Pitts to end Furman journey in spring

Following his baptism by John in the Jordan River, Jesus is ushered into the wilderness where, alone, he spends 40 days wrestling with issues of life and faith.

After praying about his mission and rejecting temptations for wealth, glory and power, he emerges from the wilderness more self-assured, filled with conviction and purpose.

It's a parable that University Chaplain Jim Pitts shared this fall with freshmen. Contrary to the 2002 Orientation theme, "Futopia," Pitts pointed out that Furman is not paradise. Nor is it a country club or a protective bubble.

Instead it is more like a wilderness, a rocky journey of self-discovery. It's a wilderness that Pitts will be leaving this spring, when he retires after 35 years of service as an administrator and religion professor. And like Jesus' excursion, Pitts' journey through Furman's wilderness has at times been turbulent. But it's one he would take a thousand times over.

A native of Washington, D.C., Pitts graduated from Furman in 1960 and went on to earn advanced degrees from two Southern Baptist seminaries, Southeastern and Southern. In 1967, he was serving as pastor at First Baptist Church in Fairfax, S.C., when Furman's newly appointed chaplain, L.D. Johnson, called and asked if he would consider joining his alma mater as associate chaplain.

"I thought some of my friends were calling me and playing a joke," recalls Pitts. "But after some time I realized it was no prank."

Together, Johnson and Pitts developed a comprehensive ministry to the Furman community. In 1982, Pitts succeeded Johnson after the chaplain succumbed to cancer. Johnson, who had served as chaplain at the University of Richmond and as pastor at First Baptist Church in Greenville, is something of a Furman legend. His writings and sermons about life and relationships are still quoted. But Pitts, himself a gifted writer, counselor and speaker, made the transition with style and grace.

Today, Pitts and associate chaplain Vic Greene work to encourage spiritual and moral growth within the Furman community. One of their primary tasks is to offer pastoral care and counseling to students, faculty, administration and staff.

Beginning in the 1970s, Pitts says that the chaplains began to be concerned about the deteriorating relationship between the South Carolina Baptist Convention and Furman. After fundamentalists took control of the national convention in the mid-1980s, Pitts came to believe that, for Furman to continue its tradition of educational excellence, a change in university governance was necessary, and that the convention should no longer have control of the election of Furman's trustees.

In 1992, the university's board of trustees and the South Carolina Baptist Convention decided to go their separate ways. Five years later, Pitts helped dedicate the Charles Ezra Daniel Memorial Chapel, which had been a longtime dream.

"I wish my friend L.D. could have been here to enjoy that moment," he says.

Pitts' professional expertise includes crisis counseling, substance abuse intervention and career guidance for persons in the ministry.

"My work here has been very fulfilling," he says. "This has been a great place to live and work. Furman has been more than a job to me. It's been a way of life."

After retiring in June, Pitts will remain in Travelers Rest and devote more time to his work as chair of the board of Smyth & Helwys, a publishing company specializing in Christian books and educational resources. He will also use the extra time to enjoy his grandchildren - Will, age 3, and Jon, who is due in November.

In parting, what advice would Pitts, the consummate counselor, give to the Furman community?

"Unfortunately, there is little time for unhurried conversations," he says. "I think we need a more reasonable speed limit. In the years ahead I would hope that Furman will continue to be a dynamic but less manic place."