Howard E. Butt, Jr.

Legendary Christian businessman Howard E. Butt, Jr., who pioneered the concept that the business world was a high calling for people of faith, died Sunday evening at home from complications related to Parkinson's. The former President of The H. E. Butt Foundation and H-E-B board vice chair and was 89.

As a bridge builder between the secular and religious worlds, Butt is perhaps best remembered for convening groups from all walks of life for intellectual discussion and inspired reflection, often hosting them at his Laity Lodge Retreat Center in the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio, as well as his nationally-broadcast radio program, "The High Calling of our Daily Work."

Butt pioneered terms and concepts – such as work/life balance and small groups – that became hallmarks of mainstream Christianity, and was an early adapter of the servant leadership movement. At a time when most leaders feared showing any weakness, he also courageously modeled transparency about his bouts with depression, recognizing the benefit to others in acknowledging that everyone has struggles.

As he juggled his roles with the business, family and foundation, Butt developed a growing concern for the overlooked role of the church laity – individuals who are active members serving their faith communities who are not ordained ministers – as well as the dignity of work itself. He often said "church work is done wherever we have excellence in our work that exhibits love for the people with whom we are working," adding that "Christianity that does not change us in our homes will never change the world."

In his efforts to champion the role of the laity, Butt influenced pastors and professionals alike. Earl Palmer, former Senior Pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, said "Many pastors would think that a great Christian lay person is a person that comes to my church all the time, that doesn't say 'no' too much to my vision, supports us financially and cares a lot about world missions. That's not where Howard was. From the very beginning he was trying to think about how to do your work Christianly."

In his early years as a businessman and lay preacher, Butt served as an associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, being invited to address one of the first National Prayer Breakfasts, hosted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.

Billy Graham credited Butt with pioneering workplace ministry and told him, "Only when we get to heaven will we see how many lives you have touched through your ministry of evangelism and your tremendous work through Laity Lodge."

As well as serving alongside Graham with his evangelistic association, Butt was a founding board member of Christianity Todaymagazine, where he and Graham worked together to encourage lay people in their daily ministry. Butt later organized the North American Congress of the Laity, for which President Gerald R. Ford served as honorary chair.

Born Sept. 8, 1927, in Kerrville, Texas, Butt grew up in the food business founded in 1905 by his grandmother, Florence. From an early age, Butt devoted his life to his faith, making a commitment to Christ as a child. He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, graduating with a degree in business in 1947, and soon afterward married his longtime sweetheart, Barbara Dan Gerber. While a student at Baylor, Butt is credited with leading the youth revival movement of the 1940s and '50s that spread across college campuses in cities throughout the country and influenced tens of thousands of young people.

Butt's parents, Howard E. Butt, Sr., and Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, greatly expanded the family food business through the years. Today, H-E-B is one of the largest grocery retailers in the United States, with annual sales of more than $23 billion. With over 380 stores and 96,000 partners (employees), H-E-B is one of the largest privately held companies in the nation, serving families in more than 300 communities throughout Texas and northern Mexico.

While working in the family business, Butt continued to pursue spiritual endeavors, creating with Billy Graham the Layman's Leadership Institute, which hosted national faith-based programs for business professionals. In recognition of his efforts on behalf of workers, Butt was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the first Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity.

Feeling called to step away from day-to-day leadership of the food business as a vice president in the late '60s, Butt transitioned to a board role as vice chair, and with the support of his family, dedicated his life full-time to ministry.

In 1933, the senior Butts had established The H. E. Butt Foundation, one of the earliest private foundations in Texas, which served as a vehicle for philanthropic contributions to south Texas communities. In 1954 they acquired 1,900 acres in the rural Texas Hill Country to provide free outdoor camping facilities for underprivileged children. After Butt took on leadership of the foundation, he was able to greatly expand his parents' vision, serving more than 20,000 campers each year – almost 1 million to date – including from churches and other non-profit groups. Additionally, he established the Laity Lodge Retreat Center, which brought together internationally renowned speakers, such as celebrated author Madeleine L'Engle and professors and theologians Henri Nouwen, J.I. Packer and N.T. Wright. It was here that the "small group" model was birthed, transforming churches across the nation as they embraced the concept later described by Keith Miller in the best-selling book "The Taste of New Wine," written largely at Laity Lodge.

With his acceptance of the presidency of The H.E. Butt Foundation in 1982, Butt expanded its charitable endeavors and role in integrating business and faith. He was inspired by his mother's vision for the foundation to "house the great theological thinkers of our day – which may in time broaden and deepen the spiritual life of many a church," and to "promote the highest aspirations known to men – ideas in education as well as in religion and in public health, both physical and mental."

Butt wrote numerous books on faith and leadership, beginning with "The Velvet-Covered Brick: Christian Leadership in an Age of Rebellion," which introduced the concept of "the Servant King" (now known as servant leadership) to mainstream business leaders. Teaching the biblical concepts of submission and authority, he inspired future generations to have a more eternal perspective in their careers and personal lives.

"God blesses work," Butt wrote. "The excellence of the work Jesus Christ did in the carpenter shop at Nazareth was a part of His revelation of the character of God."

Other books authored by Butt include "At the Edge of Hope: Christian Laity in Paradox;" "Renewing America's Soul;" "Renewing the Spirit, Healing the Soul;" and "Who Can You Trust? Overcoming Betrayal and Fear."

Butt also contributed regularly to Laity Connections, the Foundation's quarterly newsletter, writing in the February 2002 issue: "Faith, the 'evidence of things unseen,' assures us that as we give our job, however big or small, our best for His glory, God uses both the work and us."

While increasing the number of people reached through the Foundation's free camping program, Butt also introduced Laity Lodge Youth Camp, a summer camp for young people in second through tenth grade, and the Laity Lodge Family Camp, which enables families to enjoy the camping experience together in comfortable, modern facilities.

Included among the many unique programs Butt introduced was the Laity Lodge Leadership Forums, which brought together senior business leaders and their spouses from Fortune 500 companies every two years to listen to internationally renowned speakers from the fields of faith, social science, psychology, medicine, entertainment, politics, and business. Participants also took part in small group sessions with each other and the presenters, discussing subjects vital to their family and business lives. Speakers included: Archbishop Desmond Tutu; former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young; former Secretary of State James Baker and his wife Susan; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Dr. Timothy Johnson, author, chief medical correspondent for ABC news, and a teaching staff member of the Harvard Medical School; Dr. Armond Nicoli, psychiatrist, author of the book and PBS special, "The Question of God," and Harvard Medical School clinical professor of psychiatry; James Brown, sportscaster and host of CBS' "NFL Today;" Jonathan Aitken, former British Defense Minister; Bonnie Wurzbacher, former Senior Vice President of Coca Cola; and many others.

Of the thousands of business professionals influenced by Butt, many recall his hospitality as a hallmark of their time at Laity Lodge and the Leadership Forums, particularly his ability to make anyone feel welcome and safe, no matter their station in life nor their religious beliefs. He challenged them to use their gifts – which he believed came from God – to the utmost, saying that work had holy value, but that it also had to be balanced with personal growth and family commitments.

"Howard had a vision of impacting the world but doing so through personal renewal within the family and the local church," said longtime friend and businessman Jack Willome. "He was unique in his recognition of the compatibility between sound biblical teaching and sound psychological understanding."

In 2000, Butt began the radio broadcast, "The High Calling of Our Daily Work," which emphasized the inherent value of good, honest work. The 60-second spots reached millions of listeners on 3,000 radio stations in all 50 states. The program's website, www.thehighcalling.org, featured some of the nation's top writers, thinkers and business icons.

Howard E. Butt, Jr., is survived by his wife, Barbara Dan; two siblings, Eleanor Butt Crook and Charles Butt; three children, Howard III (Pamela), Stephen (Susan) and Deborah Dan Rogers (David); and eight grandchildren, Howard IV (Kristen), Hillary (Tom), and Jeffery (Alexandra) Butt; Sarah and Shelby Butt; and Katherine (Rob), Alexandra (Patrick), and Jackson Rogers; and one great-granddaughter, Charley Butt.

Remembrances may be sent to the Friends of The H.E. Butt Family Foundation, P. O. Box 290670, Kerrville, Texas 78029-0670.

A memorial service celebrating the life and witness of Howard E. Butt, Jr., will be held at 10 a.m. CDT on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, at Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., San Antonio, Texas 78212.