James Tom Bain

On Sunday morning, September 7, 2025 James Tom Bain crossed the Veil that had grown so very thin between him and the God whom he faithfully served and shepherded others toward. Tom was born June 24, 1947 in Dallas, Texas to Lester Franklin Bain, Jr. and Alberta Levina (Montgomery) Bain. They moved several times in Tom's formative years until finally settling in the Willowbend neighborhood of Houston when Tom was 13. Tom was fond of saying he opened Westbury High School, from which he graduated in 1965.

Tom followed in his father's footsteps, attending Baylor University where he graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. After Baylor, he attended Tulane University where he earned an MA (1972) and a PhD (1978) in modern European history. Tom spent many years both while working on his graduate degrees and afterward teaching college-level courses in modern European history.

In 1983 Tom discerned God's call to ordained ministry but, in his own words, he struggled with that calling for several years, meditating, praying, and wrestling with God over it. After seeking wise counsel from trusted clergy of his acquaintance he entered Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in 1989. Tom graduated from Perkins in 1993 and was subsequently ordained a full elder in the United Methodist Church. He faithfully served five United Methodist congregations in the Texas Annual Conference (Trinidad, St. Stephens, First Katy, Needville, and Orchard).

After several years in pastoral ministry Tom felt the necessity to address his own spiritual needs. He discovered Lawrence Freeman OSB and the World Community for Christian Meditation and subsequently began a practice of daily meditation. Tom continued this practice of withdrawing to a quiet place to seek God's face throughout the rest of his life.

In 2003, having experienced a call to spiritual direction, Tom completed the spiritual director training program at the Cenacle Center in Houston, subsequently joining the Spiritual Directors Institute. In 2004 Tom was invited to join a task force with the purpose of designing a spiritual director training program from a Wesleyan perspective for the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Tom continued to serve on the Board of Charis and taught in the program for several years.

While on sabbatical in Ireland in 2009 Tom discerned God's call to hospice chaplaincy. He'd come, in his 20 years in ministry, to see his work with dying parishioners and their families as perhaps the most sacred of his tasks. After praying, listening and reflecting on his call and engaging in conversation with several professionals working in hospice care Tom applied to and was accepted into the Clinical Pastoral Education Residency Program at Memorial Herrmann Hospital in Houston. Upon finishing the one-year program he worked part-time at Memorial Herrmann as a Palliative Care Chaplain before joining Hospice Care Team. During this time Tom also served as a PRN and then a part-time Chaplain at UTMB-Galveston and then, when Palliative Medicine was established, as the Palliative Care / In-Patient Hospice Service Chaplain until his retirement in 2022.

Tom reflected while on his Celtic pilgrimage in 2010 that we are born into a mystery and we die into a mystery. A fitting final reflection from a man after God's own heart.

Tom leaves behind his wife, Jillian Derrick Bain, daughter, Sarah Bain Franklin (Paul), grandchildren James Robert (JR) and Annabelle Franklin, cousin Arlon Montgomery (Kay) and a host of friends and colleagues.

Jillian would like to thank Judy Aronson, Bob Hern and David and Sherrill Hebert for your unconditional love and support for Tom and me over this past year, Hugh and Stacy Putman and Joe and Lucy McFadden for your love and sanctuary, and the Galveston and Huntsville Alcoholics Anonymous communities for suiting up, showing up, sharing your experience, strength and hope, and loving me into and walking my journey with me, one day at a time.

The family would like to thank Drs. Mukaila Raji, Cecil Kumfa, and Jenna Reisler of UTMB-Galveston, the friends who came in Tom's last week at home to bless him with your remembrances of and stories about him, and Homecare Select Hospice-especially Tana, Xandra, and Julie-for your excellent care and heartfelt compassion, both for Tom and for us. Know that you each walk God's chosen path for you.

Tom's wish was to be cremated. Services celebrating his life are scheduled in Huntsville on Saturday, October 11 at 2:00 pm at First United Methodist Church, 1016 Sam Houston Avenue and in Galveston on Saturday, October 18 at 2:00 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2216 Avenue H.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Tom's memory to Methodist Children's Home-Waco (www.mch.org) , St. Vincent's House-Galveston (www.stvhope.org), or Lymphoma Research Foundation (www.lymphoma.org).