James E. Carter

James E. Carter (1935-2015) was a graduate of Queensborough Elementary School and Fair Park High School in Shreveport. He graduated from Louisiana College in Pineville, La., with a B.A. in history in 1957.

He also earned a master of divinity in 1960 and Ph.D. in church history in 1964 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

He received the Albert Venting Jr. Memorial Award in 1961 and the Freedoms Foundation Award in 1971 and 1979 by Southwestern and was named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by Louisiana College in 1979.

Dr. Carter began his ministry in 1955 as the pastor of Wise Memorial Baptist Church in Lena, La. He served as the pastor of four other churches in Louisiana and Texas over the next 33 years, including First Baptist Church of Natchitoches 1964-1977 and University Baptist Church in Fort Worth 1978-1988.

He completed his ministry as a "minister to ministers," serving as the director of church-minister relations for the Louisiana Baptist Convention in Alexandria, La., from 1988 to 2000.

He also served twice as interim pastor of First Baptist Church of Shreveport and wrote the sesquicentennial history of the church, "To See and Serve Jesus."

A prolific writer as well as a noted teacher, he authored 19 books and wrote the weekly Sunday school lessons in the "Baptist Message," the paper for Louisiana, from 1967 to 1978 and the "Baptist Standard," the Texas state paper, during 1979.

He also served as the president in 1973 and vice president in 1970 of the Louisiana Baptist Convention and served on its executive board from 1968 to 1977.

He was also an active member of the Rotary Club, the American Society of Church History and the Southern Baptist Historical Society.