News Release
January 2000
(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) Moravian College will celebrate
the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with the first, "MLK
Day of Service." Approximately 80 Moravian College students will
be participating in the day of service by volunteering their time and
energy to repair, paint, and clean facilities at a variety of service
organizations in Bethlehem.
Moravian College will also host, "An evening of reflection:
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." The program features the
nationally known Reverend Calvin D. Butts, Ph.D., Pastor of The Abyssinian
Baptist Church in (Harlem) New York City. The program will be held on
Wednesday, January 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Borhek Chapel in Comenius
Hall on Moravian College's Main Street Campus.
The MLK Day of Service will be held on Monday, January
17, beginning at 12:15 p.m. in Moravian's Haupert Union Building (HUB)
lounge with a moment of silence and reflection on Dr. King's life. The
students will leave the HUB by bus at 12:30 p.m. and will be at the
sites until approximately 4:00 p.m., providing over 3 hours of community
service on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
Student volunteers will be working at soup kitchens, shelters,
and day care centers. Among the sites are Center City Ministries, Bethlehem
YMCA, Turning Point, New Bethany Ministries, and five day care centers
that are part of the Bethlehem Area School District.
The Day of Service was started to give students the opportunity
to reflect on the life of Dr. King in a meaningfully way while extending
their service to the Bethlehem community. The program came out of discussion
from Student Services staff particularly the work of the Residence Life
and Chaplain's offices.
Community service is an important part of student life
at Moravian College. For the past three years, the College has instituted
a special interest housing option for students, the Community Service
House. The house brings together students with a special interest in
community service. The 14 residents of this house serve as the core
of the community service club on campus that is called the Campus Community
Connection. This fall, the group has performed over 500 volunteer hours,
providing direct services to a number of local agencies.
Dr. Butts is nationally known for his work promoting social
justice, community building, and empowerment. In addition to being the
Pastor of The Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, Butts is President
of SUNY College at Old Westbury. He is also President of the Council
of Churches of the City of New York; Chairman of the Board of Managers
for the C. T. Walker Housing Corporation; Vice-chair of the Board of
Directors of the United Way of New York City; member of The Central
Park Conservancy Board, and many other committees. He is the Chairman
of the National Affiliate Development Initiative of the National Black
Leadership Commission on AIDS (BLCA) and a founding member of the organizations’
Board of Commissioners. He has served as President of Africare, and
independent organization dedicated to the improvement of the quality
of life in rural Africa. He also served as Chairman of the Board for
the Harlem Branch YMCA. He has taught Urban Affairs and served as an
Adjunct Professor in the African studies department at City College,
New York. He has also taught Black Church History at Fordham University.
Dr. Butts has given numerous lectures and speeches at colleges and universities
across the nation.
Dr. Butts earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy
from Morehouse College. He returned to New York and earned a Master
of Divinity degree in Church History from Union Theological Seminary
and a Doctor of Ministry in Church and Public Policy from Drew University.
For more information on these and other events, contact
the Office of Public Relations at (610) 861-3916 or visit the Moravian
College Web site at www.moravian.edu
