Herbert J. Gezork papers

Herbert Johannes Gezork was born June 15, 1900, in Insterburg, Germany. He graduated from Baptist Divinity School in Hamburg and in 1925 became pastor of First Baptist Church in Berlin, where he was ordained on December 8, 1927. He did graduate study at the University of Berlin from 1925 to 1928 and continued his doctoral work in the in the United States at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

After receiving the Ph.D. degree at Southern Baptist in 1930, Gezork returned to Germany to become General Secretary of the German Baptist Youth Movement. He held that position until 1934, when the group was dissolved under Hitler's government because the Baptist organization was in direct opposition to the popular Hitler Youth organization. During this period he published two titles, both of which were banned by Hitler's government: an essay, "Unsere Jiingerschaft und unser Zeugendienst im Blick auf die Gottlosenbewegung" (1932) and a book, So Sah Ich die Welt (1933).

He escaped arrest by coming to the United States in 1936. Gezork became a citizen of this country in 1943. After World War II, he traveled to Europe on three different occasions on behalf of the U.S. government, twice for the Defense Department and once for the State Department.

Before his association with Andover Newton Theological School, Gezork taught at Furman University (1937-1938) and Wellesley College (1939-1943). He became Professor of Social Ethics and Christian World Relations at Andover Newton in 1939. In 1950 he became President, a position he held until his retirement in 1965.

He was an active preacher and lecturer in retirement. Herbert J. Gezork died October 21, 1984, in Vero Beach, Florida.