James L. House was born on June 27, 1957 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the first of four children born to Robert and Fleurette House. He attended Christ Lutheran and Gethsemane Lutheran Schools in New Orleans where his father was principal and his mother was a teacher. After one year of secondary education at New Orleans Lutheran High School, his family moved to Port Arthur, Texas, where Jim attended Thomas Jefferson High School, graduating in 1975.
Following high school, Jim entered Concordia Lutheran College in Austin where he graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in 1977. He completed his undergraduate studies at Concordia Teachers College (now Concordia University) in Seward, Nebraska, earning the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education in 1979. He earned the degree of Master of Education with a concentration in School administration in 1989.
Jim's first call was to Zion Lutheran School in Denison, Iowa, where he served as Principal and Teacher form 1979-1984. In June 1980, Jim married Rhoda (nee Brand) of Winchester, Texas. She joined him in service to the Lord as the first grade teacher in Iowa. In 1984, Jim accepted the Lord's call to serve as Principal and Athletic Director at Trinity Lutheran School in Bloomington, Illinois, where he served from 1984-1994. In 1994, Jim accepted the call as Principal-Teacher-Athletic Director at St. Mark's Lutheran School in Eureka, Missouri, where he served for the past seven years.
Jim's parents currently reside in San Antonio where they enjoy retirement after 42 years of teaching in Lutheran schools. His siblings (two sisters and a brother) are all Lutheran teachers at various school in Texas (San Antonio, Plano, and Killeen).
Jim and Rhoda's marriage of 21 years has been blessed with three children: Matthew, Rebecca, and Sarah.