Dr. Kevin M. James, Sr., is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and has more than forty years in Pastoral Ministry. Dr. James was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Religion and Philosophy with a minor in Sociology from Bethune-Cookman University. He also earned a Master of Divinity Degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) at Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia and received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Bethune-Cookman University. He completed further studies at Duke Divinity School, in Durham, North Carolina.

He is a former District Superintendent of the St. Petersburg District in the Florida Annual Conference, having been appointed in 1998 and serving until 2005. He was the first African-American in that position. In 2005, he received a cross-cultural appointment to serve as Senior Pastor of Palma Ceia United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. In 2012, he received his next appointment, as Cross-Cultural Pastor of the Palm Coast United Methodist Church.

Dr. James has worked at Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University and has spoken at numerous high school and college graduations. His travels include Zimbabwe, Africa; London, England; Hawaii; Nassau, Bahamas; Paris, France; South Korea; Frankfurt, Germany; Egypt and the Holy Land.

His writings have been published in the United Methodist Interpreter, the Black College Magazine, and Develop Inter-Cultural Competence How to Lead Cross-Racial and Cross-Cultural Churches. His first published book is entitled  Guess Who’s Coming to Church: The Cross-Racial, Cross-Cultural Experience.

He is a member of the Beta Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the past Chaplain. He is a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry and a mentor-coach for Diverse Church by Design for the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Bethune-Cookman University (2005-2014), Gammon Theological Seminary (2005-2012), and United Methodist Children’s Home (2012-2021) and on the Board of Directors for the Janice Wilson Foundation.

His wife of thirty-six years is Mrs. Linda Gail Wilson-James, a thirty-eight year retired State of Florida worker. They are the parents of two young adults and have three grandchildren.