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Former President Jimmy Carter said he has been trying to unify Baptists for almost two decades — starting with meetings with Southern Baptist Convention leaders.

Carter, who will visit Oklahoma in August, said he held the congenial meetings at the Carter Center until 2000, when the Southern Baptist Convention approved its Baptist Faith and Message statement of beliefs that limited discussion on certain issues.

"There became a more rigid vision,” Carter said during a recent telephone interview. "I started with the Southern Baptists because that was all I knew. We had long discussions. ... But then there was reaction against that by some leaders and ... there were some moves made concerning women pastors and other things.”

He forged ahead to help create an organization for all Baptists called the New Baptist Covenant last year.

Carter will speak at the New Baptist Covenant Midwest Region meeting Aug. 6-7 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center, 2501 Conference Drive in Norman.

The first New Baptist Covenant gathering, in January 2008 in Atlanta, brought together about 16,000 Baptists of different races and theological philosophies, Carter said.

The main purpose of the meeting was to ensure all Baptists — "liberal, moderate and conservative fundamentalists, black, white, Asian and Hispanic” could join forces for good.

Carter said the regional meeting in Norman is the fifth and last regional gathering to be held this year. Another national meeting will be in 2012.

Carter is passionate about the unification effort, which encompasses an intentional move to bring black and white Baptists together.