The Reverend Dr. James N. “Jim” Rentz Sr. passed away on August 10, 2026, after years of declining health.

Jim is survived by his wife, Martha; his children, Jamie (Beth), Jon (Lesley), Kim, Kelly Ann (Hunter), and Will; his stepson, Reed; and his nine grandchildren, Kenneth, Jake, Adrian, Ansley, Caleb, Creighton, Charley, Browning, and Louisa. He is also survived by his sister, Beth Rentz Grant; nephew, Rex Grant (Lisa); and niece, Carmen Duncan (Bobby).

Born February 10, 1941, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, to Herman and Roberta Rentz, Jim grew up in Woodruff. He graduated from Woodruff High School in 1959, as a standout football and baseball player, earning All-State honors in football and playing in the 1958 Shrine Bowl.

Jim’s faith was central to his life from an early age. He grew up in First Baptist Church of Woodruff, where he was baptized at age nine. In 1959, he enrolled at Furman University as a pre-ministerial student, participated in Army ROTC, and played freshman baseball. After graduating, he attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as a student pastor at Hickory Mountain Baptist Church in Siler City, NC. He was ordained into Christian ministry in 1963 by Mills Mill Baptist Church in Woodruff, where he had previously served as youth minister.

Following seminary, Jim served as a chaplain in the US Army, with assignments at Fort Gordon, in Vietnam, and at Fort Knox. For his service, he received the Bronze Star and a Bronze Star with First Oak Leaf Cluster. While serving in Vietnam, he also organized support for overcrowded orphanages affected by the war.

After active duty, Jim pursued advanced study in pastoral counseling and education, completing clinical training at the University of North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill while continuing to serve in the Army Reserve as chaplain of the 312th U.S. Army Hospital in Winston-Salem. He earned a master’s degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree emphasizing the teaching and clinical supervision of pastoral counseling.

In 1973, Jim became a pastoral consultant and clinical chaplain at the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Center. There, he became deeply concerned about the prevalence of domestic violence and the need for practitioners trained to respond effectively. With the Reverend Dr. Jim Pruett, he co-founded the WestGate Training and Consultation Network, which provided clinical and academic education in relationship therapy for postgraduate practitioners while helping make counseling services accessible to people facing financial hardship.

In 1996, Jim and Marty Lovett, Ed.D., then Dean of Graduate Studies at Converse College, co-founded a graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy. Several hundred graduates have since completed the program and gone on to serve individuals and families throughout the region, across the country, and internationally.

Jim’s commitment to service extended well beyond his professional career. In the 1980s, he co-founded the Woodruff High School Athletic Alumni Association, which has provided scholarships to students pursuing education after high school for 42 years. He was involved with Veterans Last Patrol, Upstate Warrior Solution, the Westmoreland Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America, the American Legion, and was a charter member and officer of the South Carolina Board of Examiners for the Licensure of Counselors and Therapists.

In recognition of his decades of service, Jim received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the South Carolina Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and the Spartanburg Area Mental Health Association.

Underlying all of Jim’s work was a deeply held Christian faith and a conviction that it should be expressed through service to others. For more than 40 years, he remained an active member of Fernwood Baptist Church, serving his community in countless roles wherever he was needed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Jim’s honor to Emerge Family Therapy and Teaching Center, 138 Dillon Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29307; the Woodruff High School Athletic Alumni Association Scholarship Fund at the Spartanburg County Foundation, 424 East Kennedy Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302; or Fernwood Baptist Church, 200 Fernwood Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29307.

A memorial service celebrating Jim’s life will be held at Fernwood Baptist Church, 200 Fernwood Drive, Spartanburg, SC on Wednesday, August 19th at 11:00 AM. The service will be officiated by the Reverend Kelli Kirksey.