Happy 100th Birthday, Mr President

Even if people disagree on how successful his term was, from 1977-1981, he remains the public’s most admired U.S. President ever.

In 2002, Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”. He has championed human rights, mental health, and building houses for the homeless through Habitat.

Most importantly, for me, Carter was a fellow Baptist who taught Sunday School at his Washington D.C. church throughout his whole presidency. I was a 21-year-old Baptist Sunday School teacher when he assumed office and he gave me confidence that faith wasn’t just personal but also concerned with politics and human rights.

Until then, my Baptist upbringing had focussed on evangelism, church planting, and supporting missionaries. Nothing wrong with any of that, but maybe more Baptists could’ve joined Australian Catholics or Anglicans as they engaged public debate from the perspective of Christian faith. Back then I didn’t know any Baptists who did that. But here was a Baptist leading the free world and speaking openly about his faith guiding him.

When asked the secret to a long life in 2021, Carter said “marrying the right woman”. Rosalind, his wife, died at 97. Carter taught me that faith is both private – good for marriage and building character – and public – good for trying to set the world right. Though very ill, he has recently said he is trying to stay alive to vote for Kamala Harris on November 7. He is still engaged, even as he prepares to meet his Maker.

I owe so much to the courage and character of Jimmy Carter. Happy birthday, Mr President.