Joe Weideman Armour, Jr. Jr.

Joe Weideman Armour, Jr., loving husband, father, and retired Baptist minister, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2025, following a brief illness. He entered into the presence of his Lord, whom he faithfully served throughout his life.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 9, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A service of celebration and remembrance will be held on Thursday, July 10, at First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa, at 11:00 a.m. with a time of fellowship to follow.

Joe was born on August 21, 1952, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Joe Weideman Armour and Betty Ruth Lanier Armour. He was raised on a dairy farm in Cayce, Mississippi, alongside his two older sisters. It was there he developed a strong work ethic, deep family bonds, and his characteristic humility. He often credited the ornery cows for "putting him through college and keeping him out of trouble."

He attended Byhalia Attendance School for eleven and a half years before graduating from Marshall Academy in 1970, excelling in academics, sports, and FFA. Joe accepted Christ as his Savior at age ten, but a two week revival in 1970 at Forest Hill Baptist Church in Germantown, Tennessee, was a turning point in his spiritual life. It profoundly shaped the way he approached God and others and remained a milestone in his journey of faith.

Joe went on to attend Mississippi State University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Agronomy. During his time at MSU, he formed lifelong friendships through Phi Kappa Tau and the Baptist Student Union, and served enthusiastically as the university's mascot "Bully" and later as a cheerleader. While completing his master's degree, he also served and lived at Palmer Home for Children.

Joe began his professional career in agronomy as an extension agent and the "cotton man" in Star City, Arkansas, and Clarksdale and Cleveland, Mississippi. However, it was during this time that Joe felt God calling him to full-time ministry. After months of prayer and discernment, he enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, earning both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Religious Education in 1987. While in seminary, Joe served as the Baptist Student Union Director at the University of Texas at Dallas and was actively involved at Wedgewood Baptist Church, University Baptist Church, and Travis Avenue Baptist Church. It was during this season that he met and courted his beloved wife, Lynn Bell of Moultrie, Georgia. Their 40-year marriage stood as a testament to enduring love and partnership, their devotion to one another evident in every joy and challenge they faced together, especially during Joe's final days.

Joe served faithfully in ministry for nearly four decades. He served on staff at First Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi (1987–1993), First Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi (1993–1997), First Baptist Church in Mt. Washington, Kentucky (1997–2000), Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee (2001–2006), and First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (2006–2024). In each of these congregations, Joe built lasting friendships and left a meaningful impact. He was active and held leadership roles in regional and state Religious Educators Associations and valued the relationships and shared mission he found among fellow ministers.

Joe had a profound love for the church. He believed in the power of the local church to serve as God's hands and feet. He attended faithfully, served joyfully, and supported missions both locally and globally. His life reflected unwavering faith, integrity, and love for Christ's body.

Joe was a student of the Bible, passionate about studying, teaching, and memorizing Scripture. He lived by the belief that his actions could reflect Christ to the world, and his favorite verse, 2 Corinthians 5:21, motivated his ministry and life. His calling, as he described it, was "to equip the saints to live out and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

He remained close to his extended family, including his sisters, stepbrothers, in-laws, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was instrumental in the development of a corporation to perpetuate the New Salem Cemetery in Cayce, Mississippi, where many of the families' ancestors were buried.

Joe is preceded in death by his parents, his stepmother Virginia Rickman Armour, and his stepbrother John Rickman. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Bell Armour; his sons, Joseph Armour and his wife Emily, and Harrison Armour; his daughter, Jane Frances Armour; and his granddaughter, Claire Kennedy Armour. He is also survived by his sisters, Betsy Gumpert (Al) and Sarah Harris (Richard); his stepbrother, David Rickman; his in-laws, Jan Bell, Rick and Nancy Bell, Cleve and Marsha Bell, and Kim and Ash Grimmett; and by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who loved him dearly.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Joe's honor to First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa, the New Salem Cemetery Corporation, the Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association's building project "The Center," Good Samaritan Clinic, Community Soup Bowl, or to another Christian ministry of your choosing.

Funeral arrangements are being provided by Tuscaloosa Memorial Park and Chapel.