This biography was written by Mary Margaret Hurst, Sr. Warden at St. Andrew Episcopal Church in Cottage Grove. Photos were submitted by the Rev. Lawrence Crumb.
On June 16, 2022, the Rev. Lawrence Crumb will celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination. St. Andrew’s, Cottage Grove is planning an informal reception for him on June 12, following the 10:30 am service.
Fr. Crumb earned his Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) at Nashotah House in 1961. He was ordained at Grace Church, Union City, New Jersey on June 16, 1962, for the diocese of Los Angeles (which had no need of new graduates at that point). He studied also at General Seminary in New York, and earned his Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) in Church History in 1973, from Nashotah House.
Fr. Crumb was a curate in Indiana when he had a call from Nashotah House asking if he could return to work there in the library, especially to deal with some large collections of donated books. Someone must have known he had helped pay for his way through college working at the Honnold and Scripps libraries. He began to take courses in library science/arts, eventually receiving an MA from the University of Wisconsin. In time he worked his way through Nashotah library’s gift collections and expanded into working on other Nashotah projects for the teaching and administrative staff.
The University of Wisconsin had a plan to open a new branch in southeastern Wisconsin which was being implemented in the late 1960s. Lawrence was recommended to join, and he started at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 1970. A summer visit to Eugene and the University of Oregon library in 1973 turned into employment there six years later.
At the University of Oregon, his interest in the Oxford Movement and its leaders led to his writing bibliography with over 8200 citations (link). During a sabbatical from the University of Oregon in 1988, he spent two terms in Oxford, England. Ten years later, after he had retired, he returned to Oxford to work for a term at Pusey House library.
Fr. Crumb first came to St Andrews, Cottage Grove once as an interim, and then as an occasional supply priest. In 2009, Bobette Peterson called and asked if he could fill in just once a month. He volunteered to come every Sunday for a year to see if he could grow the church a little bit. After that year, he has been the permanent part-time vicar here.
He is known here for his erudite sermons, his steady, gentle leadership, and for knowing or having met someone in just about every place you could name. And he fills in on piano for a missing organist every now and then. He is a blessing in the life of our church and we are delighted to share this milestone with him.