Jim Scurlock

Jim Scurlock was born James Mayo Scurlock in Eureka, California on May 11, 1939 to Dorothy (Dot) Zelma Zenglein. He grew up on a farm in El Sobrante and spent most of his adult life living in Richmond. He died very peacefully in the home of his loving boyfriend Hosea Turner, and with the comfort of excellent hospice care and loving friends on April 29, 2014, less than two weeks before his 75th birthday.

Jim was a mischievous rabble-rouser from his earliest days in the Boy Scouts through his life-long activism for justice and inclusion for all, especially in the church. He had many careers; his favorite was as a theater manager for some of the most famous theaters in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and throughout Northern California.

Jim spent a lifetime caring for others, as well as being a tireless advocate for full inclusion and justice for all God's children in both church and society. His years of prophetic leadership and activism include the California Council of Churches and Church IMPACT; Affirmation: United Methodists for LGBTQ Concerns; the Reconciling Ministries Network; the Methodist Federation for Social Action; and the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church. He worked with Affirmation advocating at United Methodist General Conferences beginning in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1980. He served the California-Nevada Conference in many capacities, including as the first openly gay chair of the Conference Nominating Committee, a founding member of the Conference Reconciling Task Force, conscience of bishops, and so much more.

(This biographical statement provided by Richard Schlosser.)

Biography Date: June, 2014

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