Soup and salad with a side of wisdom.

Pierce, John D.

There is a corner booth at Applebee's in Macon, Georgia, where Walter (Buddy) Shurden has spent numerous lunch hours offering wisdom over a good salad and tomato soup.

It has been a blessing for me to share many of those meals and to be on the receiving end of his wise counsel, good humor, and piercing insights.

Sometimes we met to consider specific plans while Dr. Shurden served so effectively as chairman of the Board of Directors for Baptists Today. At other times I simply wanted to bounce ideas off of him and enjoy his company.

Each time 1 left with a fuller stomach and quickly sketched notes with more ideas than could be implemented. He is always generous with his time, wisdom, and concrete support.

Dr. Shurden's commitment to helping shape the modern Baptist movement is commendable and cannot be overstated.

Annual weekend gatherings at his home, when the William H. Whitsitt Heritage Society was in full swing, were always much more (and much more enjoyable) than typical organizational planning meetings. They were opportunities for leaders from within various Baptist entities to converse and collaborate with each other and to gain from Dr. Shurden's guidance.

When the society ran its course, it was Dr. Shurden who suggested that the mission be continued through articles in Baptists Today. Remaining funds were shared for that purpose.

As a result, historian Bruce Gourley has a new Whitsitt-sponsored series in Baptists Today titled "Profiles in Baptist Conscience." It is just one result of Dr. Shurden's ongoing effort to connect, encourage, and equip Baptists to be more effective in embracing and communicating an identity rooted in the tradition of Baptist freedom that he has long taught and advocated.

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John D. Pierce is executive editor of the independent, national news journal Baptists Today (baptiststoday.org).