James W. Starr was converted through the preaching of Evangelist Warren J. Perkins on December 14, 1969 in Owego, New York.  He was ordained to the Gospel ministry by the Northside Baptist Church, Greenville, SC in 1973.  Jim is a Ministerial graduate of Bob Jones University’s School of Applied Studies.  He was married in 1968 to Joanne M. Davis in Owego, NY.  They have two children and five grand children.  Jim has a wide variety of experience as an entrepreneur and serving in numerous local church ministries.  He believes that the local church is God’s place for fulfilling His plan and purpose for this age.  From 1973 - 1978 he and his wife, Joanne, were involved in planting an Independent Baptist church in Northeastern PA.  At this same time he began the Calvary Bible Hour, an evangelistic radio ministry.  He has taught and preached the Word of God since 1970.  Internationally, he has traveled to many third world countries.  Jim is involved extensively in assisting and developing national leadership within these third world countries.  He has a particular burden and calling for India.  Through a series of mission trips to India Jim was called in April 2000 to launch a new ministry Vision2020Asia.  Since 1992 he and his wife have been members of Morningside Baptist Church in Greenville, SC.

Jim has a great burden for his own beloved nation, America. He believes that the fundamental churches of this nation hold the key to America’s future and that they desperately need to experience a supernatural revival.   His preaching is practical, Christ centered and from the heart.  He is available for any opportunity to preach Christ.  He believes the Gospel is for all people at all times.  He believes in the sole authority of the Bible and stands without apology for the “old time” Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is especially interested in seeing new churches planted, young churches going on to maturity and older more established churches awakened to today’s tremendous missionary opportunities.  Having personally owned and sold four successful businesses, Jim strongly believes that today’s businessmen have been given an unprecedented opportunity and responsibility to use their resources for the advancement of God’s ministry worldwide and not for their own personal achievements. 

In 1996, as a tentmaker, Jim began taking at least two short-term mission trips a year to India.  In April 2000 when preaching near Trivandrum, S. India Jim was called from Luke 5:1-11 to launch Vision2020Asia.  Jim says, “Our ministry’s strategy is taken from Acts 20:20-21.  We believe that the best investment of our time and money is identifying, developing and empowering national leaders.  For this reason we joined the Independent Gospel Missions, a Baptist Mission Agency family in January 2005.  We are committed to Paul’s philosophy stated in II Timothy 2:2.  Our goal is to effectively train 4,000 nationals through 2010 in evangelism and church planting.  Our greater goal is through the Holy Spirit’s power to motivate and stir the church of India to lift up her eyes and send forth laborers into this vast harvest field.”  Vision2020Asia currently has 5 Schools of Evangelism operating in India and Myanmar.  In addition to their Baptist Schools of Evangelism, Vision2020Asia conducts annual Pastors and Leadership Conferences in strategic locations throughout India.  These conferences have ranged in attendance from 320 to 1250 delegates attending each conference.  Nightly evangelistic crusades are also conducted that have resulted in thousands of souls being saved.  In 2006 sensing the urgency of the vision, Jim sold his businesses and stepped out fully by faith.  Jim states his future goal is to be six months in India and six months stateside raising resources for their National ministries within Asia.

Jim’s vision is to reach India by 2020 and through the Indian church to reach out to the perishing multitudes of souls residing within the 10/40 Window consisting of over 4 billion souls and 67 nations.  Since India is strategically located almost in the heart of this impoverished and spiritually neglected region, Jim believes that no one is better suited for this job than the Nationals.  Satan has dominated this territory for centuries.  Jim believes we need to claim these nations for Jesus Christ, Psalm 2:8. Hundreds of Christians and churches in America are needed to “partner” [Luke 5:7] with Vision2020 in fulfilling this great vision.  Jim believes that “without Him we can do nothing” and “with God all things are possible” in accomplishing this immense unfinished task.   Jim’s motto is William Carey’s famous saying, “Expect great things from God and attempt great things for God”.