Profile: Anita Crump
Hurricane Katrina took most of Anita Crump's worldly possessions–but it didn't take her faith.
"We will survive. We will come back, and we will be stronger than we have been in the past."
Anita Crump grew up knowing the path she needed to be on.
 “We were taught very early in life by our parents that we were to adhere to the biblical scripture which says ‘Choose you this day who you will serve … but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’”
Anita is a member of Bethany United Methodist Church in New Orleans. Bethany is one of the 90 churches that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She and her husband, Leroy who died in 2003, were devoted members who worked tirelessly to support their church.
“I was married to Leroy Crump who was a very honored worker in the United Methodist Church. In fact, he was the prime mover in my life to get me to be involved in the church. We have always adhered to the adage that you are to give service, and we have been involved in rendering service for the building of God’s kingdom.”
Before the storm, church members were involved in a capital campaign to build a new sanctuary.
"We were taught very early in life...'Choose you this day who you will serve, but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'"
“And you know, after the devastation of Katrina we are wondering in what direction we will be going,” she says. “But we are very, very positive and we know that we will eventually be able to build that church or that sanctuary in that spot. We are looking forward with great anticipation to doing the work of the Lord.”
Anita has served her church well as conference lay leader for the Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference and a delegate to the General Conferences of 1996, 2000, and 2004. In her professional life she has served in the New Orleans public school system as a teacher and a principal.
 She fondly remembers growing up in a home full of prayers and hymn singing.
“We were often reminded when we returned from Sunday school that we had to recite the Bible verse to our parents, and then we had to give them an explanation of what we had learned in Sunday school.”
"We learned early on the importance of being grounded in the Bible and involved in church," she says.
“I felt that as a Christian I had a purpose in life. … I will continue to serve God; I will continue to work as hard as I’ve done, even harder, to make sure that things are getting done. Not just at Bethany, but throughout this Louisiana Conference.”
The following people contributed to this Profile:
Audio story by Mike Hickcox; print story by Kathy Gilbert; interview by Fran Walsh; videography by John Gordon.
UMC.org Profiles are produced by Pam Price, 615-742-5405.
Anita's Recommended Resources
The Upper Room Daily Devotional
Walk to Emmaus
Sunday School
There's a Hole in Your Soul That Only God Can Fill by James W. Moore
You Can Get Bitter or Better by James W. Moore
High Resolution Video for use in worship services
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