The Seminary Explores

Dr. Richard Perry, Prof. Emeritus of Church and Society, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Dr. James Thomas, retired Prof. of Church and Ministry, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Lenoir-Rhyne University discuss the life and ministry of Dr. William Herzfeld.

Dr Herzfeld was the first African American to be presiding bishop of a Lutheran denomination in the United States. They discussed his years as parish pastor, Civil Rights leader(worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Southern Christian Leadership Conference), bishop of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, and executive position in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They also describe him as a synthesizer, nurturer, liberator, and community builder who showed his faith. In his life and with his organizational skills, he created space for Black Lutherans. He had a commitment to the global church. They both conclude that his life and ministry continues to inspire them and their work.

Bishop Herzfeld photo: https://coslutheran.org/bishop-will-herzfeld-1937-2002/

This episode focuses on the work of Dawn Stewart and Mark Staples. They are part of a group of friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Richard Stewart. Dr. Stewart concentrated his work on the history of Black Lutherans. Mark and Dawn share their two-year project of reading and identifying articles in The Lutheran, Lutheran Standard, and Partners magazines which centered on Black Lutherans.

In continuing the work of Dr. Stewart, they hope to make their findings available to the public, students, and scholars. From their investigation, they were able to identify trends (Civil Rights, Housing, etc.) in the reporting as well as Black Lutherans who contributed to daily life in the United States and to the Lutheran Church.

Jean Howard-Green highlights the history, development and the present-day use of the Lincoln Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. First used in 1867, it contains the graves of several Black men of Gettysburg who fought as members of the Colored Troops during the American Civil War.

As a native of Gettysburg, she shared that some members of her family are buried there as well. Serving as president of the Lincoln Cemetery Project Association, she described the responsibilities of that office as well as the on-going upkeep of the cemetery. The cemetery is private and therefore relies on contributions from the greater Gettysburg community.

Jane Nutter, the President of the Gettysburg Black History Museum, talks about the development of the museum. She emphasizes the fact that the museum goes beyond the presence of African Americans in Gettysburg during the Civil War. The museum highlights the Blacks in Gettysburg before, during, and after the War. She notes that the museum contains artifacts from various individuals and families of color including photographs, furniture, and documents. The community was enthusiastic to contribute to the collection. In a sense, due to segregation, the Black community established its own vibrant society and community life  that included its own American Legion, the Elks, and community events.

Dr. Richard Perry, Professor emeritus of Church and Society and Urban Ministry Program, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago discussed the formation and history of the Conference of International Black Lutherans or CIBL. From the beginning, CIBL was and continues to be  dedicated to the  research, study, and examination of Lutheran theology through the African American experience. Conversation between Dr. Albert Pero (United States) and Dr. Ambrose Moyo (Zimbabwe) in the mid-1980s developed dialogue with African American and African Lutheran theologians which culminated with the first CIBL conference in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1986. Perry highlighted the contributions of this professional organization including:

1. the diverse way to experience the Lutheran faith experience,
2. the publication of scholarly works for professional and lay persons within congregations, and
3. providing space to empower other ethnic communities in the church. Dr. Perry concluded the interview by suggesting ways to cultivate another generation of Black scholars in the Lutheran church.

As a college student, Dr. David Crowner a Professor Emeritus at Gettysburg College, participated in the March on Washington in 1963. There were busloads of people who attended the peaceful demonstration. However, that was not the beginning of his interest in social action. His father who was a pastor, shared his work in Hispanic communities on Sunday afternoons with David. This experience helped make him aware of differences in how people lived. Dave also discussed his involvement with CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee). Those seminal experiences helped to continue his interest in social action  throughout his adult life. Dave emphasized the importance of social involvement to changing one’s worldview and encourages young people to continue to be involved in social action.

March On Washington 1963 (Trikosko, Marion S., photographer)

The YWCA in Gettysburg has a special relationship to United Lutheran Seminary. Its main facility has been located on the grounds of the Seminary’s Gettysburg campus since 1981.Gretchen Stuempfle and The Rev. Herman Stuempfle, Jr. (then president of the Seminary) proposed the site in the late 1970’s when the nonprofit was looking to expand. Two faculty members currently serve on its board of directors.

Just before the July 4th weekend The Seminary Explores caught up with the newest Executive Director of the YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County. Dotty Dalphon has her first year behind her, and what a year it has been! Leading a nonprofit with the broad scope of this particular YWCA’s offerings through a pandemic outbreak and a household move across state lines have made for a whirlwind of a welcome to Adams County. She’s pictured here with her daughter who completed her first half-marathon in Gettysburg.

Award-winning vocalist, writer and multi-genre performing artist Queen Esther joins Katy Giebenhain for a conversation about her developing one person show and what’s been visible and not visible in her first impressions of Gettysburg. A winter artist-in-residence at the Gettysburg National Military Park, Queen Esther is based in New York City. Jazz, Blues, Black Americana, alt-rock, swing, gospel and beyond – these are the musical waters she swims in. Among her extensive collaborations is the avant-blues duo Hoosegow she formed with guitarist Elliott Sharp. Blues Matters Magazine calls her “… modern, yet not flashy while holding true to herself with firmness and a forthright approach and style.”

Many thanks to our host site for this interview, Waldo’s and Co. on the Square in Gettysburg.  The Artist-in-Residence program is made possible by the Gettysburg Foundation and The National Park Arts Foundation, with support from the National Park Service.

Special thanks also to The Seminary Ridge Museum.

Dr. Susann Samples, Professor of Foreign Languages at Mt. St. Mary’s University, discusses her Delaplaine Seminar professorship at Mount St. Mary’s University. The professorship’s faculty seminar centered on “The Black Diaspora in Europe” with the goal of introducing this topic to a wider audience and to begin the process of “decolonizing” the curriculum.

In this conversation she explores the historical background and readings relevant to the study of the African Diaspora in Europe. She also discusses the importance of the seminar for a Catholic University and the desired outcomes of the seminar.

Dr. Richard Stewart, Professor Emeritus United Lutheran Seminary, discusses his current history project funded through a Louisville Institute grant. This oral and written history project seeks to collect and archive the experiences of being African American in contemporary Lutheranism. His work is a race against time to gather first hand accounts whenever possible and track down family members and peers of those who have passed on for their second hand accounts and memories of those early pioneers.

To learn more about this project listen to the interviews visit: http://rnstewart.blogspot.com/