James received his doctorate from the University of Kansas Medical Center and practiced physical therapy and wound care before he and his wife, Marsha, founded Watered Gardens Ministries in Joplin, Missouri, in 2000.

In 2012, James founded the True Charity Initiative to advance nationally the cause of privately-funded effective charity at the most local level. His work has appeared in Heritage Foundation’s Index of Culture and Opportunity, Patrick Henry College’s Newsmaker Series, World, The Christian Post, and The Hill. He and Marsha were honored to receive the World News Group Hope Award on behalf of Watered Gardens Ministries in Washington, D.C. in 2019.

In his role as Executive Director of Watered Gardens and True Charity, James is responsible for establishing vision and strategy for the ministry.

He and Marsha have 5 children who have flown the coop leaving them a bit more spare time to fish the James River in SW Missouri where they live.