Prominent African American Lutheran Died

GROVER C. WRIGHT DIED

A prominent African American Lutheran, Grover C. Wright,
Philadelphia, passed away Feb. 3 at the age of 80. Wright is
credited with recognizing the talents of and bolstering many of
the people of color now serving as pastors and lay leaders in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was president of
the Black Lutheran Community Development Corporation in
Philadelphia and was a notable member of the North
Philadelphia Improvement Council, the Urban League of
Philadelphia and the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People. Wright was born on April 18, 1916, in
Thomaston, Ala. He grew up in a sharecropper home, the sixth
of 13 children. Wright became a New York railroad porter in
1942 and worked part-time as a real estate salesman. He left
the Penn Central Railroad in 1968 to become a lay associate at
Christ Lutheran Church and at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, both
in Philadelphia. From 1972 until his retirement in 1981 Wright
served as associate director for leadership support in the former
Lutheran Church in America's Division for Professional
Leadership, with special responsibilities for "minority
recruitment." Wright is survived by his wife, Irma, his son, Grover
E., his daughter, Gail E., and five grandchildren. Funeral
services were held Feb. 8 at Christ Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Philadelphia.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html