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

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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This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.  

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