Important Works of J.T. Henderson Acquired

Miss Georgia Hays, the long-time former secretary of Brotherhood General Secretary J.T. Henderson, recently left a number of historic Brotherood documents.

Miss Hays, who died at the age of 99 in October 2006, was the secretary to Henderson, who was the first General Secretary the year the Baptist Brotherhood of the South was established in 1907. Henderson remained at that post until his retirement July 1, 1938.

During that time Miss Hays was his secretary for 11 of those years (27-38). She had collected several pieces of his writings during his leadership, kept them, and thus preserving his legacy.

In the September 9, 1954 Baptist and Reflector a tribute was given to Dr. Henderson as a great layman. He was born just before the Civil War in 1858 in Tennessee. He attended and taught math at Carson-Newman College and attended Colombian University in Washington DC. He became President of Carson-Newman College and served for 10 years (1893-03). He then served as President of Virginia Intermont College in Bristol.

With the formation of the Baptist Brotherhood of the South in 1907 Henderson served as its first General Secretary until his retirement of that position July 1, 1938 at 80 years of age.

During those years he traveled among the layman in the states the comprised the SBC while teaching about the stewardship of life, money, and influence. He was known to have traveled as much as 33,000 miles (not by air) and delivered as many as 275 addresses to more than 100 churches in a year. He organized Brotherhoods in churches, published resources to equip the men and their leaders.

Upon his death January 7, 1946 many tributes were paid to his leadership. One meaningful tribute came from Miss Hays, his secretary: " Dr. Henderson was a quiet man who wanted no praise for himself. He challenged church members to be faithful stewards of their substance and themselves. I have never known a more genuine Christian--who practice what he taught."

In future entries Brotherhood Remnant (BR) will go over some of his thoughts put writing to honor this man and also to engage personal thought on subjects he addressed.

PA Stevens, former Brotherhood Trustee, Dies

PA Stevens, 85, of Louisville, Ky., a former trustee of the Southern Baptist Brotherhood Commission died August 23, 2007 at Baptist Hospital East in Louisville.

PA spent many years assisting the the Brotherhood Department of the Kentucky Baptist Convention under the directorship of Forrest Sawyer. He also was a member of the Kentucky Brotherhood Steering Committee and also served as its president. PA was elected as Brotherhood Commission trustee in the 1970s was its chairman during reorganization and downsizing of the Commission employees in those years.

PA was a member of Westport Road Baptist Church in Louisville. He is survived by his wife Leda Stevens, a son, two daughters; three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Kentucky Disaster Relief of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, Box 43433, Louisville, Ky., 40253.