News Release
March 1999
The Rt. Rev. Edwin A. Sawyer has been named the 1999 John
Hus Award Recipient for his distinguished career in parish ministry,
administration, and education by the Governing Board of the Moravian
Theological Seminary Alumni/ae Association.
Sawyer will be receiving this award at the Alumni/ae Association’s
annual luncheon and meeting on Thursday, March 11. The luncheon will
take place in the Haupert Union Dining Room at 12:15 and will be preceded
by a reception in the lounge at 11:45 a.m.
Born in Bethlehem, Sawyer received a B.S. in business
administration from Lehigh University in 1935 and a B.D. from Moravian
Theological Seminary in 1938. Sawyer received his M.A. in English literature
from Lehigh University in 1948, his Ph.D. from Columbia University in
1956, and in 1968, an honorary D.D. from Moravian Theological Seminary.
During his ministry, he served as pastor at Moravian churches
in Coopersburg, Nazareth, Philadelphia, Upper Marlboro, and Winston-Salem,
and he started Calvary Moravian Church in Allentown.
He has held offices on numerous boards serving as president
of the Eastern District Board, vice-president of the Provincial Elders’
Conference, vice-president of the Board of Church Extension, and secretary
of the Board of Trustees of Moravian College.
In addition, he was a member of the Board of Christian
Education, the Board of Trustees of Moravian Theological Seminary, and
the Board of Trustees of Linden Hall.
Sawyer spent six years at Salem College as professor,
college chaplain, and head of the Department of Religion and Philosophy.
He also served as the executive head of Moravian Preparatory School
and Moravian Seminary for Girls in Bethlehem and was instrumental in
bringing the two schools together to form Moravian Academy. Beginning
in 1974, he served as director of stewardship and deferred giving for
the Eastern District Executive Board. Since his retirement in 1980,
Sawyer has continued his dedicated service in the ministry as interim
pastor for various congregations. He was consecrated bishop in 1986.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children.
Anyone interested in attending the luncheon should contact
the Alumni Office at 861-1366.
