GUEST PREACHER REV. MARK A. THOMPSON

Rev. Mark has spent most of his life in public ministry as a political, civil rights & human rights activist and organizer. He not only has been a part of every major social justice movement & event over the past 40 years, he has also been a radio broadcaster and journalist for over three decades, and he has spent over 10 years as a television commentator, as well. He hosts Make It Plain (MIP), a political, human rights and breaking news podcast.

Rev. Mark is the great-great grandson of the Rev. William F. Simons, who organized Miles CME Church in Washington, DC in 1883, and pastored Collins Chapel CME in Memphis, Tennessee from 1895-1897. He is also the great-great grandson of the Rev. Joseph Keill, who organized Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee in 1885. Rev. Mark’s mother and grandmother raised him in Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, one of the headquarters of the Nashville sit-in movement, where the Rev. James Lawson held his nonviolent trainings, and where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held his Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Annual Meeting in 1961. In August, Clark Memorial was placed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Rev. Mark’s high school senior thesis subject was the last year of Dr. King’s life and, of course, his research began with Dr. King’s speech at Riverside.

Rev. Mark is a Life Member of the NAACP, the National Action Network, the National Council of Negro Women, the National Congress of Black Women and the National Organization of Women. He is a member of the Senior Advisory Board for the Institute of Politics, Policy and History at the University of the District of Columbia.

He is an active organizer for the Poor People’s Campaign, the Proctor Conference, the Black Church Political Action Committee, Community First Solutions, Black Voters Matter and Until Freedom.

He attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service before earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Media Journalism from the University of the District of Columbia. He earned his Masters Degree  in Divinity from Howard University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Public Theology and Public Witness at the United Lutheran Seminary.

Rev. Mark was inducted into the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers in 2023.

All are invited to stay in the nave or on the livestream after the worship service for a sermon talkback with Rev. Mark.

Whoever you are: You are safe here. You are loved here. You are invited into full participation in our life together. We welcome, affirm, and celebrate all God’s children, LGBTQIA+.

Worship of God is at the center of our life at The Riverside Church and our services reflect the diversity of who we are as the body of Christ. All are welcome as we seek to create a beloved community, nourish faith, and transform our world. We are an interdenominational, interracial, international, open, welcoming, and affirming church and congregation.

SERVICE: Join us for worship on-site in the Nave (sanctuary) or online every Sunday morning at 11:00 AM ET. Special music prelude begins at 10:30AM. Communion occurs on first Sundays. Service runs about an hour and 15-30 minutes but it is over by 12:30PM at the latest.

ENTRANCES: There are two entrances to the church. You can enter the church at 490 Riverside Drive. (Only open on Sundays) Wheelchair accessibility is available at 91 Claremont Avenue. Ask the security desk for directions to our Nave (sanctuary).

ATTIRE: You can dress comfortably and in a manner that makes you feel at ease. Whether it’s casual attire or dressed-up, we’re happy to welcome you just as you are.

NURSERY: Babies and toddlers are not too young to start learning about God’s love for them. The nursery is open every Sunday excluding Easter, Christmas and summer from 10:30AM-12:30PM and is staffed by trained nursery workers. For location, please see an usher or security guard.

CHILDREN & YOUTH: The Education Ministry at the Riverside Church provides a robust year of programming for our children and youth. There is church school available on most Sundays, September – June for pre-schoolers to 12th grade.  To be added to our education newsletter to find out what’s happening on a particular Sunday, email us at education@trcnyc.org.

PARKING: If you worship with us on Sunday or special worship services, there is parking available on the street and in the garage under the church. Parking in the garage is $5 only on Sundays. (Normally $35 on other days) If you park in our garage, bring your church bulletin and parking ticket to the Security Desk to get your $5 parking coupon. You will bring your bulletin, ticket and coupon to the attendant on the upper level to receive the discounted rate, pay, and pick up your car.

Watch / Listen to Worship Services Bulletins

Individuals without internet access can call 844.223.6490 to listen to worship.