Jim Pitts caught the Morning Train, a Modest Proposal for his Legacy and Baptist Identity at Furman

     I was on campus at 3pm October 3 for the Memorial service of Furman chaplain Jim Pitts. I think the math was Pitts was a force, an influencer of varying degrees and capacities formally and informally for all but eight years since he set foot on the downtown campus the fall of 1956 till he caught the Morning Train January of this year.

    He was honored in Grand Style Sunday with a good 170 folks in attendance. As I told his former assistant Chaplain Vic Greene, not quite Tunky Riley's numbers but numbers to his satisfaction we have to believe. A Grand program with several presenters of the best of Furman's historic Baptist tradition, and the music was exquisite High Church Tradition. Richard himself would be proud.

     There is a book out on Pitts. Helen Lee Turner and Sam Britt make the offering I want to focus on. They touch on a theme dear to Pitts heart since the official break with SC Baptists in 1992, one Which Pitts affirmed as did a weeping Richard Furman the V saw as necessary.

   So get up to speed with a read of their effort in the Smyth and Helwys Walk With Me, and for any of you with which this proposal may resonate, Jeff Rogers lecture in the collection What Really Matters on Furman and Baptist Identity.

    I think Furman should immediately pursue a course in Baptist History and Influence in America, to be taught every three years so every generation forthcoming will know something deeper of the riches of the best of the Baptist vision and tradition in America, and especially the South; and how it shaped Furman for its first 150 years.

    I dont think Furman should ever be like it was when I was there, 50 percent South Carolina Baptists. Cause its a different kind of Baptists for one and the state didnt go trump without a lot of Babdissed votes. But a third New Jersey secularists is a little bit of a seesaw in the other direction. Nor should it be a mid range safety net for Atlanta and Hoover or Mtn Brk or Franklin Tn Preppies. I know some of those people and many of them make a contribution, like Jon Meacham for instance. But a lot are just gamers, real estate agents and gentrifiers in transition where they can drink a little and Momma is satisfied they are relatively safe.

   Of course Furman is producing its share of outstanding grads of virtue and the Furman magazine finds and spotlights every one of them four times a year. But the salt is lacking and folks like Helen Lee and Sam think at the cost of Furman Identity.

    So every three years go deep with Baptists history and thought and influence. Bring Randall Balmer and Bill Leonard and and Mark Noll, Nathan Hatch, Anthea Butler to campus. Coordinate with Olli to make their lectures and conversations open to Furman's aging population. Have a syllabus that spotlights with participation from the Religion, History and Political science department the work of Stewart A Newman, a Mentor to Pitts and James Dunn and a friend of LD Johnson. Spotlight the legacy of Marshall Frady as the son of a Baptist minister and great friend of Jesse Jackson. Talk about Pitts grand friendship with Grady Butler who was in Jail with ML King in Atlanta in 1960 when JFK called and as Butler said Sunday, King reported to his eleven jail mates the Cause had taken on "new significance"

    Make sure every student that wants to know, even the ones from New Jersey and a few scalawags from Hoover, know about Will D Campbell and why he has a plaza now in his honor at Ole Miss where Arch Manning will establish a new dynasty with Lane Kiffin to a frowning Nick Saban in about three years.

    Balmer's has written a book about the religious political pilgrimage of Jimmy Carter, the man who with Martin England and Jim Pitts had lunch in Charleston in 74 for Baptist layman of the year presentation. And Balmer latest book Bad Faith has a lot of print about abortion and race politics and Bob Jones. If nothing else bring Balmer to town so Jane Robelot will have somebody new to talk to beside her lifelong friend, Trey Gowdy. Will hopefully widen her perspective a little.

    Carlyle Marney and why in 1956 Stewart Newman stood up against Strom Thurmond in 1956 in Columbia SC and said: WA Criswell doesnt speak for me.

     Furman has had in the classroom just since I was there the CEO of Chic Fil A, the nephew of Lester Maddox, the daughter of Nixon's strategist and Lee Atwater.

   It would be a Helluva a course. I should be invited for at least one day to talk about how it all played out in Gaffney, if not to present at least a free lunch in the dining hall for the after effect conversation.

    It is my understand President Davis was a GA Queen Regent coming of Age in New Orleans. Let her come to class to testify for a day to the coeds from New Jersey just What it Means. Furman still has it's Baptist Story to Tell to the Nations. So as Pitts tributes makes clear, would be a gross failure of Furman even thirty years after the SC SBC break to leave that to chance. Let's codify, even offer the first course next fall.

    As Butler said Sunday: "Jim Pitts caught the morning train." Furman is much less than if it lets that be the final word and strays Further from the best of a grand history.

   Here is the link to the poem:  https://genius.com/Precious-bryant-morning-train-lyrics