2018 Candidates for Lay Leadership Visit trcnyc.org/LayLeadership or subscribe to “Welcome to Riverside” to listen to interviews with the candidates. Church Council Dr. Frank A. Nelson Detail your education, work experience, and volunteer work outside of Riverside. Columbia College, Columbia University, BA Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, MD I currently serve on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and practice gastroenterology and hepatology at Mt. Sinai, St. Luke’s, and Mt. Sinai West. I have previously served on the worship commission and wellness center. Where do you see God at work at The Riverside Church? I see God at work in innumerable ways at the Riverside Church. It can be at the Food Pantry, or Clothing distribution, providing shelter for homeless persons, the singing of the cherub choir, participating in civil disobedience, or marching for social justice issues of our day, or lives transformed perhaps by the gospel message, the music or the example of another observed life. I see God working everywhere in the Riverside Church through our programs, people and message. It’s not difficult to see, but sometimes you have to put on your “spiritual eyes”. Why are you interested in serving The Riverside Church through elected lay leadership? I want Riverside to continue to flourish and to achieve that vision of the “beloved community.” I hope that I can bring both my experience in church life at Riverside, a mature and balanced Christian perspective, and insights from my secular work to help guide the institution and the church to achieving its stated mission. I love the Lord Jesus Christ and am committed to using any talents that I have in God’s service. The experience of serving in various capacities, raising children in the church, and participating in many different committees allows me to have a perspective that will be of benefit especially at the level of the church council. Describe a spiritual practice that sustains you. Daily Prayer and meditation as well as daily reading of scripture keeps me grounded and reminds me of the importance of faith in my daily life and practice. I find that this practice prepares me for my daily interaction with patients and their various needs which are often both medical and mental. Attending church weekly is another important part of a practice that sustains me. I can always experience God’s presence in some aspect of the service, the spoken word, or scripture, music (instrumental or vocal), and this is important in strengthening and sustaining me for the journey. What does Christian stewardship mean to you and how do you reflect that understanding through financial giving? Christian stewardship reflects the understanding that all that we have is a gift of God. We are therefore obligated to use what is given to us to assist in fulfilling Christ’s mission on earth. In my understanding, this includes contributions to our local church as well as other agencies and organizations that feed , educate, emancipate, defend, and protect the needy and vulnerable. My practice is to support both with my money as well as time. How do you understand the relationship between lay leadership and staff? Lay leadership provides the vision/ideas. The staff however is entrusted in formulating these ideas into programs and practice. Lay leadership has been the foundation of the Riverside Church since its founding. Effective collaboration between lay leadership and the staff has resulted in the many successes of the Riverside church past and present. The church thrives when there are highly qualified lay leadership working with highly qualified staff both in tune with the Holy Spirit to accomplish goals arrived at through collaborative efforts and prayers. What hopes do you have for The Riverside Church as we move into the future? I hope that Riverside will be able to grow, be a beacon of light to many more people. I also hope of a return of members to the fold. I hope that we can continue to be the moral voice of the country, never forgetting that we are first and foremost a church. I hope that greater trust and love will blossom so that united we can forge into the future that desperately needs us. 1 Church Council Dr. Kurt Karandy Adams Detail your education, work experience, and volunteer work outside of Riverside. Currently working in a management role in education, I hold a PhD in American Religious History from Princeton. I also bring prior nonprofit board experience, where I helped to oversee the organization’s endowment and building management. A resident of Harlem, I am engaged and in community issues through a neighborhood Democratic Club. Where do you see God at work at The Riverside Church? When I first wandered into Riverside on a summer day nearly five years ago, I came out of curiosity. A student of American Religious History, I wanted to see where Fosdick, Coffin, King, and Forbes had preached. But as impressive as Riverside’s rich history is, it was the people I met that inspired me most. Through intimate conversations at Pastor’s Table and fellowship at Coffee Hour, through friendships with newcomers excited about this place and longtime members who’ve weathered tumultuous times, the people of The Riverside Church embraced me just as God created me. Why are you interested in serving The Riverside Church through elected lay leadership? We are in a moment of transformational change in the life of our church. I am asking for your blessing to serve on Church Council at this moment because I want us to run toward our future with hope and anticipation, not fear. Through previous service at Riverside (on Budget and Planning, Stewardship Committee, Ministerial Relations Committee, MCPL Commission, New Membership, and the Sharing Fund) I’ve not only developed institutional knowledge of the financial, administrative, and programmatic life of the church-I’ve also witnessed what’s possible when we come together. Describe a spiritual practice that sustains you. I love to go on long, contemplative walks in the city. Whether along a quiet path in Riverside Park or on the noisy sidewalks of Broadway, walking allows me to set aside a time for prayer and reflection. It is a moment where I can re-center, reflect on the day, and be in conversation with God. What does Christian stewardship mean to you and how do you reflect that understanding through financial giving? Christian stewardship means thinking about giving and serving as expressions of Christian faith. Giving, through both time and financial resources, is how I say that I am a part of this community. I have a practice of regular financial giving and am looking for ways to increase my giving as an expression of gratitude for the community of Riverside and faith in its transformative work. How do you understand the relationship between lay leadership and staff? I believe that our relationship as lay leadership and staff starts from a mutual love of the church and a shared faith in its mission to transform the world. I also hold deep respect for those who are called to ordained ministry and have dedicated their lives to serving the church. And so, with our common purpose and unique roles, I believe we are called to live in a partnership grounded in a trust, vulnerability, and grace. What hopes do you have for The Riverside Church as we move into the future? Since its inception, Riverside has been an experiment in holding the seemingly incompatible together. Each time we do so, our witness surprises the world about what it means to be the church. Our bold experiment goes on within these walls, as we, in all our beautiful difference, come together to live in Christian community. We don’t always get it right, but when so many retreat into hyperpolarized bubbles, we are bold for trying. As we enter our ninth decade together, I hope we continue this bold experiment and show the world what it means to be the church. 2 Church Council Jacqueline Hopkins Detail your education, work experience, and volunteer work outside of Riverside. In 1994, I won the Sarah Fortune Award in Language and Literacy. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Language and Literacy. I have 15 years of experience managing education programs for adults. I also have extensive experience leading workshops. In addition, I am the leader of a group on Meetup.com. Where do you see God at work at The Riverside Church? I see God at work in the Young Adult Ministry of the Riverside Church, under the excellent leadership of Rev. Bruce Lamb, the Interim Minister. God is evident in his contagious enthusiasm and exemplary devotion to the people he serves. Why are you interested in serving The Riverside Church through elected lay leadership? I feel a strong calling by God himself to be of service to him, our beloved Senior Minister, and his people. I have served in many capacities in the past, including 3 years on the Church Council, and would be honored to serve again. Describe a spiritual practice that sustains you. A spiritual practice that sustains me is studying God’s word every morning first thing before even having my breakfast. This sets the tone for the day ahead. What does Christian stewardship mean to you and how do you reflect that understanding through financial giving? To me, Christian stewardship is cheerfully and sacrificially giving. It is supporting financially the important work of my church. Because of the belief I have in giving sacrificially, I give quite generously, knowing that if I trust and give, the Lord will take care of me.