Holy Week was a difficult time for Alabama Baptists this year. In a single week we lost one of the state convention’s most popular and respected leaders through death and one of the most trusted Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leaders through a moral failure.
Both are serious losses for Alabama Baptists and for the cause of Christ. But like Holy Week itself, the story is about more than death and defeat.
David Potts was president of Judson College in Marion from 1990 until early March 2018, when he stepped down from the presidency and assumed the role of chancellor. Even though many knew Potts was seriously ill, his death was still unexpected and came as a surprise to most.
Potts came from a prominent Alabama Baptist family. His father, A. Earl Potts served as pastor of McElwain Baptist Church, Birmingham, before serving 20 years on the staff of the State Board of Missions (SBOM). The last six of those years he was executive director of SBOM.
Christian gentleman
David Potts grew up around and among the Baptist leaders of the state. And like his father, David Potts was the epitome of a Christian gentleman. He was kind and considerate yet able to lead with conviction. He was soft spoken but the strength of his words was unmistakable.
As president of Judson, Potts was outstanding. The college lives on the knife’s edge of financial stability. Yet again and again, he led the college forward with new buildings, new programs, increased endowment and more.
Only those closest to Judson are able to truly recognize and appreciate the outstanding leadership he gave to Alabama Baptists’ oldest institution.
Potts was a friend of The Alabama Baptist state paper. When new owners planned to tear down the building in Marion in which the state paper began, he led Judson to purchase the building and relocate it onto the college campus where, today, a state historical marker tells the story of that small frame building.
A few years ago, he made a promotional video for the state paper which was shown in hundreds of churches. And for many years Judson bought lunch for the state paper staff to express appreciation for the way the state paper shared news and information about the school Potts led.
David Potts was widely known among Alabama Baptists and widely appreciated. His death is a loss for Judson, for the area of the state in which he lived and for all Alabama Baptists.
And there was the loss of Southern Baptists’ “chief encouragement officer.” That is how Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, referred to himself. Even though he was the denomination’s chief executive officer, he saw himself as an encourager.
The SBC Executive Committee doesn’t have as large a budget as other SBC entities. It does not have the staff or the recognition of some entities. But it is like a lynchpin holding all SBC work together as it holds sway over Cooperative Program allocations, ministry assignments, entity cooperation and so much more.
Behind the scenes, Page used his position to build bridges of understanding and cooperation across chasms of age, gender, ethnicity, theology and more within the SBC. He was appreciated and respected as a SBC leader.
Uniting Southern Baptists
Following his election to the Executive Committee post, he famously commented, “I got more votes than the new Executive Committee chairman.” Many predicted a short tenure for him. But from a divided start he built a united Executive Committee and worked hard to unite Southern Baptists.
That is part of the reason accolades flowed so freely early March 27 when Page announced his retirement.
Unfortunately, the first story changed dramatically within a matter of hours. Instead of a retirement at some unannounced future date Page was resigning effective immediately.
The reason: “a morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past.” What that means was not explained, leaving readers to fill in the blanks with their imaginations.
Page’s resignation story was not limited to denominational outlets. It was reported by national and regional news outlets across the nation. AL.com prominently displayed the story, for example. Blogs exploded.
This was not a story about a moral failing of a local pastor, as heartbreaking as that is. It was a story about the top administrator in the SBC and that made it major news.
Death and defeat
The damage went beyond a single minister, beyond the family, beyond the other person involved. A shadow was cast across Southern Baptists as a whole.
Yes, it was a hard week; a week highlighted by death and defeat.
Thankfully, Holy Week does not end on that note and neither will this week. After the heaviness of Maundy Thursday, the apparent defeat of Good Friday and the confusion of Saturday, there is the surprise of Sunday. There is resurrection.
For David Potts there is the promise of resurrection because of his lifelong commitment to Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. For Judson there is hope of a future as a search committee already is at work seeking out a new president to continue leading this historic institution.
For Page and others publically caught up in moral failures there is hope of forgiveness and restoration. Baptists increasingly understand that wounded soldiers of the cross can be rehabilitated through repentance and restoration.
The resurrection turned the Apostle Peter from denier into proclaimer. Forgiveness can trump failure. Mercy can overcome sin.
Baptists in Alabama and across the nation are saddened by what has happened to a trusted leader. But that sadness is not the final word. God will raise up a new leader but ultimately our hope is not in any leader no matter how popular that person might be. Our hope is in God and that hope will not fail.
Because of the resurrection, we are a people who live in hope, and hope always overcomes death and defeat.
Share with others: