When it comes to race and racism, Moravians have our own stories of villains and heroes, complacency and prophecy, complicity and resistance. Moravian archival records, both North and South, reveal a long-term insider view of the actions and decisions of church leaders, congregations, agencies, and Synods. Some of these have lain dormant, without public discussion, for decades or centuries. We’ll explore some of the lowlights and highlights of what Moravians have done––for worse and for
better––with respect to slavery, segregation, and discrimination. These sometimes sobering, sometimes inspiring stories offer both a lens and a mirror, as we look at “them” then and ourselves now. Rev. Dr. Frank Crouch will be our guest preacher on June 1st and will present his two-part lecture series on Wednesday, June 4th and Wednesday, June 11th.
Rev. Dr. Frank L. Crouch retired in 2021 after 25 years at Moravian Theological Seminary––19 of those years as Vice President and Dean and Professor of New Testament. He grew up in Greensboro, NC as a member of First Moravian Church, was ordained in 1980, and was consecrated Presbyter in 1986. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1977, BA, English), Moravian Theological Seminary (1980, MDiv), and Duke University (1996, PhD, New Testament Studies). He serves on the Southern Province Moravian Team for Racial, Cultural, & Ethnic Reconciliation. Frank lives in Bethlehem, where he enjoys research, movies, music, occasional
dark chocolate, and daily walks with his wife Audrey West and their dog, Halo (not necessarily in that order)
