Morehouse’s Dean Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. reflects on legacy

Morehouse College Dean Carter on legacy

Morehouse College Dean Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. is reflecting on his legacy before retirement. As a teenager, he was personally recruited by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to attend the college. Now, he will retire in June.

ATLANTA - October is Clergy Appreciation Month, and at Morehouse College, few names hold more weight than Dean Lawrence Edward Carter Sr.

A ministry of meaning

What we know:

For nearly five decades, the founding dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel has challenged students — and the world — to think bigger, live deeper and love harder.

Dean Carter, who will soon retire, has spent his life weaving together ministry, education and moral philosophy. His teachings have shaped generations of leaders, calling them to embody peace and integrity in both word and action.

Carter’s message begins with self-reflection.

"Learn to love yourself. You can’t give away what you don’t possess," he said.

His lifelong practice has been rooted in both preaching and pedagogy, but at his core, he is a promoter of peace.

"You cannot have what you’re not willing to be. If you want peace, you have to be peace," he said.

For nearly 46 years, Carter has turned the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel into what he calls a "classroom for conscience." Fifty United Nations flags hang above the balcony — symbols of his belief that the Morehouse mission reaches far beyond Atlanta.

"With that many of the same flag, I’m saying to students: your address is too small… expand your awareness," Carter explained.

Teaching reverence over performance

The backstory:

Carter has often spoken about the need for deeper spiritual engagement in modern worship.

"Worship has become too oriented to entertainment," he said. "What’s missing is pastoral care for people who come looking for inspiration."

His message is both a critique and a call — a reminder that true faith listens before it lectures.

A Promise Born in Grief

Carter’s journey toward the Morehouse pulpit began long before his appointment. As a teenager, he was personally recruited by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to attend the college. The night King was assassinated, Carter made a promise that would guide his life’s work.

"I prayed with tears: ‘Lord, help me do something significant for Martin King before I close my eyes,’" he said.

That prayer grew into a ministry that has shaped leaders across generations — including Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, one of his former chapel assistants.

Dean Carter's legacy

What they're saying:

When asked to describe his legacy in one word, Carter chose "cosmopolitan."

"Being a moral cosmopolitan," he explained. "Not letting race, culture, religion, economics, education or health hijack your ethics."

It’s a fitting reflection for a man who has dedicated his life to proving that love, truth and peace know no borders — and that faith, at its best, has no finish line.

Dean Carter will officially retire from Morehouse College on June 30, but he plans to remain close to campus to mentor and guide his successor. The search for the next dean is already underway, but his influence — and his voice — will continue to echo through the chapel he built and the lives he’s touched.