Jim and Marie Strickland

BBFI Missionaries to Argentina

Jim was born in Cromwell, Oklahoma, where Jim Sr. worked for the Sinclair Refinery. Later, moving to Shawnee, they became members of the Immanuel Baptist Church, where Jim was saved and baptized in 1932. Again the family moved, this time to Colorado where Jim went to junior and high school, entering the U.S. Coast Guard in 1943. During the next two and a half years, Jim received recognition for his participation in eight of the major battles in the Pacific, qualifying him for an early discharge, though he stayed in until after the peace was won.

Marie Houser was born in Brush, Colorado. She was saved at 13, and she and her family were all baptized in the same service. She and Jim met at the First Baptist Church of Englewood, Colorado. As Jim's parents had become members of this church during his absence in the military, he joined soon after returning home. Jim and Marie were part of the group of 14 young people of this church who entered Bible Institute in September of 1946. They became engaged toward the end of the first year, were married during the summer, and returned to school for the second year as Mr. and Mrs. Strickland.

In 1948/49 Jim and Marie were home missionaries of the First Bible Baptist Church of Ft. Collins, Colorado. Jim became co-organizer and Pastor of the Bible Baptist Church of Sidney, Nebraska. Then, after periods as Associate Pastor and Pastor in churches in Colorado and Nebraska, Jim was ordained in 1953 by the First Baptist Church of Englewood, Colorado, whose pastor was one of the great fundamental preachers of those early days, Dr. Harvey H. Springer.

The Stricklands sailed the same year for Montevideo, Uruguay, where they began their missionary ministry. In 1960 they "moved across the river" to Argentina, where they continued to serve. Their missionary ministry spans more than fifty years. The Lord gave them six children, all of whom are now married. They have fifteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren