The Collection

About all you can find in either room now is crosses, paintings of Christ, crosses, nativity scenes, crosses, madonnas, and more crosses.

Jane Lee Lisenby, “If it's a cross, preacher Stiver probably has one,” The Charlotte News, November 4, 1978, pp. 1A, 9A.

Rev. Stiver organized his collection by country of origin, corresponding to his travels, or by form or theme, such as crosses made of nails. Crosses were affixed with wire on pegboard panels covered with red velour, each 16 by 22 inches. In 2006 and 2007, the cloth was cleaned and the crosses secured with glue. These panels were placed in shadow boxes for more permanent display.

While there are many small crosses, ranging from 1/2 inch to 3 inches in height, a substantial number were large enough to be seen clearly from across a room. These formed the basis for his sermonettes for children, where the cross represented a story of faith with a unique design that characterized a country or location.

Most crosses are unique. They include folk art, replicas of famous crosses, souvenirs from sacred places, fine jewelery, and crosses made from home workshops. A few crosses are relatively old, with the most ancient Christian item being a simple bronze cross from around 6th century Byzantium.

About 5 precent of the collection came as gifts from members of his congregation, neighbors, missionaries, and strangers. A few pieces were added over the past few years to illustrate styles or trends.

Some of the older crosses show the wear of being stacked in a car and shown at many different times. On a replica of a Spanish majestic crucifix (Christ wears a long priest’s robe instead of a loin cloth), for example, the nose has been almost completely rubbed off. A bronze replica of a crucifix from the Congo was dropped, shattered and then restored.

The variety shows how different traditions have adapted the cross to their beliefs. Crosses are made of different materials as well as from different countries and cultures. Along with the obvious materials of wood and various metals, crosses are made of straw, beeswax, yarn, lace, paper, ribbons, palms, and hair.

Updates

About This Site

This site is based on the collection of Rev. Stanley L. Stiver, a Lutheran minister living in Hickory, NC. The site traces origins, uses, and the development of different crosses and crucifixes.

Collector of Crosses

	Stanley L. Stiver, 2000

The Rev. Stanley L. Stiver began collecting crosses in the late 1940s. His collection grew to contain over a thousand unique pieces from different countries and cultures. See www.stanleystiver.com for more information on his life and ministry.

The Rev. Stiver began collecting crosses shortly after his ordination as a Lutheran minister in 1947. One of his earliest crosses is a large gold crucifix given by a member of his congregation in New Orleans. Another member on the way to the Kentucky Derby saw him looking at cross in a display case at the Pittsburgh airport and purchased the small silver cross. He said he would be spending far more money at the derby.

About his fascination with the cross, he says, "It’s a sign of the triumph of Christianity. A risen Christ is what really makes our Christianity."

Many of his first crosses were souvenirs, a way to remember a trip or a conference. As he collected more crosses, he looked for types that showed a unique representation and that told a story about faith.

His collecting really took off when he began traveling outside the United States. In 1967, he and his wife, Jane, had planned a trip to the Holy Land. That year the Six Day War broke out between Israel and Egypt and other plans had to be made. They went to Germany instead for the 450th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation.

He found the wooden cross orb shown here in East Germany, then still a communist state. "It is supposed to signify the cross of Christianity over the world, which I thought was rather an interesting thing to find in East Germany." The form goes back to early Christian Roman emperors, who are shown holding the globus cruciger on coins.

	Cross orb, East Germany, Wood, 5"

More than just a hobby, his collection became part of his ministry. During church services, a cross or other object became a topic for a sermonette for children. He also presented and displayed his collection to many groups across Catawba County and North Carolina. For 15 years, he was featured at the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, where thousands saw his exhibits. A number of prominent newspaper articles featured his crosses and other items. At an individual level, he often wears an interesting cross that prompts conversations with strangers.

Over the past few years, he has donated most of his crosses to different organizations. In 2007 he remounted and gave over half of his collection to St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Claremont, North Carolina, where they are on rotating display in the parish hall. Crosses and other objects from the Holy Land from his collection are on display at the Lutheran Home in Hickory, North Carolina. He donated his largest crosses to Lenoir Rhyne College in 2005.

The Rev. Stiver was ordained a Lutheran minister in 1947 by the Evangelical Theological Seminary (now Trinity Lutheran Seminary) in Columbus, Ohio. He had wanted to be a minister since he was 12. After ordination, he accepted calls to New Orleans (St. Luke’s, 1947-51); Wheeling, West Virginia (St. Mark’s, 1951-59); and Claremont, North Carolina (St. Mark’s, 1959-1990). A man of boundless energy, he has been very active in community service and the Red Cross. After retiring from St. Mark's, he moved to Hickory and has served various churches in the area. Since 2000 he has been visitation pastor for St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Hickory.

Son of Collector of Crosses

	David J. Stiver, 1976

David J. Stiver, son of Rev. Stiver, works in Special Collections at Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California. He also manages the web site and online surveys for EPARG, the Emotions, Personality, and Altruism Research Group, Wright Institute, also in Berkeley. His previous positions were in corporate archives at Gap Inc., as project and account manager for Xerox, and as reporter and editor for The Observer-News-Enterprise, Newton, North Carolina.

He began this project in 1999. It started with the idea of producing a small book to capture the stories and crosses of the Rev. Stiver. As each bit of descriptive information led to many more questions, the project expanded in different ways. Since 2005, this site has been a holding place for a portion of the iconographic information. In 2007, a site celebrating Rev. Stiver's 60 years in the ministry was put up. The third piece is still in the works, a book that expands upon the glossary.

In 2003 he returned to school, studying religion and art at GTU with Jane Dillenberger, the late Doug Adams, Michael Morris, David Steadman, and Anthony Vrame. He also attended San Jose State University, receiving an MLIS in 2006. Professsor Debbie Faires in particular was instrumental in enabling this site to be developed.

He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Lynn, a clinical psychologist and professor.

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