Those who have heard Elizabeth Carter play the organ at First Baptist Church Decatur say she is a “real” organist — the kind with a seminary degree, who plays with both hands and feet while singing at the top of her lungs.
She has played the organ in church each week for 51 years and has done her best, she said, to be excellent and to lead well.
Carter loves to play both traditional hymns and contemporary songs. When she plays for worship, she attempts to block out all distractions, to play as part of the team and to keep her focus on her worship. In fact, “I have learned through the years that what is important is that I worship — sometimes inspired by the music, sometimes in spite of the music,” she explained. “God loves music that comes from the heart.”
Lasting influence
But her focus isn’t only on playing the organ. According to minister of music Matt Rouse, she has influenced the congregation for decades, leading children’s music and assisting in planning and preparation for worship.
“[Carter is] really not defined by playing the organ alone,” Rouse said. “That doesn’t describe nearly four decades of ministry in one church. She has ministered through multiple ministers of music and interims and multiple pastors and interims. There’s a lot of components to her ministry that are very important.”
When COVID-19 hit, Carter began overseeing congregational care as pastoral care and missions associate for the church. Her longevity at FBC Decatur is due to her ability to adapt, Rouse said, and everything she does is focused toward missions and outreach.
Under Carter’s leadership as missions director, the congregation adopted Lima, Peru, as its international city, and she directs the VBS missions focus toward helping children learn about Peru and understand the importance of missions.
During the pandemic Carter also led outreach efforts to Decatur’s medical community and coordinated a partnership between FBC and a church plant in Aurora, Colorado.
“The reason that we asked [Carter] to help with congregational care, and especially our missions area, is because that has been the theme of her ministry,” Rouse said. “Her organ playing through the years has been marked by her outreach to people.
“For Elizabeth, organ playing is not the preeminent thing. People are the preeminent thing. The organ is just what people see on Sunday. Her goal for leading the missions of our church is for every single person in our church to have at least one engagement in missions a year.”
Majesty in music
Carter heard a pipe organ for the first time during a 7th grade field trip to view architectural features in Flint, Michigan. As the class stood in an old Methodist church looking at the ceilings and pillars, the organist came in and began to practice.
“I had never heard a pipe organ until that day,” Carter recalled. “I could hear God’s power and majesty in the music.”
Carter’s father, Robert Erickson, was a church planter in Michigan through the General Association of Regular Baptists. That fall, a member of Carter’s church purchased a home theater organ, which came with six months of lessons. She was offered the lessons with the opportunity for training to become church organist.
Six months later, her instructor recommended Carter receive more advanced lessons, and she began seriously studying the organ in January 1970.
Her mother, Anna Lou — always her biggest advocate — supported her passion for music and desire to develop her talent. After high school, Carter earned a bachelor of music in pipe organ performance degree from Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College (now Cornerstone University).
She studied under Don Hustad at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and graduated in 1983 with a master of music in pipe organ. In October 1983 she was hired as church organist for FBC Decatur and began her tenure on Jan. 1, 1984.
Faithful in service
Except for a few weeks for vacations, Carter has played the organ in church every Sunday since 1972.
“I have tried to faithfully play and to serve the churches where I have been the organist,” she said. “I have done my best to be excellent and to lead well.”
Two of her traditional hymn CDs, “Pipes, Pedals and Praise” and “In This Very Room” are available for purchase. For more information email elizabethcarter@fbcdecatur.org.
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