Singing Life's Praises

Rev. Calvin Crosson says God has guided him to a rich life.

Happen upon a sing-along in the Mund Apartments and you’re sure to hear the stirring tones of Rev. Calvin Crosson – a resident whose rock-solid faith has created a life rich in spirit.

As a former minister at several Methodist churches in Baltimore and Washington, Crosson understands the important role that religion can play in guiding a person through the many tribulations life will throw your way. His father left the family when Calvin was just five and money w as in low supply. Soon after, his mother moved Calvin and his sisters back in with family, which opened the boy’s eyes to the Bible and the important role that church can play in a person’s life. “Right away, I felt very in touch with God, very spiritual,” he says. His singing talent was also discovered right away; he sang his first solo in church that same year. During high school, he continued singing – as a member of the glee club and a quartet and in the church choir as well.

After graduation came the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Calvin headed off to the Pacific, encountering heavy fire during the offensive to re-take the Philippine island of Leyte. He remembers being aware of bullets whizzing past his ears and kicking up the sand around him,  and still credits his survival to the feeling that  “God was watching out for me.”

Upon returning home he quickly became active in his family’s church again, working for the U.S. Postal Service during the week. Although his faith was evident to all, Calvin was still shocked when the pastor came to him one day and said “I want you to preach in this church every fourth Sunday.”

Although Calvin was able to do that with just a lay preacher’s license, the seed to become a degreed minister was now planted. In 1951, he embarked on what he describes as “the hardest and most grueling” part of his life. Enrolling in Howard University, Calvin took classes during the day while working nights at the post office.  For the next five years, he estimates he got no more than three to four hours of sleep daily.

Keeping the faith wasn’t hard, even if the lack of sleep took its toll, and five years later, Calvin graduated. His new degree allowed him to become a full-time pastor in Baltimore, and Calvin got busy juggling those duties with the pursuit of a divinity degree from Howard, graduating from that program in 1961. He went on to pastor at four more churches throughout his career, often serving as choir director and working in many  leadership positions. In recognition of his commitment, he was awarded  an honorary Doctorate in Divinity degree by Virginia Seminary in Lynchburg in 1984.

Today, Calvin takes great pride in his three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren and continues to put his ministry skills to use lending his smiling presence to fellow residents in the Mund Apartments. And – of course – he is still singing.