Legendary Christian Businessman Howard E. Butt Dies at 89
Howard E. Butt, Jr., the legendary Christian businessman who pioneered the concept of business as a high calling for people of faith, passed away Sunday from complications related to Parkinson's disease.
He was 89 years old.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of my brother, Howard," Charles Butt, chairman and CEO of H-E-B, said. "His decades of inspired leadership, philanthropy and humanitarian efforts will forever be missed by our family and those he impacted across the U.S."
In addition to his nationally broadcast radio program, "The High Calling of our Daily Work," Butt was also known for building bridges between the secular and religious worlds.
He often hosted groups from all walks of life at his Laity Lodge Retreat Center in Texas for times of intellectual discussion and inspired reflection. He urged them to make the most of their God-given gifts.
"God blesses work," Butt wrote in his book, The Velvet-Covered Brick: Christian Leadership in an Age of Rebellion. "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."
While Butt, former president of the H. E. Butt Foundation and H-E-B board vice chair, acknowledged that work had holy value, he also the stressed the need for it to be balanced with personal growth and family commitments.
"Christianity that does not change us in our homes will never change the world," he once said.
According to family friend Rev. Franklin Graham, it's a concept that has greatly impacted the body of Christ.
"Howard E. Butt, Jr., was a great friend of my father's and served alongside him in ministry for many years," he said. "He realized that every Christian is called to serve, not just those who have positions in ministry. For this reason, he was an early pioneer in the area of workplace ministry, encouraging the body of believers – whether they be businessmen, doctors, carpenters or teachers – to see their work as their calling and to do it as unto the Lord."
"While he will be missed, his legacy and influence live on at Laity Lodge and the other ministries of the Foundations for Laity Renewal, which inspire Christians in all walks to be mindful of the high calling of their daily work," Graham concluded.
Butt 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.
