ATLANTA (ABP) — Charles Deweese is retiring in October at age 65 after 10 years as executive director of the Baptist History and Heritage Society.
Charles Deweese
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Deweese, who was treated for lymphoma in 2007 and 2008, said his health
is excellent and is not the reason he is stepping down. He said body
scans last fall and in January and April have all come back clear.
Deweese called working at the Baptist History and Heritage Society,
formerly an auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention Historical
Commission before that agency was dissolved in a denominational
restructuring in 1995, "the culminating work of my life."
"The society is a true grassroots Baptist organization; working with
its members constitutes one of the true joys of my career," he said.
Organized originally in 1938, the society became an independent Baptist
history organization called the Southern Baptist Historical Society in
order to continue its work after dissolution of the Historical
Commission. In 2001 Deweese led the organization to change the name to
Baptist History and Heritage Society to encourage broader than Southern
Baptist participation.
Today the society has nearly 700 members in the United States and 30 international members in 16 countries.
Last year Deweese led the society to begin an endowment campaign celebrating Baptists' 400th anniversary in 2009.
In 2007 the society moved its offices from Brentwood, Tenn., to
Atlanta, where it shares a building at Mercer University with other
organizations including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
According to a news release, Deweese told board members in announcing
his retirement he has high hopes for the future of the organization.
"My prayer for the future of the Baptist History and Heritage Society
is that it will retain its high level of integrity, including
commitments to historical truth and accuracy, transparent finances, the
production of high-quality services and resources, a responsible spirit
of independence, and a broad range of constructive relationships with
other Baptists," he said.
Society President Jerry Faught, a professor at Oklahoma Baptist
University, said the society "made superb progress" under Deweese's
decade of leadership.
"We are especially thankful for Charles's tireless dedication in
2007-08 as he struggled valiantly with cancer," Faught said. "He taught
us how to face a crisis with hope and determination. That Charles can
retire in good health and enjoy meaningful time with his family is
extremely gratifying."
Deweese said in an e-mail that dealing with cancer "was a big
challenge, but I have had one of the most supportive boards of
directors that an executive director could ever hope to have."
Before becoming the society's executive director in June 1999, Deweese,
who has a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, worked at
the former SBC Historical Commission from 1973 until 1994 and for
Providence House Publishers in Franklin, Tenn., from 1995 until 1998.
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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
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