German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his “Letters and Papers from Prison” that it is “so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.”
KirklandThe single purpose of this “Commentary” is to pay at least in part “what we owe to the help of others.”
By “we,” I am referring to Todd Deaton, Lonnie Wilkey and me. As for the “others,” it is really one “other” – and that is John Roberts, the former editor of The Baptist Courier who died on Aug. 15 at the age of 85. The date had special significance for me: It was on Aug. 15 that I joined the editorial staff of the Courier 38 years ago.
Not long after John’s death, both Todd and Lonnie emailed to me their tributes to John. Both are editors of state Baptist papers – Todd, the Kentucky Western Recorder, and Lonnie, Tennessee’s Baptist and Reflector.
Here is our story.
Todd, while a student at Furman University, became the Courier’s first intern, and while at Southern Seminary was an intern at the paper where he now is editor. “[John Roberts] wrote a letter of recommendation that almost certainly landed the internship at the Recorder before I had even applied at Southern,” Deaton said.
He added that John played a “key role in launching my career as a Christian journalist” by pointing him toward a news position at North Greenville University and later “bringing me to the attention of a Baptist editor (Gene Puckett) in another state (North Carolina) who needed an associate (for The Biblical Recorder).”
Todd returned to the Courier as managing editor when I became the paper’s editor in 1996, serving in that position until he was selected as editor of the Kentucky paper.
“John Roberts was a ‘Barnabas’ to a young college student with a little talent and big dreams of being a Baptist editor,” Todd wrote. “He taught me that I could use journalism to share my Christian faith. Being introduced to him as a student became a spiritual marker on my faith journey.”
Lonnie has been involved in denominational journalism for almost 32 years. “I have had several people who mentored me along the way,” he wrote. “For the most part, all were people I either worked for directly or worked with closely.”
He continued, “There is one exception to that list; I never had the privilege of working directly with or for John Roberts. But though I never worked for him, he perhaps had as large a role as anyone in helping me advance in my career.”
Lonnie recalled that John “took an interest” in him when he was a new graduate of the University of South Carolina’s journalism program, and helped direct him to North Greenville College as a news writer.
Later, having been “strongly recommended” by John, Lonnie accepted a similar position at Baptist College at Charleston. “His interest in me never stopped,” Lonnie wrote. “He recommended me for other positions through the years, including the associate editor’s position for Tennessee’s Baptist and Reflector when it opened up 24 years ago.”
He was hired in Tennessee by the late Fletcher Allen, for years the associate editor of The Baptist Courier.
“I was just one of many he helped along the way,” Lonnie said. “I am grateful for the role John Roberts played in my career.”
I worked with both John and Fletcher when I joined the Courier staff.
Here is how I got there. I was sports editor of my hometown paper, The Lancaster News, when I caught John’s eye after writing a column about a Baptist preacher in Lancaster who had made a name for himself playing football at the University of Georgia. I tweaked that column enough to qualify as a feature in the Courier. The year was 1967.
In 1970, upon the recommendation of John, Furman hired me as news bureau director in the communications office. I moved over to Anderson College in 1971 and came to the Courier in 1974.
When I retire at the end of this year, I will have spent 42 years in denominational service in the ministry of communications. Through the years as John helped guide me to places of service in Christian communications, he always had more confidence in me than I had in myself.
Years ago, John took Todd, Lonnie and me under his wing and gave direction and needed help for our careers in Christian journalism.
Author Thornton Wilder has said that the highest tribute to those who have died is not grief, but gratitude. Thus, the three of us offer to John Roberts the highest tribute: Our gratitude for his impact on our lives as an enabler and encourager.