My  Father and I Ministers, Educators and Masons

Dr. William M. Suttles
32, K\C\C\H 
2734 Piney Wood Drive
East Point, Georgia 30344-1956



Against a background of nostalgic memories of his father, who was
also a minister and Mason, a Baptist clergyman from Georgia shows
how his 50-year career as a Mason has made him a better person,
educator, and minister.

MY FATHER, W. M. "Moss" Suttles,  had two vocations, minister and
teacher, for over thirty years. His first sermon was preached at
Mount Gilead Church on July 17, 1906, and his text was Isaiah
45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
for I am God, and there is none else." He was a product of Emory
University, and he taught mathematics in our public schools while
serving as pastor of several rural Baptist churches in Georgia. As
a young boy, I accompanied my father to the churches he served. On
these trips in a "Model T" or a "Model A" Ford, my father talked
with me about his faith and his love for our Lord. He impressed
upon me that everyone needed a center of worth, something on which
to rely for meaning, and that for him that center of worth was our
Lord Jesus Christ. He also said that Christians have received a
sacred trust; thus, we must give of our time, our talents, our
substance, and ourselves to Christ.

        He spoke about the role of a minister of the Gospel as one
who wears the "Royal Purple" of our Lord. Thus the minister must
always be true to his calling. My father would remind me that when
Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, he took the bones of Joseph
with him, for Moses wanted the people to remember who they were and
what their mission was. He repeated to me on several occasions that
a minister must always be aware that the "Road to Jericho" is
traveled still, and that we must always respond needs of others. He
often quoted these words of John Ruskin:

 "When we build, let us think we build forever. Let it not be for
the present delight, nor for the present use alone. Let it be such
work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we
lay stone upon stone, that a time is to come when these stones will
be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and men will
say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them,
"See, this our Fathers did for us."

        Thus, the faith which meant so much to my father was
transmitted to me, and I dedicated my life to Christ. When I was
eight years old, my father baptized me.

        My father had a Masonic pin which he wore with pride, and
he talked with me about the friendship, fellowship, and brotherhood
which he enjoyed in the Masonic Fraternity. Some of his brothers
were Masons, and several of his best friends were Masons. When my
father lay dying, many Masons and members from his churches gave
much comfort and support to us.

        I was 16 and a senior in high school when my father died.
His funeral was conducted in one of the churches where he had been
the leader in organizing. At the cemetery a farmer, who was a Mason
and a deacon in one of my father's churches, took my hand in his
and, with tears in his eyes, said: "The only time your father ever
made anyone cry was when he died." Those words made me a lasting
impression upon me, and I felt the Lord calling me to follow in my
father's footsteps. Thus, two years later, at a teen, I was
ordained a minister at the Sharon Baptist Church.

        I entered Mercer University, our excellent Baptist
Institution in Georgia, in order to study for the ministry.
However, because of sickness in my family and my need to return
home to assist my mother and sisters, I left Mercer during my
freshman year. After finding employment, I entered the Georgia
Evening College, now the Georgia State University.

        There, I met President George McIntosh Sparks, a remarkable
man. He was a Mercer graduate and chairman of the Board of Deacons
of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta. He assisted me with my
tuition and  encouraged me when I needed it the most. Dr. Sparks
was an active Mason, who often spoke to me about what Masonry meant
to him.

        After I was graduated from the Georgia Evening College, I
began to serve rural Baptist churches in addition to my work at the
college. Moreover, the thought of what Masonry had meant to my
father, my uncles, and Dr. Sparks led me to become a member of a
Lodge. The Masonic Degree work was biblical, beautiful, and very
meaningful. I shall always remember the open Bible upon the altar
and the many occasions that I have knelt there for prayer.

        I have been a minister and educator for over 54 years and
have served one Baptist church for over 42 of those 54 years. I
have made my living in education; but, like my father, I have made
my life in serving our Lord.

        I have been a Mason for almost 50 years, and my Masonic
membership has made me a better minister, educator, and  person. In
Masonry men from all walks of life who have an abiding faith in God
build friendships which last a lifetime. When I was in the U. S.
Navy during World War II, I always found fellowship with my Masonic
Brothers. Morever, I made enduring friendships, and I witnessed
these Masons become leaders in their churches and communities.

        In my entire life as a minister, I have never experienced
any conflict between my love and devotions to my Lord and His
church and my membership in the Masonic Fraternity. Masonry is not
a religion, and it is by no means a substitute for religion. The
Masons  I know support their places of worship, and they support
homes for orphans and hospitals for children, and they demonstrate
a care and concern for those in need. I shall always feel the touch
on my life of the lives of my father, my uncles, and Dr. Sparks.
They were men of God, and they were Masons. It is my prayer that
I-as a minister, an educator, and a Mason-may touch the lives of
others as they did mine. My goal is to live by the words of Elton
Trueblood who once said: "That man has learned the secret of life
who plants a tree under the shade of which he knows that he will
never sit."     s

William M. Suttles holds Master's Degrees in Divinity, Theology,
and Religious Education from, respectively, the Universities of
Yale, Emory, and Auburn. During his fifity-year academic and
administrative career at Georgia State University, Atlanta, he held
many important posts, including Executive Vice President, and he
now holds the titles of Professor Emeritus and Provost   Emeritus
at that university. Dr. Suttles is a member of the Scottish Rite
Bodies of Altanta, Georgia.
