Thomas Corts delivers final Samford University report, encourages Baptists to continue support

Thomas E. Corts delivered his final report as president of Birmingham’s Samford University to the Alabama Baptist State Convention during the annual meeting in Huntsville Nov. 15. Corts will retire at the end of the 2005–2006 academic year.
   
Leaving the majority of his time for a video about Samford and his years as president, he encouraged Alabama Baptists to continue supporting the university financially and prayerfully.
   
“When Baptists first organized in Alabama, one of the first things we did was form institutions of higher education,” Corts said. 
   
“They formed them because they understood God’s truth needs to be understood fully. Still today, Baptists of this state have a powerful connection to higher education.
   
“It is important for a denomination to have a focus on young people,” he said. “Young people are the hope for the future.”
   
And with an Alabama Baptist college campus filled with 18 to 24 year olds, “youth are never far from the denominational conscience,” Corts noted.
   
He also stressed the importance of Christian higher education being engaged with the intellectual world, to have “an outright ministry in Christ’s name” and to be academically strong.
   
Listing the national honors Samford has recently achieved through its education and nursing schools, Corts said, “Samford has gained a lot of respect nationally.
   
“Alabama Baptists need Samford University,” he noted. “It is a tangible part of Alabama Baptists.” 
   
John Pittman, member of the Samford board of trustees, said, “Samford is an outstanding educational institution, but … what makes Samford distinctive is that we are related in a Christian way.”
   
Henry Cox, president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, said to Corts, “I’m sad to see you give this report today because it is your last as president. We recognize the wonderful leadership you’ve given to Samford over the years.”
   
David Potts, president of Judson College in Marion, said, “Thank God for calling Dr. Thomas Corts as president of Samford and that he has been a colleague and not a competitor.”
   
Mark Foley, president of the University of Mobile, thanked Corts for his years of leadership and led the messengers in a standing ovation for him. (TAB)