Jim Savage
James Henry Savage (born September 30, 1957 in Centre, Cherokee County; died January 24, 2026 in Franklin, Tennessee) was a Methodist minister and long-time pastor of Riverchase United Methodist Church in Hoover.
Savage was the son of J. L. and Mattie Sue Savage. He graduated from Cherokee County High School and earned his bachelor's degree at Jacksonville State University while serving in the ministry at Centre First United Methodist Church. He went on to complete his master of divinity at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and a doctorate in ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.
Savage married the former Sherri Lynn Stepps and had two children, Wesley and Cassi.
Savage served as a chaplain in the Alabama Army National Guard. After being ordained, he pastored Vernon First United Methodist Church and Oak Hill United Methodist Church in Vernon, Lamar County; Robertson Chapel Church in Rainsville, DeKalb County; and New Oregon Methodist in Fort Payne, DeKalb County. In 1994 he was assigned as senior pastor to East Lake United Methodist Church in Birmingham. Four years later he took over the pulpit at Riverchase United Methodist Church.
During his two decades there, Savage saw membership grow to around 3,000, and weekly attendance average more than 1,600. He was known for prioritizing personal relationships over artful sermons.
In his later years, Savage resided at the Somerby Franklin retirement community in Franklin, Tennessee. He died in January 2026.