On the night before he died, Jack Hardeman Exum Sr. sat on the edge of his hospital bed and sang “Blest be the Tie that Binds.” It was an appropriate choice for his last song, said his son, Jack Exum Jr.

“For Dad, the church was very important — unity and grace and the Holy Spirit,” the younger Exum said.

Jack Exum Sr., 81, died Feb. 7 from complications after a heart attack. The longtime minister was well-known among Churches of Christ in the Southeast for “Three Unusual Days,” a series of Gospel meeting focused on grace and the work of the Spirit.

He authored 39 books, including “The ABC’s of Grace,” “Winning Over Worry” and “How to Win Souls Today.” For about 15 years he wrote a column that appeared in the Lake City Reporter each Saturday. He received an Amy Writing Award, which recognizes faith-based writing published in secular media.

Born in Nashville, Tenn., he grew up in Miami and served as a missionary in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Canada. He and his wife, Marion, had six children. He was a member of the Central Church of Christ in Lake City.

Jay Guin, an elder of the University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa, Ala., heard Exum speak in Tuscaloosa years ago.

“He was a fantastic speaker and remarkably courageous in teaching his beliefs at a time when most were afraid to say what they really believed from the pulpit,” Guin wrote in a post on his blog, oneinjesus.info, “and he did this even though his livelihood depended on being invited to preach meetings. He was a remarkable man who deeply influenced the Churches of Christ for good.”