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A SHINING TROPHY OF
GOD’S GRACE!
Missionary Jimmy Rose (March 11, 1937 – July 20, 2021)
By Sean Lunday
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was
not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:10).

“Pastor Jaime,” as Jimmy Rose was affectionately known to our people, has been called
by some the Apostle of Brazil. His love for Brazil and for Brazilians was impressed upon
all who knew and worked with him. To the rest of us missionaries, he was a friend and
mentor who served Christ faithfully 54 years in this vast country. The impact of his
ministry continues to be felt, not only through the churches he planted but through the
“Timothys” he mentored.

Arriving in 1961, one year after the founding of BIMI, Jimmy and Nancy felt led to
start the first non-Catholic church in a city known for its replica of St Peter’s Basilica
in Rome. Fresh out of language school they moved to this city steeped in idolatry. The
fierce persecution leveled upon those who openly preached the Gospel there gave it
notoriety as a missionary graveyard.

Upon arriving in the town, Jimmy would often preach open air meetings in the town
square, backed up by Nancy on the accordion. Many times they faced death threats and
had all sorts of debris hurled at them. These young missionaries would not be deterred
even when another denominational missionary was found dead after he began to preach
in the same town square. With full assurance of his calling, Brother Jimmy went to
preach to the accused murderer in jail. It was by God’s grace that a solid independent
Baptist church was soon established. That ministry went on to produce many pastors and
missionaries now serving throughout Brazil.

By 1975 they had started
four churches—all still
thriving today. They
changed strategy and felt
led to establish a “Mother
Church” with a Christian
camp and a Bible college
to train laborers. As souls
were saved through the
local church, young
Christians would attend
camps where they would
be challenged through
dynamic preaching to
surrender to God’s will
10 BIMI
Number 1, 2022
The Jim Rose Fam
ily



Jim &
Nancy Rose
2021 and then be trained through the Bible college. Through this method, many pastors and
missionaries were sent to the harvest fields throughout Brazil and the world.

Jimmy introduced Faith Promise missions to dozens of churches that would go on to
support national missionaries solely with the giving of national churches. In later years,
he served as Brazil Director for BIMI, preaching conferences throughout Brazil and the
United States.

His life truly was a testimony of God’s amazing grace. As a young man he was raised
in Colorado where he was involved with gangs and other questionable activities. The
marks of that life before conversion were carried with him into ministry, evident by the
many tattoos on his body. As a teen destined to end up in jail, he was sent to live with
relatives in Greenville, South Carolina. It was there that he met Nancy Owens, who was
to become his wife. She invited him to Tabernacle Baptist Church where he met Christ
and was changed forever. He never got over the joy of that meeting and enthusiastically
proclaimed Christ throughout his life. As one of my heroes, it was a privilege for our
family to work alongside Brother Jimmy in ministry and later as his Assistant Director.

Today, our missionaries are reaping the blessings of the blood, sweat, and tears shed by
pioneers like Jimmy Rose. He will be missed, but his influence will continue through
the lives he influenced! Jesus said, I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour:
other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours (John. 4:38). W
Missionary Jimmy Rose (84) went Home to be with the Lord July 20, 2021. In
1961, Jimmy and Nancy Rose were the first BIMI missionaries to serve in the
country of Brazil. The ministry of Brother Rose was one of church planting and
evangelistic campaigns. He preached in every area of the country and hundreds
of souls were saved in those campaigns. Jimmy Rose became the Brazil Director
and then Brazil International Representative for BIMI.

Number 1, 2022
BIMI 11