Rev. James Lupton

BARRE—Rev. James F. Lupton, 74, of Barre, died Saturday, June 30, 2007, at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.

He was born June 15, 1933, in Philipsburg, Penna., the son of Robert and Belva (Holdren) Lupton. He was raised in Oxford, Penna., and graduated from Oxford High School in 1951. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant. After military service, he attended Fairmont State College in West Virginia.

While in West Virginia, he served two churches as a student pastor. He entered Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1960, where he earned his Master of Divinity degree. He began his ministry in 1963 as an ordained Presbyterian minister at Union Presbyterian Church in Newburgh, N.Y., where he served for four years.

He accepted a commission in 1967 to serve as a U.S. Army chaplain in Vietnam, during some of the most difficult years of the war. Following Vietnam, he came to Vermont to serve churches in Bethel, South Royalton, Tunbridge, and at the United Church in Randolph, where he served for 16 years.

He served as spiritual director for several Tres Dias teams, on teams for Life in the Spirit Seminars, and was an advisor for Women Aglow. He led many other seminars presenting teachings about the Holy Spirit and sharing a ministry of healing.

He married Jaya Martinez in Maryland June 30, 1969.

He founded the Jabbok Encounter Ministries in Barre in 1986, which provides pastoral counseling services, including spiritual counseling for family and marriage, anger management, sexual abuse, post traumatic stress disorders and clinical depression. In May 2007, he celebrated 50 years in ministry.

Survivors include his wife, Jaya Lupton of Barre; a son Carlos Lupton of Bethel; a daughter, Jennifer Lupton and her husband Roy Carrington of South Royalton; a sister, Marlyn MacDonald of North Carolina; and his first wife, Erma Lawrence of Goldsboro, N.C.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, July 6, at the United Church of Randolph. Burial with military honors will follow at Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph Center. Calling hours are from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Day Funeral Home in Randolph.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Jabbok Encounter Ministries, 8 Daniel Drive, Barre, Vt., 05641. Online condolences may be left at www.dayfunerals.com.

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