Community mourns the passing of Dr. Mack King Carter

Dr. Mack King Carter
Dr. Mack King Carter

Community mourns the passing of Dr. Mack King Carter

Internationally known Rev. Dr. Mack King Carter will not be soon forgotten.

By Charles Moseley

     There are few men in recent memory who have had such an indelible impact on South Florida as did the late Reverend Dr. Mack King Carter. Dr. Carter was known both far and near for his oratorical prowess and his biblical scholarship. Those who knew Dr. Carter will also recall the warm manner in which he greeted everyone he met and ever present infectious smile, another familiar characteristic of the immensely popular pastor.

The Legendary Dr. Mack King Carter, a preacher par excellence and Pastor Emeritus of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. died last Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2013. He was 66 years old.

Prophet, preacher, teacher, pastor all describe Dr. Mack King Carter. He was a noted pastor, teacher, author, and lecturer who led the New Mount Olive Baptist Church to greater heights in ministry.

Dr. Carter was a native of Ocala, Florida. He received an Associate of Arts degree in 1967 from Central Florida Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970 from the University of Florida, a Master of Divinity degree in 1976 from Southern Baptist Theological Semi-nary and a Doctorate of Ministry degree in 1978 from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.                         He has done additional studies at Florida Memorial College in Miami, Florida and has received honorary doctorate degrees from Bethune Cookman College and Florida Memorial College.

Dr. Carter was considered one of America’s great African American puppeteers as he traveled throughout the United States and abroad preaching, teaching and lecturing. His classes at the National Baptist Convention Congress of Christian Education were packed to capacity with preachers and lay-persons who come each year to hear one of God’s master teachers.

Noted for his biblical scholarship, his exegetical expertise and masterful skill in homiletics and hermeneutics, he was considered a “preacher’s preacher.”

Prior to accepting the call to Pastor the New Mount Olive Baptist Church, Dr. Carter served Calvary, Watula and St. John Baptist Churches in Ocala, Fla. and Green Castle Baptist Church in Prospect, Kentucky. He retired as Senior Pastor of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church on September 30, 2009.

He is the author of four books including A Catechism for Baptists, To Calvary and Beyond, A Quest for Freedom and Interpreting the Will of God.

He has been married to Patricia A. Thomas Carter since 1973 and he is a proud father of two daughters, Annalisa Robinson-Melton and Pamela Latrice Johnson. He is also the proud grandfather of Brittany N. Robinson and Carter Nathaniel Johnson.

Dr. Mack King Carter’s proudest moments.

“There have been so many things looking back that I consider that have been important in my life but I  would have to say, serving people under the banner of the gospel of Jesus Christ; ministering and pre-aching the gospel throughout the world without a shadow of a doubt, that would have to be number one. I’ve seen lives transformed, seeing somebody that was on drugs and God uses you to minister to that person and to see that person move all the way from drug addiction and see them turn their lives around to the point where they move on and finish college and go on and on and on and achieve and excel and do well. I guess that would be part of the most significant thing.  There have been quite a few cases like that. I am an educator and an inspirater.”

“There was a man in Ocala, Fla. by the name of Dr. C. T. Brown who had such a tremendous impact on my life. He used to pastor the First Baptist Church in Ocala, Fla. at one point. First of all he was highly trained. He was a man who was renowned not only for the word inside of his bible but the world outside of his bible. He was what I call a spiritual genius.”

“I think the most important role of the preacher is to engage people with the gospel not in a threatening way; engage them with the gospel of Jesus Christ to the point that their lives are transformed for the kingdom of heaven sake.”

The Reverend Dr. Mack King Carter was Pastor Emeritus of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He offered several observations regarding the role of the Black church during the Civil Rights Movement which began during the mid 1950’s.

 

Dr. Mack King Carter on – Black Liberation Theology

“I think that was the church’s finest hour in so far as the progress of our people dealing with racism in this country,” said Dr. Carter.

    Today, although much progress has been made in the area of racial equality in the United States, there still remain areas which require further struggle by Black people in general and the Black Church specifically.

     “When I think of freedom it’s like Nelson Mandela in South Africa. President Mandela is a great man but one thing we have to look at – nothing has changed as far as that money purse in South Africa. So when you say, ‘We are free,’ what does that mean? Even when Black people said at the end of the Civil War, ‘I’z free,’ what did that mean? They were turned loose into a capitalistic society, without capital. That means you’re not free.

     “Part of the struggle of the church right now is defined by what we mean by being free and some of us are just enjoying what we think is freedom. One of the things that was said was after President Obama was elected in 2008, was that we live in a post-racial society now; and that there is no need for anymore protesting or anything like that. We don’t need Rev. Sharpton or people like him out here. As you can see we still need somebody. All of us do. And we need our Black churches to stand up and say, ‘We thank God from where he has brought us from and brought us to, but there is still a long way to go.”’

 

Dr. Dorsey Miller- Long time friend

    “When Mack and I developed a real strong relationship about 30 years ago there were those who knew us from Ocala thought I would be a bad influence on him, he tried to be an extremely positive influence on me. He was an extremely unique individual and he and I would talk just about every day. We talked about kids and everything. And what really impressed me the most as we traveled out of town sometimes together there were those who would run up to him because of his celebrity and he never let that go to his head. He was one of the few individuals who I knew personally who truly could walk with kings and not lose the common touch. He was extremely brilliant but he was a humble individual. I don’t think God could have given me a better friend. He was closer than a brother. I said at his retirement that our relation-ship was that of David and Jonathan in the Old Testament. He was my confidant and I was his. We shared secrets from each other that we didn’t even share with our wives. I’ll be thinking about him every waking moment at the time of his death. The thing that keeps me going from day to day is the humorous conversations we had and the humorous experiences that we had together. He was my best friend. I will miss him dearly and he will always be my best friend.”

    When Dr. Marcus Davidson who came to The Mt. Olive Baptist Church after Dr. Carter, was asked  how he felt about being a part of an institution like Dr. Carter, Reverend Davidson replied; “I can sum it up in two words, “humbling experience,” this is how it feels to be a part of such an institution.”

Art Kennedy

    “The community has lost a great, great leader in Dr. Mack King Carter, a spiritual giant, a great force who will long be missed, here in our community.”

Congressman Alcee Hastings 

“All our lives have been deliciously enhanced because of the profound leadership from a favorite son of the state of Florida. For almost 50 years he dedicated his life to spiritual and community service sharing his wisdom, and love for teaching to help of others. Dr. Mack King Carter will be dearly missed. We know that heaven has been deliciously improved.”

Levi Henry, Jr.—Publisher emeritus Westside Gazette

    “In times of need Dr. Carter was there for me and my family. He became a real friend and I know that our family was not the only families that benefited from his ‘purpose driven life’. Guided and directed by God, Doc was truly an inspiration to me and an example for me to follow in forgiving others.”

Rev. Dr. Rosalind V. Osgood his “Spiritual Daughter”

    “Dr. Carter loved preaching. I am eternally grateful for every hour he spent teaching me how to develop and deliver a sermon.

    The memoirs of the hundreds of people waiting in line to shake his hand after he lectured at the National Conventions are priceless. The long biblical expositions and his life stories that he shared will forever remain in my heart. I will never forget the extended series on Psalm 137 that lasted for a multiplicity of months. I thought we would never stop weeping by the rivers of Babylon, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.”

    “Dr. Mack King Carter’s living was not in vain. Dr. Carter had a tremendous impact on my life. He was a good man. He will forever be one of the world’s most influential Christian Pastors of all time. I am deliciously proud to be the “daughter” in the ministry of the late Reverend Dr. Mack King Carter. To God Be the Glory!”

    Dr. Carter touched the lives of both the young and the old. Broderick and Byler Henry brothers who had the privilege of playing the role of Dr. Carter in his life story as a young Mack King Carter felt the pain of the expecting the absence of Dr. Carter.

    Broderick an employee of the Broward County School System stated, “ After playing Dr. Carter in the pastor appreciation play, I found a whole new respect and admiration for him. It’s not every day you find a person, let alone a man, that has the integrity, sincerity and passion for life that Dr. Carter had. And as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, it would be extremely difficult to name anybody that exemplifies Manhood, Scholarship, Per-severance and Uplift anymore than him. Now that he has gone on to glory, his teachings will definitely resonate more in my mind and be a reminder of what to strive for in life.”    Byler who is a junior at Florida A&M University stated, “Playing Dr. Carter as a kid was a wonderful experience and I played him twice he was remarkable as a child. When he transitioned I felt sadness come over me it really hurt me.”

 

Homegoing Services

·­      Wednesday, October 9 — New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International, 2300 N.W. 135 St., Miami, Fla. 33167 – (305) 685-3700 — Viewing and presentations from organizations from 4 to 6 p.m. Memorial service begins at 7:30 p.m.

·       Thursday, October 10 — First Baptist  Church, 301 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 — (954) 524-6800, Dr. Larry Thompson, senior pastor.Viewing starts at 9 a.m.; Home going service begins at NoonRepast at New Mount Hermon AME Church & Family Life Center, 401 N.W. Seventh Terr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33311 — (954) 463-6309

·       Saturday, October 12 — New St. John Baptist Church, 2251 N.W. Second St., Ocala, Fla.Phone (352) 629-5663Viewing starts at 8 a.m.; Home going service begins at 11 a.m. Burial will be private.

    Funeral arrangements by McWhite’s Funeral Home, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: Dr. Mack King Carter Memorial, Florida Memorial University, 15800 N.W. 42 Ave, Miami Gardens, Fla. 33054 – (305) 626-3600

 

About Carma Henry 24481 Articles
Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

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