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President Jimmy Carter's dream to unite Baptists to serve the community together

In 2009, a year after founding the New Baptist Covenant, Carter was in the Triad, uniting Baptists of every race & denomination.

GREENSBORO, N.C. —

Besides being the President, you know Jimmy Carter as the quintessential Sunday school teacher.

“You have heard, love your enemies…”

News crews caught up with him years ago, challenging churchgoers in his Plains, Georgia church to live like Jesus.

In 2009, Carter took on the entire Baptist community at Wake Forest University with the same message.

“Whatever our views, human need is the same. And we should all be willing and he said, as followers of Jesus we need to respond, no matter what our differences, whatever those particular differences may be,” said Dr. Bill Leonard of Wake Forest University.

Leonard, the founding Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, organized Carter's visit. The event was in response to carter's new organization, the New Baptist Covenant.

In 2008, it was Carter’s dream to unite all Baptists, of every color and denomination to serve the community together.

Wake Forest University helped put everyone in one place.

“Ways in which Baptists, in particular Southern Baptists and multi-racial Baptists, if not agree on theology and doctrine specifically, to be able to work together to carry out the Baptist word of ministry to those who are in need,” said Leonard.

Carter's dream to bridge the gaps is a reality still in the works today.

“He really is a person who personified the best of the Christian witness not simply in the south, but in the world, globally,” said Leonard.

Want to look at videos and stories from the various time's President Carter visited the Triad? The WFMY News 2 YouTube page has clips from his visits in 1978 and 1980.

    

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