Monday, September 27, 2021

Guest Preacher Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr. This Sunday


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This Sunday (Oct. 3), we will welcome guest preacher Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., senior minister emeritus of The Riverside Church in New York City, as part of our 11:00 a.m. worship service celebrating World Communion Sunday.

In his career as a pastor, educator, administrator, and community activist, Rev. Dr. Forbes was twice named one of America's greatest Black preachers by Ebony magazine and once named one of the country's most effective preachers by Newsweek magazine. In addition to his eighteen years as the first African-American pastor of the large, multicultural Riverside Church, he has served as the Harry Emerson Fosdick Distinguished Professor at Union Theological Seminary, president of the Healing of the Nations Foundation, and chairman of the Drum Major Institute. He has been granted fourteen honorary degrees and has received the Unitas Distinguished Alumnus Award from Union Theology Seminary and the Distinguished Service Award in Ministry from Howard University, among other awards. He currently has a consulting faculty position with Duke Divinity School.

The World Communion Sunday service celebrates both the church's unity and cultural diversity. It will include music in English, Spanish, and Swahili as well as an original translation of Psalm 8 by Duke Divinity School Professor Ellen Davis. Professor John Brown, Duke's vice provost of the arts, and saxophonist Susan Francher, an instructor of music at Duke, will join the Chapel Choir and guest organist Robert Brewer in leading the music for the service.