February 1, 2006

VALLEY FORGE, PA – American Baptist leaders today mourn the death of Coretta Scott King, a leading voice for human rights, and widow of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mrs. King, 78, died last evening after a period of ill health.

Following her husband's assassination in 1968, Mrs. King continued their commitment to biblical principles of justice and equality, serving as a spokesperson for civil rights and ministries of reconciliation. She was familiar to many American Baptists through participation in various denominational and ecumenical events.

American Baptist Churches USA General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley, hailed Mrs. King's "eloquent and profound expression of God's love within society in lifting up the precious gift of human equality." Medley added, "Over the decades, American Baptists have been especially moved by Mrs. King and her husband through their participation in ministries endorsed by this denomination. She was a compassionate voice for the voiceless, who responded powerfully to Jesus' call to peacemaking."

The Rev. Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III, executive director of National Ministries, commented, "Mrs. King, and indeed the entire King family, sacrificed personal self interest and professional advancement for the larger social good. When I reflect upon her life and service to her family, to America and to the larger world community, I am convinced that the twentieth and twenty-first centuries were blessed by one of our faith's greatest saints."

"Coretta Scott King was the strength of our nation when her husband was assassinated," said the Rev. Dr. Leo S. Thorne, Associate General Secretary for Mission Resource Development. "She helped us with our sense of profound loss as she bore her grief with royal dignity. Her quiet presence and faith will be missed among us."

The Rev. Dr. Albert Paul Brinson, former Associate General Secretary for World Mission Support for ABCUSA, who served in leadership with the Kings during the civil rights movement, expressed his grief over Mrs. King's death. "Dr. [Coretta] King was a committed American Baptist whose life became a standard of strength for people around the world who celebrate the basic human rights and dignity of all people. She died modeling the same grace and dignity with which she lived. And now it is our faith that assures us that she who walked, talked and marched with so many of us, has earned her rest with the Savior."

American Baptist Churches USA