[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 135 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1429-E1430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF DR. MACK KING CARTER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 3, 2013

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my heart is heavy because of 
the death of one of my dearest friends in Florida, Dr. Mack King 
Carter, the pastor emeritus of New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort 
Lauderdale. An extraordinary theologian, teacher, missionary, and 
exemplary servant of God, he was truly a preacher's preacher. I was 
deeply saddened to hear of Dr. Carter's untimely passing at the age of 
66, and mourn with his many relatives, friends, and the New Mount Olive 
family during this most difficult time.
  Dr. Carter was born and raised in Ocala, Florida. At the age of five, 
he answered the call to spiritual service and began preaching as a 
young man, having pastored his first church at the age of 19. In 1967, 
he received an Associate of Arts degree from Central Florida Community 
College, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970 from the 
University of Florida. Dr. Carter went on to receive a Master of 
Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1976 and 
a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Southern Baptist Theological 
Seminary in 1978. A lifetime educator, he also did additional studies 
at Florida Memorial College in Miami, and received honorary doctorate 
degrees from Bethune-Cookman College and Florida Memorial College.
  Prior to his pastorship at New Mount Olive, Dr. Carter served 
Calvary, Watula, and St. John Baptist Churches in Ocala, as well as 
Green Castle Baptist Church in Prospect, Kentucky. In 1981, Rev. George 
E. Weaver, then pastor of New Mount Olive, invited Dr. Carter to become 
his co-pastor before passing the torch to him in November 1982. Under 
his leadership, the congregation grew from about 2,800 to more than 
10,000 members. During his tenure, Dr. Carter established a television 
ministry and created the Mount Olive Development Corporation, a faith-
based organization focused on revitalizing low and moderate-income 
communities. Widely considered to be one of America's great African 
American preachers, he also traveled throughout the United States and 
abroad preaching, teaching, and lecturing. Each year, preachers and 
churchgoers would fill to capacity Dr. Carter's regular classes at the 
Congress of Christian Education's National Baptist Convention.
  Dr. Carter had an uncanny ability to combine his learned biblical 
scholarship with the folkways of the traditional African American 
preacher, interweaving everyday situations and current events into his 
sermons to make a biblical point. His energy and faith were contagious, 
inspiring many to preach and countless others more to study the Bible. 
Dr. Carter was a mentor to more than 100 pastors across Florida and the 
country as a whole, including Rev. Dr. Gerald Kisner, Minister of 
Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, and another 
dear friend of mine, the late Rev. Lance Chaney of St. John's Baptist 
Church in Boynton Beach.
  After serving 27 years at New Mount Olive Baptist Church, Dr. Carter 
decided to move on in 2009. At the time, he was fighting a battle 
against veritable health problems. However, his faith and duty to teach 
and preach were unshakeable. Dr. Carter joined New Birth Cathedral of 
Faith International in Miami-Dade County, where he also taught Bible 
study. In addition, he taught at St. Ruth Missionary Baptist Church in 
Dania Beach and, most recently, preached one of the Easter Sunday 
sermons at New Birth, one of Florida's largest Black churches. Despite 
his declining health, Dr. Carter found the strength to continue 
preaching with energy and passion. Furthermore, he authored four books: 
A Catechism for Baptists, To Calvary and Beyond, A Quest for Freedom, 
and Interpreting the Will of God.
  A devout husband and father, Dr. Carter is survived by his wife of 40 
years, Patricia A. Thomas Carter; daughters Annalisa Robinson-Melton 
and Pamela Latrice Johnson; and grandchildren Brittany N. Robinson and 
Carter Nathaniel Johnson.
  I am truly privileged to have known Dr. Carter's friendship. We 
talked politics a lot, and he would remind me always of the admonitions 
of Leviticus and Ecclesiastics. My childhood friend and District Chief 
of Staff, Mr. Art Kennedy, also knew him for many years, recalling 
fondly, ``Dr. Carter, Dorsey Miller and I always had dinner on Mother's 
Day with our wives at Tropical Acres. In addition to being a

[[Page E1430]]

powerful spiritual force, he was also a great sports historian.'' Our 
close friend, Dr. Dorsey Miller, will always remember that, ``Dr. Mack 
King Carter was a beacon of light in a sea of despair for those who 
sought hope, love, truth, and knowledge. He was the ultimate preacher, 
teacher, and practitioner of God's holy word.''
  Mr. Speaker, one of Dr. Carter's favorite words was ``delicious.'' 
Without a doubt, our lives have been deliciously enhanced because of 
the profound Christian teachings of a son of Ocala, Florida. For almost 
50 years, he dedicated his life to spiritual and community service, 
sharing his wisdom and love for teaching with countless others. While 
Dr. Mack King Carter will be dearly missed, his wife, Pat, and the 
family know that heaven has been ``deliciously'' improved.

                          ____________________