wfn.org | UCC General Synod pays tribute to Joe Evans

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> General Synod pays tribute to Joe Evans

> Written by W. Evan Golder
> June 27, 2009

Joe Evans was not a man to be trifled with. When UCC president the
Rev. Robert Moss died of cancer in 1976, the Rev. Joseph H. Evans,
then UCC secretary, was elected the UCC's third president and, up to
now, the first and only African American to serve as UCC president.

On Friday evening, General Synod paid tribute to Evans, who died on
April 12 at his Sarasota, Fla,, home at the age of 92.

Even though his tenure as president was brief, lasting only until the
Rev. Avery Post succeeded him in 1977, Evans was by no means a
caretaker president. In his tribute to Evans, UCC general minister and
president the Rev. John Thomas referred to Evans' strength in office.

"When Robert Moss died . . .," he said, "Joseph responded to the call
of God and the church to bring healing to a grieving church and to
provide his own strong and distinctive leadership in a time of crisis
when the church needed reassurance and direction."

At the same time, Evans' support and encouragement touched many persons.

"If you talk with many people about Joe," Edith Guffey told the Synod,
"you will hear words like grace, dignity, sense of humor, caring
nature, hospitality . . . and the list goes on and on."

The Synod tribute included a video of Evans' early days in the UCC,
concluding with his comments on the state of the church today. "I just
want the United Church of Christ to be a great church...," he says.
"For me, it would mean being a relevant church, to be an open church,
to be a concerned church, to be a church that is involved in the
community wherever it is."

Born in Kalamazoo, Mich., Evans grew up in Chicago. He was a graduate
of Western Michigan University, Yale University Divinity School and
UCC-related Chicago Theological Seminary. He was ordained in 1942.

During his career Evans served as a local church pastor, as a council
of churches executive, and as president of the Chicago Urban League.
Following his term as UCC president, he returned to his position as
UCC secretary, a post he held until his retirement in 1983.

While serving as pastor of Grace Congregational Church in the Harlem
neighborhood of New York City, he met and married his wife, Harriette.
The two were married for 63 years and had three daughters. His widow
and one of his daughters, Barbara Edelin, were present Friday evening
for the tribute.

During the closing worship on Tuesday evening, Synod participants will
have the opportunity to contribute to the newly-established Joseph H.
Evans Scholarship fund. It will support African-American justice
advocates preparing for ordained ministry.

The Rev. J. Bennett Guess contributed to this article.