The Rev. Herbert H. Michel D.D. recently exhibited 100 of his 700 crosses for guests and members of Zion's Union Church, Maxatawny.

Michel, who has been an ordained minister for more than 40 years, began collecting small crosses he could wear on Sundays following his ordination in 1976.

"In the Lutheran tradition, pastors wear crosses on Sunday," he said. "The collection expanded from there to standing, decorative, fine ones, gold and silver, to all matters of crosses."

He also has crosses made of wood and porcelain, and even one made from beeswax with tiny pearls sewn on it, which came from Mexico.

The largest cross he owns stands 3 feet tall and came from Africa.

"I have 30 from Russia, 40 from South America, 100 from Europe and the rest come from the United States," Michel said.

He buys crosses at antique malls, stores or wherever he sees them.

"I slowed down and tried to stop once I hit the 700 mark, but people still give me crosses," Michel said. "I really don't have a favorite cross, but there is one produced in Russia, an Oxford cross, I am fond of."

Michel, who grew up in the northeast Fox Chase section of Philadelphia and graduated from Dobbins High School in 1966, said crosses are the symbol of Christian faith.

"We should not be afraid to wear them," Michel said. "I encourage people everywhere I go to wear crosses."

The pastor started displaying his crosses about 10 years ago.

"I feel it is good stewardship to use the crosses and share the Christian faith," Michel said. "It would not be good stewardship to leave them sit in boxes."

Michel, who has shown his crosses at various churches, to civic groups and at Luther Crest Retirement Community, South Whitehall, will eventually give the entire collection to the Lutheran Archives Center in Philadelphia.

Michel graduated in 1970 from Asbury College in Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

He received his Master of Divinity degree in 1974 from Asbury Theological Seminary and was ordained Oct. 1, 1976, at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Philadelphia.

After he retired in 2008 from Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe, Montgomery County, he moved to Breinigsville and was offered an interim position at Ziegels Union Church for two and half years, then Jordan Lutheran Church, Orefield, for 18 months before coming to Zion's Union Church in April.