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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.
