Hal M. Helms

Born in North Carolina in 1923, Hal M. Helms served in the Navy during World War II. Feeling a call to the Christian ministry during his time in the service, he pursued higher education after his discharge, graduating magna cum laude from Furman University in 1949. He went on to earn an M. Div. from Hartford Seminary in 1958. Mr. Helms served five different congregations from 1949 to 1974. In 1974, he and his family moved to the Community of Jesus, an ecumenical Christian Community on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he became chaplain. In addition to the normal ministerial work of assisting in worship, preaching, teaching, and leading retreats, Mr. Helms produced modern versions of a number of Christian classics, including The Pilgrim's Progress, The Imitation of Christ, and The Confessions of St. Augustine. He also served as the senior editor of the quarterly journal CrossPoint from its inception in 1990. Rev. Helms wrote several devotional books including With the Lord Today, Anchors of Hope, Jesus Loves Me, and Echoes of Eternity: Listening to the Father - Volume I and Volume II.
Hal Helms and his wife, Helen, had four children and were married for almost fifty-five years. Rev. Helms died in 1997.