A Year of Crescendo for Crouch

Singer-composer-pastor Andrae Crouch has been getting more recognition lately.

In March, the multi-Grammy winner was inducted into the Gospel Music Assn.’s Hall of Fame in Nashville. And this month in Detroit a new Gospel Music Hall of Fame featuring black artists will honor Crouch, who has been making albums since 1971.

This year he also raised his visibility in the religious world by defying his denomination’s policy against ordained female pastors and making his twin sister, Sandra, a co-pastor of the 800-member Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in Pacoima. Crouch became pastor there three years ago after the deaths of his father and older brother.

In contrast to clandestine ordinations of women by Church of God in Christ congregations in the past, Crouch publicized Sandra’s ordination at the church well in advance of the Aug. 1 ceremony.

The Church of God in Christ, the country’s biggest traditionally black Pentecostal denomination, is holding its annual convention this week and next in Memphis but is not expected to consider opening the pulpit ministry to women.

Still, Andrae said recently that no reprimand has come from church headquarters. “They wouldn’t do anything negative to us,” he said.

Some prominent Church of God in Christ pastors in Southern California have indicated that the Crouch family’s prominent role in the denomination would probably preclude any censure.

Crouch said he was not optimistic that change in official church policy would come soon. Church bylaws limit the number of voting female delegates to as low as 10% at regional and national conventions, he said. “It’s going to happen” sometime, he added. Crouch believes that without change, the denomination will lose many members and talented women raised in local churches.

Even before her ordination, Sandra Crouch had been acting as a co-minister, including preaching at services when Andrae was out of town. The two are calling the church the New Christ Memorial Church to reflect the new directions they are taking with the congregation.

“I feel we have the freedom to do new things without always having to refer to what my father did,” said Andrae, referring to the Rev. Benjamin Crouch, who was also a bishop in the denomination.

The Crouch siblings also have the power of celebrity on their side, Sandra being a Grammy winner for her 1983 debut album.

Andrae said that when he was inducted into the Gospel Music Assn. Hall of Fame eight months ago, the honors were bestowed on him as an individual as well as on Andrae Crouch and the Disciples, a singing group with which he performed for his first eight albums. Although that Nashville hall of fame includes black musical greats such as the late James Cleveland of Los Angeles, Crouch said the inductees are largely white.

His newest honor comes from the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, begun in 1995 by David Gough, president of DoRohn Records, an independent label in Detroit. Crouch is one of 10 individuals and groups to be saluted next Saturday in Detroit.

He said he may not be able to attend the awards banquet because he is scheduled to perform at the annual Media Fellowship International dinner in Marina del Rey the night before.

His busy schedule as pastor includes the church’s annual food-giveaway block party Nov. 20-21.

Crouch said his music- and ministry-related travel was indirectly to blame for a longtime weight problem. “I was never able to eat a lot of food at one time in restaurants and I would eat the wrong thing too late at night,” he said.

Because of his weight, people familiar with the slimmer person pictured on his album covers would say things like, “You remind me of Andrae Crouch,” or not recognize him at all until they heard his voice, he said.

Disturbed by his appearance and worried that his weight had become a health risk, Crouch has lost 75 pounds in the last year. His former diet has been replaced by sunflower seeds for snacks, reinforced by regular exercise. “I even bought a membership at Bally’s for a friend, so he could go with me,” he said.

“I want to live to complete what God has commissioned me to do,” Crouch said.