1975, the population of our city was roughly half what it is today. And as our population has increased steadily over the years, is has likewise become much more diverse in that time.
Here’s a fact not too commonly known: According to US Census data, among all 92 Indiana counties, Bartholomew County boasts the second-highest per capita foreign-born population — 10.5 percent of our residents were born in another country. We are among the most diverse counties our size in Indiana, much to our community’s benefit.
Much of that growth is due to the drivers of the local economy — international businesses such as Cummins Inc., Faurecia, Toyota Material Handling and others — that have a global reach when seeking out the most talented professionals.
“We have seen Columbus grow and evolve a lot through the years,” Pastor Jane Sims told Blair. “I would hope that we can believe that we have had at least some influence on that.”
There is no doubt that Bishop Charles and the Rev. Jane Sims have had a profound influence in that regard, and in making Columbus a more inviting and welcoming community for everyone. We are grateful for their legacy of service and commitment to living out their faith with an exemplary spirit.
