Rev. George Hrbek, a social justice giant in Northeast Ohio and former head of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, died over the weekend. He was 91.
The Lutheran pastor spent much of the civil rights era in Alabama where he attempted to desegregate churches. Hrbek helped create the Selma chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization founded by Martin Luther King Jr.
鈥淚n advocacy or social services, more and more people today think of, you got to include people in all parts of the planning that you鈥檙e trying to serve,鈥� longtime family-friend Michael Sering said. 鈥淕eorge has been doing that for 70 years.鈥�
Hrbek had a personal relationship with King. Hrbek moved from Alabama to Chicago, where he worked to educate other white people about allyship and racism. His messages were often advised by King, who was also working in Chicago at the time.
In the early 1970s, Hrbek was hired as one of the first staff members of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, a Cleveland social services organization that began operating the 2100 Lakeside Men鈥檚 Shelter when Hrbek became the ministry鈥檚 interim executive director.
Hrbek was brought into the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry fold by Rev. Dick Sering, co-founder of the ministry and Michael Sering鈥檚 father.
The families were very close. Michael Sering, who was babysat by Hrbek鈥檚 children, is now the ministry鈥檚 current vice president of housing & shelter. He said Hrbek was the perfect person to manage the shelter.
鈥淭alking to the guys at the shelter. What did they need? What can we do better? How do we advocate? What services? And it was such a good launch to bring the culture that was necessary and helpful,鈥� Sering said.
Sering described Hrbek as bold and said he lacked fear of consequences.
鈥淗e was 鈥榬oll up the sleeves, let鈥檚 make stuff happen,鈥欌�� Sering said. 鈥淗e鈥檇 been arrested multiple times for advocacy and demonstrations and every thing else and that was the least of his worries.
Hrbek hired Charles See to work for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry in the 1970s. The two became close friends.
鈥淚f it was racial injustice, George was at the forefront,鈥� See said. 鈥淎nd always challenging white folks standing in the way of that.鈥�
See says Hrbek was never afraid to step up to institutions that stood in the way of equality.
鈥淗e would always point out where Jesus stood. That Jesus stood with the poor, with the forgotten and the oppressed. And he said that鈥檚 where he belonged. That was his ministry,鈥� See said.
Hrbek was an activist until the end 鈥� for residents to control how part of Cleveland鈥檚 budget is spent.
Just after this 90th birthday, Hrbek did an with .
鈥淲hen we think in the days ahead and the years ahead, we certainly will remember George,鈥� See said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be encouraged and his example will continue to be there to spur the best of us on.鈥�