Boice Memorial By Phil Ryken

James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000)
On April 22, 2007 a memorial plaque commemorating the service of James Montgomery Boice as Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church was unveiled. In late 2000, Tenth formed a committee to recommend a suitable memorial in recognition of Dr. James Boice’s long and fruitful service as Senior Minister. The memorial was to be “honoring to the Lord and for his glory,” “to cause the observer to glorify God, rather than the man,” and to “reflect Dr. Boice’s ministry and his person so that in future years after we are no longer here, people will know who Dr. Boice was and the basis for his life.”

After considering many options, the committee (Barbara Harder, chair; Greg Berzinsky, Dot Boersma, Joel Garver, Erna Goulding, Nancy Hala, Steven Horn, Sam Hsu, Carl Lingle, Rick Phillips and Carroll Wynne) recommended a memorial plaque. Greg Berzinsky developed the design in collaboration with Philip Ryken, Linda Boice, Barbara Harder, and myself. Greg continued to oversee the project to its completion. A. Thayer Smith III was commissioned to produce the plaque. We think we have achieved the delicate balance of a memorial design that lends the sense of dignity that those who knew Dr. Boice would appreciate and reflects his own personal goal to glorify God. It is fitting then to recall the ministry of this servant of the Lord.
James Boice served as Senior Minister of Tenth from 1968 until his death in 2000. He turned around an aging and declining church so that at his death it was thriving. Possibly no period in the Tenth's history can match all the accomplishments that Tenth reached under his ministry: a worldwide influential church, bursting at the seams with people of all ages, more diversity than at any other time, and more ministries than ever.
The 20th century for Tenth Church will be known as the Barnhouse-Boice era, two men who guided the church for 65 years. When Donald Grey Barnhouse died in 1960, Linda Boice writes, "Remembering the request Elisha made when Elijah was taken up into heaven, Jim prayed for a 'double portion' of God's Spirit." This prayer was answered for this man, who once as a toddler was prayed over by the great preacher as he held Jim in his arms.
If you read Tenth's history, there is a chapter entitled "City Church Again," which covers the ministry of Mariano Di Gangi. He was the actual successor of Dr. Barnhouse, and he worked to make the congregation conscious of reaching out to the city in the most turbulent decade of the century – the 60’s. He succeeded to a degree, but attendance declined and finances suffered. It seemed that Tenth was heading along the same path of decline that afflicted many churches who remained in the city.
Then came a young 30-year-old minister with little pastoral experience who turned the church around. By combining the strengths of his two predecessors, James Montgomery Boice matched Barnhouse's preaching gift and Di Gangi's passion for the city. He was preacher and pastor. He was also energetic and persistent, starting small groups, fellowship groups, ministries and even a high school. He fostered creativity and desire among church members to start new ministries. Dr. Boice also made a commitment to the city, turning down offers to go elsewhere.
But it was in the preaching and teaching of God’s Word where he would make his biggest mark. Dr. Boice took back over the radio ministry of The Bible Study Hour. Eventually, his radio broadcasts would extend internationally. He became one of the most sought after speakers of his time, attributed to both his radio ministry and to his growing number of Bible commentaries based on his sermons.
But what furthered his reputation and respect was his role as statesman and activist. In 1974 he founded the first of the PCRT conferences, which would become one of the most well-respected theological conferences in the country. He chaired The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy,which was seminal in anchoring the evangelical church in Scripture inerrancy. And he chaired the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, a movement calling the evangelical church to return to the foundational truths of the Reformation.
And Jim Boice was authentic. What you saw in the pulpit is what he was off it. His voice did not change, nor his manner. He was at ease interacting with the leading church leaders of the day, as he was talking with a 13-year-old boy asking questions while he ate lunch. Dr. Boice was a man you wanted to be around and would trust.
There were the two great motivations in Jim Boice's life. One was the supremacy of the Word of God. He was most committed to expository preaching – making God's Word plain. He believed that was the primary calling of the minister. He had a passion for preaching, but not for oratory; rather for proclaiming clearly the whole counsel of God in Scripture. Though he led the movement of defending inerrancy and promoting the Bible's sufficiency, what truly reveals his faith in the Bible is his unwavering practice of preaching passage after passage of the scriptures with the end that his hearers would come not to trust in his wisdom, but in the all surpassing, unfailing truth of God's Word.
Which leads to the other great, indeed his greatest, motivation in his ministry and life – soli deo gloria – to give glory to God alone. Thus it was fitting that his last prayer request for his congregation in regard to his illness were these words, “Above all, I would say pray for the glory of God.” Surely Romans 11:33-36 must be considered his theme passage.
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.