Christian Horizons, an organization supporting people with disabilities, announced today that Reverend James Reese died on July 5.

In a release, Christian Horizon's current CEO Janet Noel-Annable says, "Our vision is that people who experience disabilities belong to communities in which their God-given gifts are valued and respected. As a testament to the life of Jim Reese, today Christian Horizons strives to be an example of God's love for this world."

The organization says Reese's vision and dedicated work towards a ministry for people with disabilities have changed the lives of people across Canada and around the world.

Reverend James "Jim" Reeves died on Friday, July 5. (Christian Horizons)

Reese graduated from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and pastored four years at Moline Baptist Church in Michigan.

Reese served with Ken Campbell for 17 years with the Campbell-Reese Evangelistic Association, conducting about 500 evangelistic missions across North America and overseas. In 1978 he became a pastor at Benton Street Baptist Church in Kitchener for 25 years.

In 1965 Reese had a son, Steven, who was born with developmental disabilities. Reese and his wife realized that there was a need for a Christian organization to provide a full spectrum of services for people with developmental disabilities. Reese then enlisted the help of other families to create a Christian ministry to serve people with disabilities.

Christian Horizons began as a summer camp ministry for children with developmental disabilities but is now an organization that serves people who experience disabilities in Canada and in developing countries around the world through Christian Horizons Global.