~ July 2007 Masonic Light Article ~

Brethren, The past 2 ½ months since I was installed as your Grand Master have been filled with exciting opportunities and accomplishments that you the Brethren of South Carolina have achieved.

Lodges throughout our Grand Jurisdiction have been actively conferring degrees. I have mailed over a hundred personal letters welcoming newly raised Master Masons throughout the State. Brother Lodge Secretaries, please mailed or emailed to me the names and addresses of the new Master Masons raised in your Lodge.

Through the cooperative efforts of the Scottish Rite and Grand Lodge leadership, our Grand Lodge’s Masonic License plate has been approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the prototype plate with the Square, Compasses, letter G and AFM designation should be returned by DMV for Grand Lodge approval this month. License plates should be sent out from DMV and available in the DMV offices by September or October.

In response to a negative letter concerning Freemasonry which was published by the Baptist Courier, I had the opportunity with God’s help to address the untruths written in the letter to the Courier by an individual opposed to Masonry. The letter written by the writer offended by pictures in the Courier of Padgett Creek Baptist Churches Masonic Recognition Day and my responding letter can be read and copied from the Baptist Courier Website under “Articles” when you search for Masons. A copy of my letter can also be obtained from the Grand Lodge Website under the “Grand Master Articles” tab. As a result of my letter, I have received numerous favorable emails and letters from Masons and non-Masons throughout the Country regarding our Great and Honorable Fraternity. Brethren, we must be ready to answer untruths spoken or published about our Fraternity with the truth to those who are willing to hear. We must be able to instruct our new Brothers on how to answer untruths about Masonry with truth.

On June 10th, a Masonic Recognition service was held at my Church, Bethel Baptist Church in Prosperity. Over two hundred Brothers with their aprons attended the service. A total of 360 people attended the service. In addition to the Grand Lodge Officers and Brothers from throughout the State, the Scottish Rite leadership, the York Rite Leadership, the Hejaz Divan, Heroes 76 members, Rainbow officers and members, Eastern Star officers and members and Demolay Officers and members attended. Among the Brothers in attendance, a former S. C. Comptroller General and a State Representative were present.

On June 23rd, your Grand Lodge Officers conducted a Cornerstone Laying Ceremony and a Dedication Ceremony for the new Lodge Hall of Eureka Lodge No 47 AFM. We were also able to present Senator John Drummond, a senior South Carolina State Senator with his 50 year Certificate and Pin at the end of the ceremony. As a result of this ceremony and other Masonic events held during April, May, June, and July, there have been favorable articles with pictures about our Grand Lodge activities and our old and honorable fraternity in four different local South Carolina newspapers.

On June 29th, we had a fantastic time of Brotherly Love and Fellowship at the Georgia and South Carolina Masonic Exchange meeting in Augusta, Georgia. There were 312 Brothers in attendance. The Masonic fellowship displayed by the Georgia and South Carolina Brothers during that meeting continues to reflect the special bond that exists between the Brethren of our two Grand Jurisdictions.

On July 1 - 4, I was hosted by the Potentates of the South Carolina Shrine Centers and accompanied them to the 133rd Imperial Session of the Imperial Shrine of North America in Anaheim California. At that Session, I was extremely proud as the South Carolina Grand Master and as a South Carolina Shriner when the Potentates of North and South Carolina presented checks totaling over $3 Million dollars to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. This incredible donation was the result of the cooperative and effective leadership of the Shrine Centers in North and South Carolina and the hard work and perseverance of the North and South Carolina Brothers and Nobles.

The South Carolina York Rite Leadership and members did a great job in hosting the Southeastern York Rite Conference in Greenville where excellent seminars were held to address members going NPD. Last week, I attended the Great Smokies Summer Assembly of York Rite Masons where the South Carolina Brethren represented the highest number in attendance after the hosting State of North Carolina.

Throughout our Grand Jurisdiction, you the Brethren have displayed your excitement and enthusiasm about Masonry the opportunities and activities in your area. In the coming months, there are many great events being scheduled at the Lodge, District, and Grand Lodge levels. Brethren check the calendars on the Grand Lodge, District, Lodge, and appendent body websites for the dates and times of these events and come out and enjoy the great fellowship that our Fraternity has to offer. The Great Architect of the Universe is truly blessing our Fraternity in South Carolina. Let each of us remember to give him the thanks and praise for what he is doing through the Masons in South Carolina. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you, my Brethren, for all that you are doing for our Great Fraternity. Please remember Sue and me in your prayers as I strive with Sue’s support to do my best to serve God and you my Brethren of South Carolina. May God bless each of you and your family.

Sincerely and fraternally yours,
Gerald (Jerry) L. Carver Grand Master

~ Letter From Most Worshipful Jerry Carver to Baptist Courier Paper ~

May 29, 2007

Don Kirkland Editor and President Baptist Courier 100 Manly Street Greenville, South Carolina 29601

Dear Christian Brother Kirkland,

As a born again Christian, a member, and a leader in a Southern Baptist Church for over forty-seven years, I was deeply sadden to see the May 17th issue of our Baptist Courier used as a vehicle to bash and to try to discredit such an old and honorable institution as Freemasonry. I feel certain that our late Christian Brother James A. Hoyt, who served as the third editor of the Baptist Courier, would have also been sadden considering that he served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina during 1874 – 1875. We as Christians have been concerned over the national media being used as a platform to try to discredit the teachings of our Lord Jesus through slanted and bias reporting. It now appears that we are adopting similar techniques in our Baptist Courier to discredit that which we may personally dislike or disagree with.

I am currently Chairman of the Deacon Board and the Adult Men’s Sunday School Teacher at Bethel Baptist Church in Prosperity, SC. Through the years my family and I have been faithful to serve and support our Church and the Southern Baptist Convention. In Columbia on April 27th I was installed during a public ceremony as Grand Master at the 270th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina. The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina is comprised of 43, 315 Masons of which a conservative estimate would be that over 20,000 of our members are currently members in Southern Baptist Churches in South Carolina and many of them serve as leaders and Pastors.

The individual, who wrote that he was offended at the pictures of Christian Free Masons attending church in their aprons during a Masonic Recognition Service, misrepresented Freemasonry and the findings of the NAMB report which concluded: “Membership in a Masonic order is a matter of personal conscience”. Below I would like to respond to several misrepresentations made by the offended writer.

• The writer indicated that Christian Freemasons do not even know that the tenets of Freemasonry were not compatible with Christian beliefs. The tenets of Freemasonry have been published since the 17th Century and are Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love. Our teachings are the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. In my 33 years as a Christian Freemason, I have never found those teachings incompatible with my Christian faith and can not understand how anyone else would find them incompatible.

• Freemasons never refer to God in a blasphemous manner. Freemasons always refer to God in the most reverent manner as a creature to his creator. We refer to God as God and as the Great Architect of the Universe, the Creator of all things.

• There are oaths and promises made in Freemasonry just as there are oaths of office, oaths for citizenship, and oaths taken in many organizations. My pastor Lynn Peters and I both agree that the Bible verse quoted as prohibiting oaths is actually dealing with those who take oaths for show and then break those oaths. In Freemasonry, oaths are taken seriously. Freemasonry teaches its members to be men of their word and to keep their commitments made to God and man. There are those misguided religious organizations that use this same scripture to teach that the pledge of allegiance to old glory, the beloved flag of our country is non compatible with Christianity.

• Every Bible verse used by Freemasonry is found in the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is referred to as the Great Light of Masonry. Light is a term used by Freemasons to describe knowledge with the greatest light coming from the Holy Scriptures. The Bible or Holy Scriptures is referred to as the Great Light of Masonry, because from the Bible comes the greatest knowledge. In my 33 years as a Mason, I have never heard a pagan reading in a Lodge.

• Referring to the Bible as the furniture of the Lodge is not a disrespectful term but rather a term of honor because no Lodge can ever open or conduct a meeting without the Holy Bible being present.

• Freemasonry is not a religion and therefore does not teach any form of salvation. Freemasonry directs its membership to seek those teachings in the house of worship of their choice. Freemasonry teaches men to be men of their word, to be of good and moral character, and to aid and assist their fellowman in need. In today’s society, these teachings are needed as much now as ever before.

• The tenets and teachings of Freemasonry are the same as those that our great country was founded upon. That all men (people) are equal regardless of their station in life, their religion, their race, or whether they are rich or poor. George Washington, a great man, the father of our country, and a great Freemason used his Masonic teachings in his everyday life and as the President of this country. He was Master of his Lodge while serving as President of the United States.

• Masons are taught never to discriminate, but to treat all men (people) equal “on the level”. Men of all races, religions, and stations in life are Freemasons and hold high offices in the Masonic Fraternity.

• Freemasons contribute over $2,500,000 per day to the fraternity’s many charities which include helping children with burns, orthopedic issues, and language disorders. Those same Freemasons contribute even more daily to support their houses of worship and their communities.

Churches that are members of our South Carolina Baptist Convention should be able to share pictures of their church’s events in the Courier without fear of being criticized from members of another church. There is probably someone who disagrees with every activity pictured in the Courier and could criticize every Church for having those events with which that person disagrees. But as Christians, we should maintain our conduct on a higher plane.

On June 10, 2007, my church, Bethel Baptist Church is planning a Masonic recognition day where my Masonic Brethren will join my Church family in listening to the word of God and hearing about the salvation available through our Lord and Savior, Jesus. How can that be offensive to any Christian? On June 24th Jamestown Baptist Church in Conway SC will also hold a Masonic recognition service. On August 12, 2007, Jordan Memorial Baptist Church in Greenwood will hold a Masonic Recognition day. There are other recognition services scheduled at Baptist, Methodist, and other Churches in South Carolina and around the country.

I sincerely hope that you will provide an un-biased approach by also publishing this letter in the “Your Views” section of the Courier and continuing to publish the provided pictures of all the events held by our member churches without prejudice.

Yours in Christ,

Gerald L. Carver

Cc: Rev. W. Lynn Peters, Rev. Carroll Caldwell. Rev. Glenn Mosteller, Grand Lodge of AFM Officers

~ Grand Master’s Remarks, Annual Communication of Grand Lodge ~

Ladies, Friends, Family, Distinguished Guests, Brethren, Worshipful Brethren, Right Worshipful Brethren, and Most Worshipful Brethren. I would like to express my deepest and sincere appreciation to each of you.

To our Ladies, Friends, and Distinguished Guests, thank you so very much for being here. Your presence has added so very much to this special day in my life.

To My Pastor and friend Lynn Peters, his talented wife Rosie, and my church and Frog level Buddy, Terry Cotney thank you all for being here today and sharing this very special moment with me. Your presence, support, love, and friendship mean so very much to Sue and I.

To my Michigan Brother, friend, and Masonic mentor Jim Vernon and his wonderful wife Nancy. Thank you both for coming and sharing this special moment in my Life. Thank you Jim for being there 33years ago, when I was made a Master Mason. Thank you for taking interest in that young Mason of 27 years and encouraging him. I shall never forget your friendship and counsel. Sue and I cherish the many wonderful memories that we have of those great times with Nancy and you at Masonic events.

To my family here today my Uncle James Mack, who has been like a brother to me throughout the years and who is my Masonic Brother and his Son Jason, who is also my Masonic Brother, my caring and loving mother Doneria, my pretty and energetic grand daughter Caroline, who will always be my Baby Doll, my beautiful and talented daughter Diana, and my beautiful, patient, loving wife of 40 years and my best friend, Sue. Thank you all for your love, support, and understanding. I love each one of you so very much.

To my South Carolina Brethren, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this high and humbling honor to serve you as Grand Master of Masons in South Carolina. When we receive our degrees in Masonry, we are taught that those degrees will forever change our lives as we focus on our Fraternity’s perpetual and ancient teachings of Friendship, Morality, Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. My life was changed 33 years ago when you my Brethren chose to make me a Master Mason. The remainder of my life will forever be changed by the great honor that you my Brethren have bestowed upon me by selecting me as your Grand Master. My beloved Brethren, as Grand Master, I coveted your support, prayers, love, and friendship as I strive each day to perform to the best of my abilities the duties of this high office which you have placed upon me.

My deep conviction as Grand Master or theme, if you want to call it that, will not be some brand new idea or focus. My focus or conviction will be the same charge that Freemasons have had from time immemorial, “Building for tomorrow”. The phrase that best describes that charge for us today is, “South Carolina Free Masons building for tomorrow upon the foundation laid by the Brethren of the Past”. I am excited and I know that you must be exited about the many opportunities that the Great Architect of the Universe has in store for our Grand Jurisdiction during the coming years. To achieve those opportunities and to ensure the future strength of our Great, Honorable, and Ancient Fraternity, we, the Free Masons of today must build upon that solid and mighty foundation laid by our ancient brethren, that foundation which has withstood the storms, attacks, and erosion of the past. Let us, the Free Masons of today, be as faithful as the Brethren in the past have been to resist the temptation of diluting or eliminating those Ancient Masonic usages, customs, rituals, and landmarks which are the very essence of that ancient foundation which has perpetuated Freemasonry from time immemorial and shall preserve our Fraternity throughout the ages to come.

My Brethren, regardless of the many great and worthwhile projects, fund raisers or other activities in which we as Masons become involved, “The life’s blood of our Lodges and our Great Fraternity has always been and shall always be the conferral of the Blue Lodge symbolic degrees upon good, faithful, and honorable men”. May we, the Brethren never lose sight of that unchanging truth.

May God bless each of you and may God continue to bless and direct the Masonic Brethren over the Globe so that all of our actions might glorify him and bring honor to our Fraternity.