The Reverend James S. Allen was born in Columbia County, Arkansas, the second son of Walter U. and Georgia L. Allen. He grew up in rural Arkansas at a time when there was deep segregation and intense discrimination among the races. His early education was in a three-room schoolhouse, to which he had to walk four miles to and from each day. Upon graduating from high school, as valedictorian of his class, and finding no jobs, as well as being unable to go to college because of the lack of finances, Reverend Allen joined the United States Air Force at the time of the Korean Conflict.
He served in Korea and was honorably discharged in 1957. While in Korea, he felt the unction of God calling him to the preaching ministry. When he returned from Korea in 1956, he began preaching in September of the same year. On July 5, 1957 he was married to the late Dorothy Hunter Allen. This union was blessed with four children, one daughter and three sons and five grandsons. They lived and practiced ministry in 3 major cities of the United states: Little Rock, Arkansas, Omaha, Nebraska, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Reverend Allen considers himself blessed to have followed some of the outstanding preachers in the churches where he has served. He recognizes the blessing of opportunities to be in special places at special times. He enrolled at the Arkansas Baptist College, Little, Rock, Arkansas on the same day President Eisenhower ordered military troops into Little Rock, because of the efforts to desegregate Central High School.
He assisted the late Dr. Leon Sullivan in establishing the OIC in Little Rock and rebuilding the OIC in Omaha. He was a student at ITC, and present at the installation of Dr. Ralph Albernathy in the West Hunter Street Baptist Church., Atlanta Georgia, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the Installation Sermon. Rev. Allen was a part of the steering committee that assisted Dr. Leon Sullivan in planning the first and second African Summits. He attended both. Rev. Allen has recieved many honors and awards, among them is the Outstanding Citizen's Award, Deleware Valley Christians and Jews 1985 and the Distinguished Service Award from Congressman William H. Gray 1980. Reverend Allen has and still serves in leadership positions of the National Baptist Convention, USA Inc.
He is presently the Director of the Ministers Division of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education of the NBC USA INC. Over ther span of his twenty-five years in the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania his good work has continued. He has served in our city government as Special Assistant to the Mayor during the administration of Mayor W. Wilson Goode.