Monday, August 27, 2018

September 9 is UBE Sunday: Honoring the Rev. Alexander Crummell

On Sunday September 9, we celebrate the life and legacy of our notable saint, the Rev. Alexander Crummell. It is also designated as Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) Sunday to commemorate the racial justice ministry of this organization which was an outgrowth of the Rev. Crummell's advocacy. The UBE invites you to use this in your bulletin on Sunday, September 9 or on any other Sunday that you are reflecting on racial reconciliation.
 
Collect 
Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Alexander Crummell, whom you called to preach the Gospel to those who were far off and to those who were near. We thank you for his faithfulness though gravely oppressed by racism. We also thank you for empowering his courageous and prophetic witness for racial justice; and against spiritual wickedness in high places within the Church and the world. Raise up, O Lord, in this and every land, evangelists and heralds of your kingdom. May the Union of Black Episcopalians and the larger Church proclaim justice and all the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
 
About The Rev. Alexander Crummell 
Born March 3, 1819 in New York City, Alexander Crummell struggled against racism all his life. As a young man he was driven out of an academy in New Hampshire, dismissed as a candidate for Holy Orders in New York and rejected for admittance to General Seminary. Ordained in 1844 as a priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts, he left for England after being excluded from participating in diocesan convention. After receiving a degree from Cambridge he went to Liberia as a missionary. A model Christian republic seemed possible in Liberia. He traveled extensively in the United States urging blacks to immigrate to Liberia and support the work of the Church there. On returning to Liberia he worked to establish a national Episcopal Church. Political opposition and a lack of funding finally forced him to return to the United States. He concentrated his efforts on establishing a strong urban presence of independent black congregations that would be centers of worship, education and social service. When southern bishops proposed that a separate missionary district be created for black congregations, Crummell created a national convocation to fight the proposal. The Union of Black Episcopalians is an outgrowth of that organization. His faith in God, his perseverance in spite of repeated discouragement, his perception that the Church transcended the racism and limited vision of its rulers, and his unfailing belief in the goodness and greatness of black people are the legacy of the Afro-American pioneer.