Beloved pastor and teacher modeled resilience, empathy, humility

January 1926 — February 2, 2022

OBITUARY

In a very real sense, Roland Hayes Crowder’s life began in a church. For it was on a wintry January night in 1926, that a certain Mrs. Fisher, wife of the late Rev. C. C. Fisher, an associate minister of Cleveland’s Shiloh Baptist Church, brought a tiny unnamed three-week old infant to a midweek prayer meeting. The baby needed a home but there were no takers.

But later that evening, after Mrs. Emma Griggs got home, she called her sister and told her she was going to “take that little baby”. Her stunned sister, recovering from the news, proceeded to what the boy would be called, and suggested the name of the famous Negro baritone, Roland Hayes.

And thus a cherub in swaddling clothes became Roland Hayes Griggs, the child of Rev. and Mrs. Edward E. Griggs.

In May 1931 Emma Griggs died in Charity Hospital in May 1931, and soon thereafter Roland’s father suffered a stroke, and young Roland was again up for adoption. And thus Mr. and Mrs. Will Crowder, who lived across the street, became his parents. Fittingly, a four-year old Roland had served as the ring bearer at the Crowder wedding. 

Roland’s new father had an ice and coal livery business, but when he found the Cleveland winters too severe, the family moved in 1934 to Mason City, Alabama, just outside Birmingham, where he owned property. So Roland spent much of his childhood in Mason City.

Tragedy struck again in 1936 when Roland’s father Will Crowder died in the VA Hospital in Tuskegee. Roland went on to graduate from Rosedale High School in 1944 and joined the U. S. Navy, serving for two years.  Having seen some parts of the world, the Navy vet returned to Cleveland and was later joined there by his mother who lived with him from 1956 until her death in 1966.

Roland Hayes Crowder was working at the post office in July 1950 when he answered a call to Christian ministry. He preached his initial sermon on November 8, 1950. Shortly thereafter he was licensed by East Mt. Zion Baptist Church under the direction of its pastor, the late Dr. W. M. Downs. He was ordained not long afterwards, becoming assistant pastor of the New Commandment Baptist Church under the late Rev. H. F. Dawson.  In 1960 Rev. Crowder returned to East Mt. Zion and later was appointed as assistant to the pastor where he served until 1965, when he was called to lead Second Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in 1965.

Second Calvary, one of the few black congregations on Cleveland’s west side in the 20^th century, became the signal vineyard of Rev. Crowder’s ministry. He served the church and its surrounding community faithfully for 48 years until his retirement at the end of 2013.

Visitation was the hallmark of his ministry. He demonstrated untiring devotion and sincere compassion for the sick and shut-in, the bereaved as well as the incarcerated.  He always attributed the growth and expansion of Second Calvary and its ministries to the help of God and the prayers of the saints and a faithful congregation. During his tenure, Second Calvary built a new edifice at a cost of approximately one million dollars and conducted a total renovation of the original building at a cost of $490,000 for use as a multipurpose facility. 

A native Clevelander, Rev. Crowder received most of his early education in the Jefferson County Schools of Birmingham, Alabama.  He held degrees from Malone College and Ashland Theological Seminary.

Like many black ministers, Pastor Crowder also held a fulltime job outside his parish. For 32 years he served in the United States Postal Service, retiring in 1981 as Tour Superintendent. This writer was a college student working at the old Parcel Post Annex of the US Post Office on the north end of West Ninth Street when he first met Rev. Crowder. I didn’t know at the time that he was a minister: he was a supervisor on my 6p-2:30a shift. But from our very first encounter, he radiated a kind and generous intelligence that distinguished him as a beacon of light in that vast, gray and impersonal space.

Rev. Dr. Stephen Rowan, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, knew Dr. Crowder well. He remembers Dr. Crowder as a dearly loved pastor whose vision, focus, and mastery of ministry principles enabled him to do a great work. “He will be remembered for his humility and kindness toward others. He modeled Micah 6:8”¹, Rowan said.

Ellie Mapson, a longtime trustee at Second Calvary, echoed Dr. Rowan's comments. He said Crowder's empathy with people was a "hallmark of his ministry" and that he also had "a great vision for the church" that led to the expansion of its ministries. People trusted his leadership and even amid some trepidation, the members were able to pay off the mortgage on their new building in two years.

Deacon Moses Garrett will remember Dr. Crowder simply as "a godly man, a good shepherd," pointing out that when he retired after 48 years as the the Church's pastor, Crowder had led the congregation for more than half its life. Second Calvary, with a core membership of around 200 families,  was founded in 1923. 

Dr. Crowder loved to travel. He was a regular at the Sunday School Congress as well as the annual state and national gatherings of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.  In 1999 he traveled throughout South Africa with a group from the Foreign Mission Board and in 2000 he attended the 18^th Baptist World Alliance in Melbourne, Australia.  However, his greatest joy was attending the annual all classes reunion of his beloved Rosedale in Birmingham, which he did whenever he could for as long as he was able.

Roland married Doris Grace Felton on October 18, 1947 and they were together until her death in 1996. In March 1997 he was married to Ida B. Cook; she predeceased him in 2012. He was also predeceased by his sister, Constance Helen Gray and a son, Phillip Cheston Crowder.

Rev. Dr. Roland Hayes Crowder is survived by his children, Roland H. Jr. (Gwendolyn), Lydia Grace, Roslind Denise, Hiram Felton (B. Machelle, deceased); five grandchildren Lia, Layanna (Lee Sr.), Roslind (Peaches), Kayla and Michael (Shenee); eight great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

There will be a public viewing today from 3-5pm at Second Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 12017 Emery Road [44135]. A graveside service will take place tomorrow, Saturday, February 12, at Lake View Cemetery, 12316 Euclid Avenue [44106] at 11:30a.

The funeral service for family and pre-registered attendees will take place at 1:30p tomorrow, Saturday, February 12, at South Euclid United Church of Christ, 4217 Bluestone Road [44121], and can be livestreamed here, beginning with a 1p wake. Arrangements have been entrusted to Watson Funeral Home.

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¹ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.