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Virgil Paul Cruz
New Testament
Professor Virgil
Cruz a powerful
advocate in the
Presbyterian Church
 U.S.A.)
for an evangelical
theology and for
church renewal. New
Testament scholar
Dr. Virgil Cruz died
on Pentecost Sunday,
May 23, after
suffering a stroke
in the Netherlands.
He was 80 years old.
Cruz was a powerful
advocate in the
Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) for an
evangelical theology
and for church
renewal.
Dr. Cruz served on
the faculty of
Louisville Seminary
from 1986 to 1996.
When he was called
to LPTS, Cruz became
the first African
American professor
to be tenured on the
faculty. He was
recognized globally
for his work in
biblical studies,
for his preaching,
and tireless efforts
in race relations.
In addition to
presenting numerous
lectures around the
world, he is perhaps
most recognized for
his publications,
Breaking Down the
Walls: Responding to
the Racism that
Divides Us (1992)
and How Shall We
Witness? Faithful
Evangelism in a
Reformed Tradition
(1995), co-edited
with former
Louisville Seminary
Professor Milton J.
Coalter.
“Virgil brought to
the Louisville
Seminary faculty’s
conversation a
different and
important voice and
perspective. His
time at LPTS marked,
in significant ways,
the beginning steps
toward our present
racial and
theological
diversity and our
anti-racist
commitments,” said
David C. Hester, who
taught with Cruz and
is currently Dean of
the Seminary and
Vice President for
Academic Affairs and
Harrison Ray
Anderson Professor
of Pastoral Theology
at Louisville
Seminary.
In the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.),
Cruz played a major
role in helping to
bring the
denominational
offices to
Louisville, Ky., and
sought to lead the
denomination in
articulating the
evangelical call to
discipleship in the
world. In 1989, he
assisted with the
formation of
Presbyterians for
Renewal, serving as
the organization’s
Vice President. He
also served on the
committee to draft
Turn To The Living
God: A Call To
Evangelism In Jesus
Christ’s Way, a
resolution that
endeavored to
provide “direction
to the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) as
it engaged in world
evangelism,
particularly among
unreached people
groups, in the
decade of the
1990s.” The
resolution was
adopted by the 203rd
General Assembly in
1991.
At the urging of his
childhood pastor,
Rev. Roy Lambert,
Cruz left his job as
a truck driver to
attend Houghton
College in Houghton,
N.Y., and later
graduated from
Pittsburgh Xenia
Seminary in 1956.
Following
ordination, he
became the first
African American in
the United
Presbyterian Church
of North America to
lead an all-white
congregation. He
earned his doctorate
from Free University
of Amsterdam in the
Netherlands and
spent two years
teaching at Dubuque
Theological Seminary
in Iowa. Following a
three-year teaching
position at Western
Theological Seminary
in Holland, Mich.,
Cruz joined the
faculty of
Louisville Seminary
in 1986. While
teaching, he also
served on the
Council of
Theological
Seminaries, the
General Assembly
Council of the
Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), and the
National Council of
Churches. Upon his
retirement from
teaching in 1996,
Louisville Seminary
appointed him
professor emeritus.
Cruz has resided in
the Netherlands for
the past 14 years.
Dr. Cruz is survived
by his spouse,
Margot, and two
children, son
Miguel, who lives in
Malaysia, and
daughter Isabel, who
lives in Brooklyn,
N.Y. An intimate
service for family
and friends in
Castricum,
Netherlands, will be
held on Saturday,
May 29.
Virgil was the
brother of Carl
('62), Paul ('64),
Pauline('66) and
MaryBeth ('69) Adams.
Class of 1947
Red Rose
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