By Larry Hovis
CBFNC Executive Coordinator
I turned 18 on September 11, 1980, the fall of my freshman year at N.C. State. My first opportunity to vote came that November. I voted for Jimmy Carter, at least partly because he shared my Baptist faith. Even though he lost that election, I have remained a Jimmy Carter admirer throughout the years since.
Carter was an early supporter of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, my spiritual and theological home for over 30 years. I remember fondly when he spoke at the CBF General Assembly in Birmingham in 1993. I have always been proud that he considered himself to be a Cooperative Baptist.
His commitment to Habitat for Humanity and his devotion to human rights, among other notable qualities, were a natural outgrowth of his Christian discipleship. In addition to his early support for CBF, Carter was the driving force behind the New Baptist Covenant, an effort to bridge racial divides within our Baptist family. I was always moved by his speeches at several NBC gatherings beginning with the inaugural event in 2008.
My wife, Kim, and I have visited several presidential libraries. Instead of a library, which is essentially a monument to a president and his administration, Carter established the Carter Center; a place for work and action for the cause of human rights. To me, even this decision was an indication that Carter took seriously Christ’s call “not to be served, but to serve…” (Matthew 20:28).
Carter was a prolific writer. I have read many of his books and quoted him often in sermons. His words and his deeds were an inspiration to me.
I don’t have many regrets in my life, but I do regret that I never made it to Plains, Georgia to hear Jimmy Carter teach Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church. I always put it off, saying I would go “next year.” When his teaching career came to an end with the pandemic, I lost my chance.
It’s difficult to grieve over the death of a 100-year-old man who lived such a full life and had such an impact on the world. Instead of grieving, this is a time for celebration and for committing ourselves to following the example of Jimmy Carter, a fellow Cooperative Baptist and devoted servant of Christ and the world.