James William Temple was born Nov. 10, 1909 in Rock Island, Illinois. He graduated from Topeka High School in 1927 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Washburn University (Topeka, Kansas) in 1931. While at Washburn, Temple became a lay reader at Topeka's St. Simon of the Cyrenian Episcopal Church. In 1935, he graduated from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (Evanston, Ill.) with a Bachelor of Divinity Degree and was ordained as an Episcopalian priest.

Temple was assigned to Wichita's St. Augustine, where he served for 10 years; while there he also taught in the elementary school (in 1937) and was principal of Frederick Douglass Elementary. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in History from Wichita State University. In 1939, Temple married Gladys Josephine Hill. Five years later, the family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where Temple became principal of Gaudet Episcopal High School and, in 1947, he became rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. The family moved again, this time to Los Angeles, California, in 1957. There, Temple was assistant rector at the Church of St. Philip the Evangelist until his retirement.

James and Gladys Temple had one daughter, Carole Anne, who married Dudley R. Dickey with whom she had two children, Laurie Marie and Bryan James. Gladys Temple died in 1995 and James W. Temple died in 2001.