Join us from January 17-19, 2025, at Teachers College, Columbia University, for a showcase of the most acclaimed films from Africa and the African Diaspora.

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.

Join us for a delightful bake sale hosted by the Business & Professional Women’s Group immediately following the worship service. Indulge in a variety of delicious treats including cakes, cookies, and more! Please note that we accept cash payments only. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to satisfy your sweet tooth while supporting our community!

Every Voice Choirs invites the community to sing together in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Our choirs will perform, and they will be joined by the audience in songs of peace and justice. This event is open to the public – all are welcome to attend. Reserve free tickets here.

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Based at Columbia University Teachers College, Every Voice Choirs brings exceptional choral training to ALL children ages 7-17. Everyone is welcome in EVC’s core choirs – Kids Choir and Youth Choir – without audition. EVC VoiceAbility is designed to meet the needs of children with disabilities. For EVC singers who seek rigorous choral training, the Concert Choir provides the opportunity to perform challenging works in collaboration with adult choirs and orchestras. Cornerstone Intergenerational Choir is an intergenerational choir that invites all children to join with one or two of their trusted adults. EVC’s choirs have performed at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and CitiField, as well as having sung for film and television productions. Learn more at www.everyvoicechoirs.org.

RE·CLAIM (/rəˈklām/): Retrieve or recover (something previously lost) or stolen.

This event will bring together faith leaders to reflect on reclaiming Dr. King’s vision of justice and equity, and to explore how our diverse traditions can inspire collective action in today’s pressing social and political climate.

SPEAKERS

RE·CLAIM (/rəˈklām/): Retrieve or recover (something previously lost) or stolen.

This event will bring together faith leaders to reflect on reclaiming Dr. King’s vision of justice and equity, and to explore how our diverse traditions can inspire collective action in today’s pressing social and political climate.

RSVP for Panel & Confirm Optional Lunch Preference

SPEAKERS

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM

RE·CLAIM (/rəˈklām/): Retrieve or recover (something previously lost) or stolen.

During the March On Washington, in front of millions of people, Dr. King shared his dream for the world. In the midst of social injustice, Dr. King had a DREAM of equality, a DREAM of acceptance, and a DREAM of love. Throughout the years, we have come face to face with many obstacles that want to take away this dream… but that’s where HOPE comes in.

Ranging from Gospel to Musical Theater, the Broadway Inspirational Voices will navigate this DREAM.  Inspiring ways to reclaim it and offering tools to help maintain it. This soul stirring hour will include uplifting music and powerful spoken-word. Join us and let us take you on the musical journey from pain, sorrow, and despair to HOPE, JOY, and RELIEF.

ARTISTS

Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV) 

In 1994, more than 32,000 people died from AIDS or AIDS-related complications in the U.S. Many of those deaths came from within the Broadway community. As Broadway grappled with the loss of an entire generation of artists, Tony and Grammy-nominated Michael McElroy (founder of the Broadway Inspirational Voices) saw in the community a profound need for hope, unity, and inspiration. He envisioned an organization where professional artists would come together and volunteer their gift to provide comfort, joy, and the promise of a better day–and as a result, The Broadway Gospel Choir was born. This magical synergy of authentic Gospel soul and Broadway bravura was re-imagined as the Broadway Inspirational Voices (BIV) in 1999, and they have been the theatre community’s center of support and celebration ever since.  In 2019, The Tony Awards Administration Committee presented the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to four outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry, and Broadway Inspirational Voices was a recipient. The Tony Honor was a resounding endorsement of BIV’s enduring work and impact and in celebration of 25 years of service. In 2020, McElroy hand-picked composer/singer Allen René Louis to become the new Artistic Director for BIV. BIV’s diverse membership has represented over 140 Broadway shows since its inception. For more information – and for ways to DONATE – go to www.BIVoices.org. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at handle @BIVoices.

DATE & TIME

Monday, January 20, 2025, 2:00 PM

The Riverside Church | Nave & Online
490 Riverside Drive
New York, NY