Statement by ABHMS Executive Director Jeffrey Haggray in response to the death of President Jimmy Carter
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/30/2024)—President Jimmy Carter was a humanitarian who used his considerable political and social influence to improve the quality of life for countless people. He was also a beloved Baptist leader who dedicated his public life to embodying Christian principles of sacrificial love for all people, compassion, peace-making, and integrity.
President Jimmy Carter made an immeasurable difference in Baptist life and witness. I called him ‘Mr. President,’ but eternally he is our brother and friend. While deeply saddened by his death, we celebrate his life and legacy as a courageous and compassionate world leader, a Christian brother, and a dear friend. Our hearts and prayers are with the Carter family.
In 2007, President Jimmy Carter called together leaders representing more than 30 Baptist organizations and more than 20 million people to explore new opportunities for fellowship and cooperation. Believing that our love and pursuit of justice should characterize us, President Carter called Baptists to break the barriers of race, gender, and geography and build bridges toward the Beloved Community.
From this initial call, the New Baptist Covenant was born, uniting Baptists, and renewing the pursuit of justice locally and nationally. American Baptist, Progressive National Baptist, and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregations gathered in national summits and regional forums to create and support vibrant, inclusive Baptist communities and initiate joint projects including literacy programs, food justice initiatives, and economic development advocacy.
President Carter’s vision was bold, anchored in the message of Jesus himself. He recalled the words Luke 4:18 where Jesus said,
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
The seed that President Carter sowed 16 years ago among Baptists has grown and blossomed among congregations, denominations, and Baptist-related organizations that continue to answer God’s call to confront the lie of white supremacy; champion the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed; disrupt the cradle to prison pipeline; and honor the diverse workings of the Holy Spirit to create a society where the dignity and worth of every person is honored and respected.
Many worked shoulder to shoulder with President Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter in their commitment to building houses, which became homes for people in the United States and around the world. Like Jesus, President Carter was a carpenter who, even in his nineties, worked like a person who was committed to being about his Father’s business. Whether in Valdosta, Johannesburg, or New Orleans, it was often President Carter who brought Baptists together.
The energy, enthusiasm, and strength of our effort was palpable and powerful. Ours was an authentic and intense movement of concerned Baptists and others of good conscience pooling resources, passions, and talents to help rebuild lives. We identified needs, mobilized substantial financial and human resources, and responded with everything we had to make a difference in the lives of those we touched. We demonstrated that Baptists could do so much good when we work together with common objectives and a shared mission.
American Baptist Home Mission Societies partners with American Baptists to promote Christian faith, cultivate Christ-centered leaders and disciples, and bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.
