John B. White, a practicing attorney in Florida who was one of the first Church of God constituents to obtain a law degree and to practice law in a leading law firm, passed away earlier this year leaving a rich legacy of assisting the Church of God in legal and other matters.
[1]John B. White
White’s parents, Rev. Porter M. and Margaret M. White, organized and pastored many churches in the Southeastern United States and his grandparents, Captain Hartley and Mira Roberts, were charter members of the oldest continuing Church of God outside the United States. The church, now known as the “Miracle Church of God, was referenced in a recent Faith News article, “Oldest World Missions Congregation turns 100 Today.”
White served as Legal Counsel to the Florida State Offices of the Church of God for more than thirty-five years and frequently worked with the International Offices of the Church in Cleveland, Tennessee and their attorney, Dennis Watkins, on legal matters concerning the Church of God in the U.S. and abroad. He also served on the Board of Directors for Lee University for nine years, working closely with Lee President Dr. Paul Conn.
White was president of John B. White, P.A. and was a former partner in the law firm of Shutts & Bowen, with Florida offices in Miami, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Offices were also located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and London, England. He was a Certified Public Accountant in Florida, a member of the American Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, Palm Beach County Bar Association, Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, U.S. Federal District Court, Southern District, 11th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, and U.S. Tax Court. He was also author of and contributed to numerous publications. He held degrees from the University of Miami and New York University.
“John B. White was known as ‘the dean of Church of God lawyers,’ said Dennis Watkins, Legal Counsel for the Church of God International Offices. “He was the consulting attorney for the Tampa-Florida Church of God State Offices and for the Southeast Spanish Church of God Regional Offices and was a great help to the overseers there. He also assisted many local pastors and churches and offered his services to them, many times without charging a fee.”
“John also was of great assistance to our legal offices here at the International Offices and offered counsel and assistance to me as our Legal Counsel,” Watkins continued. “John had a deep love for Church of God and was willing to help any pastor and church at any time. He is greatly missed.”