Colgate Rochester Introduces Initiative to Honor Dr. King by Kevin R. Scott
Sat, Apr 12, 2008  Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School president, Eugene C. Bay, announced a timely initiative to expand the legacy and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by establishing a chair in his honor. The chair to be known as “The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Chair for Social Justice and Black Church Studies” funded by a $1.5 million endowment, will oversee theological education that includes lectureships, intensive workshops, classes, worship services and community service.
“The vision for the King chair will be a revitalized Black Church Studies here at the divinity school,” said Bay on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King. “The program will also ensure that all associated with the school understand the historical, cultural and theological contributions of the black church.”
Bay, alongside the endowment campaign’s co-chairs Dr. Allen Paul Weaver Jr., pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in New Rochelle, and Dr. Charles Thurman pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Mumford, will lead a national committee comprised of 45 other fund raisers. The initiative seeks to raise $1.5 million of which one-third of the goal has already been met. Senior Xerox Executive and CRCDS Trustee Emerson Fullwood is leading the effort in Rochester with a local goal of $250,000.
King graduated from the Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951 when it was located in Upland, Pennsylvania. Crozer merged with Colgate Rochester in 1971.
“We now incorporate into this entire school the legacy of both those schools,” explains Bay. “...We claim [Dr. King] because he is a part of us.”
Although Dr. King graduated from Crozer his legacy is ingrained in the genesis of the Black Church Studies program at CRCDS. At the time of King’s death, the black students of Colgate had a lockout and demanded that the school respond to the needs of black students and the black church-- giving birth to the Black Church Studies program.
“This program-- the oldest in the nation-- is to be in the forefront of preparing leaders, ministers and scholars for the black church- standing in the prophetic tradition of CRCDS,” explains Bay. “The program will also ensure that all associated with the school understand the historical, cultural and theological contributions of the black church.”
The CRCDS commitment is timely as the American public struggles to understand the prophetic nature of the black pulpit in light of remarks made by presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
“There are large segments of the American population, particularly the white sections of the American population who have little understanding of the black church,” said Bay. “...Here at the school, the Black Church Studies program does not just prepare leaders of the black church, but exposes all of our students to the history, the legacy and the importance of the black church experience. We also think we have an obligation to the larger community not just to our students and the Black Church Studies will have impact on that as well.”
As a collective, CRCDS feels an obligation to enlighten and bring about an awareness of the religious experience in the black church.
“The black church pulpit has always been a prophetic pulpit. It speaks to power. It does not back down. To use the comments of Dr. Wright as hate speech is a misnomer,” explained Weaver. “When the media focuses on the black church and what happens within the black church, we’ll understand the context in which those statements ought to be understood.”
The King chair at the divinity school is intended to be a memorial that honors Dr. King’s ministry in and through the black church-- one that will keep alive his work of justice and peace.
“The students at Colgate initiated the efforts that are being continued today,” remarked Bay in closing.
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