Robert Lett Lee, who served Louisiana Baptists as a “servant
leader” for 30 years, died Feb. 13 in Alexandria. He was 87.
“Dr. Lee was known as a beloved friend to Louisiana Baptists
and to pastors in particular,” said Dean Doster, executive director of
the Louisiana Baptist Convention, a position Lee held from 1956 to 1986.
Robert Lett Lee, who served Louisiana Baptists as a “servant
leader” for 30 years, died Feb. 13 in Alexandria. He was 87.
“Dr. Lee was known as a beloved friend to Louisiana Baptists
and to pastors in particular,” said Dean Doster, executive director of
the Louisiana Baptist Convention, a position Lee held from 1956 to 1986.
“He served Louisiana Baptists for more than 30 years with
distinction and always a vision for the future,” Doster continued. “The
building that houses the Louisiana Baptist Convention now was built during his
tenure.
“He has been a faithful supporter to Louisiana Baptist
missions in his retirement,” Doster said. “He personally has supported
me as executive director.
“He will be missed by all of us.”
During Lees three-decade tenure as Louisiana Baptist
Convention executive director, he led the denomination through a host of structural
and organizational changes.
In addition, he helped focus the convention on the tasks of
ministry, missions and evangelism. These included in-state emphases to impact
Louisiana with the gospel and missions partnerships beyond its borders.
However, at the time of his retirement from his state post
in 1986, colleagues agreed that Lees most-pervasive and enduring contribution
was his servant leadership approach.
“I believe in servant leadership.” Lee said at the
time. “So, I have endeavored to serve all Louisiana Baptists.”
He succeeded, colleagues agreed at the time of Lees retirement
17 years ago.
One praised Lee for creating an atmosphere in which no one
rose above another. Simply put, Lee “drew the state together in love,”
another said.
“He was one of the kindest, most helpful people that Ive
ever known,” said Don Mabry, who worked on the state convention staff with
Lee for years. “He always had an empathy, particularly with pastors who
were in trouble. He was a very intuitive person. He knew when people were having
problems.”
Mabry noted that Lee spent time every morning calling pastors
and others around the state. “He built up a very strong loyalty from Louisiana
Baptists by keeping in touch with them. It was from his kindness more than anything
else, because he cared.
“He had a real ministry of encouragement,” Mabry
said.
“Bob Lee was a man of exceptional ability,” added
Perry Sanders, a longtime colleague and pastor at First Baptist Church of Lafayette.
“Perhaps the most striking thing about him was his compassion and zeal
to do the work of God.
“He had a great vision for the state of Louisiana, and
so many wonderful things were accomplished under his leadership,” Sanders
added last week.
“I consider it a real honor to have been on the committee
that nominated him as executive director,” he said. “It was painful
when he retired, but he had laid an excellent foundation for the work to go
on.
“The same spirit of love and compassion he exhibited should
be exhibited by all Louisiana Baptists today.”
Lee was a native of Alabama, born Oct. 13, 1915. He once explained
that he “grew up fast,” forced to work hard during years of struggle
for the family and nation.
After high school, he began pursuing a career as an insurance
salesman – until he felt what he characterized as a clear and certain call
to Christian ministry.
He then attended Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., and
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned both masters and doctorate
degrees. He served as pastor of First Baptist, Bay St. Louis, Miss., while in
seminary.
Upon graduation from seminary in 1951, he became pastor at
First Baptist Church of DeRidder.
Two years later, he became assistant executive secretary for
the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
In 1954, he was critically injured in a head-on automobile
collision that led to months of hospitalization and at least eight rounds of
surgery. Lee would exhibit physical effects of the crash for the rest of his
life.
In late 1955, the Louisiana Baptist executive director (then
called the executive secretary) resigned. Lee served as interim director for
six months before being elected to fill the post on a permanent basis.
At age 41, he was the youngest state executive in the Southern
Baptist Convention. By the time he retired, he was dean of executive directors
and had compiled the longest tenure in Louisiana Baptist Convention history.
During those 30 years, Lee led Louisiana Baptists to construct
the Baptist Building facility in Alexandria, establish a nursing home facility
and ministry and launch a disaster relief ministry. He also led them through
a transition of their hospital ministries and in mission partnerships with Baptists
in India, Korea, Zimbabwe, the French West Indies, Liberia and Nevada.
After retiring in 1986, Lee continued to speak at various functions.
His health declined in recent years, and he entered the hospital last week,
where he subsequently died.
He is survived by his wife, Grace, and their daughter, Kathryn
Grace Harless of Pineville, and his daughter from his first marriage, Linda
Lee Brian of Jackson, Tenn. He is also survived by daughter-in-law Phebe Mason
Lee and by two brothers, George Lee and William Lee, and five grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Sunday, Feb. 16, at First Baptist,
Pineville. His body was donated to science.
The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to First
Baptist Church of Pineville at 901 Main Street, Pineville, LA 71360, the LBC
Retired Ministers Relief Fund at P.O. Box 311, Alexandria, LA 71309, or
a charity of ones choice.