Riverside Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Riverside Church |
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Riverside Church in 2013
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 Riverside Church
Location in Manhattan
Riverside Church
Location in New York City
Riverside Church
Location in New York
Riverside Church
Location in the United States
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| 40°48′43″N 73°57′47″W / 40.81194°N 73.96306°W | |
| Location | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Interdenominational:
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| Membership | 1,750 |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Mulberry Street Baptist Church Fifth Avenue Baptist Church Park Avenue Baptist Church |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission |
| Architect(s) | Allen & Collens and Henry C. Pelton |
| Architectural type | Neo-Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | November 21, 1927 |
| Completed | October 5, 1930 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,100 |
| Nave width | 89 feet (27 m) |
| Number of floors | 22 |
| Spire height | 392 feet (119 m) |
| Bells | 74 (carillon) |
Riverside Church is a famous church in New York City that welcomes people from many different Christian groups. It's located in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan. This church is connected with the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ.
The idea for the church came from John D. Rockefeller Jr., a wealthy businessman, and Harry Emerson Fosdick, a Baptist minister. They wanted a large church in Morningside Heights that would welcome people from all Christian backgrounds. The church is near Columbia University and across from Grant's Tomb.
The main building opened in 1930. It was designed by Henry C. Pelton and Allen & Collens in a style called Neo-Gothic. The church has a tall 22-story tower, which is 392-foot (119 m) high. Inside the tower is a huge carillon with 74 bells. This carillon is the heaviest in the world and was given in honor of Rockefeller Jr.'s mother, Laura Spelman Rockefeller.
Riverside Church has always been a place for global and national activism. It has a long history of working for social justice, following Fosdick's idea of a church that welcomes all people, no matter their background or race. People from over forty different ethnic groups are part of its congregation. The church was named a city landmark in 2000 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Church History
Early Beginnings
The First Churches
Many small Baptist churches started in Manhattan after the American Revolutionary War. One of these was the Mulberry Street Baptist Church, founded in 1823. This church moved several times before settling at Fifth Avenue and 46th Street in the 1860s.
The wealthy Rockefeller family became big supporters of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. William Rockefeller and his brother John D. Rockefeller were important leaders there. Many church services were even held at their home.
A New Direction
In 1912, Cornelius Woelfkin became the church's minister. He started leading the church in a more modern direction. By the early 1900s, the Fifth Avenue area was becoming very busy with businesses. The church building also started to get old.
So, in 1919, the church sold its old building. The next year, they bought land at Park Avenue and 63rd Street. John D. Rockefeller Jr. paid for half of the $1 million cost for the new church. This new church was called the "Little Cathedral." It was designed by Henry C. Pelton, Francis R. Allen, and Charles Collens. The last service at the old location was in April 1922. The new Park Avenue Baptist Church opened the following week.
Ideas for Change
In 1924, John D. Rockefeller Jr. gave $500,000 to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This cathedral was in Morningside Heights, further uptown. Rockefeller wanted to encourage more progressive ideas there, but it didn't work.
The next year, Harry E. Edmonds, who led the International House of New York, suggested building a new church in Morningside Heights. Rockefeller had helped fund the International House. Edmonds thought Harry Emerson Fosdick, a progressive pastor, should lead this new church.
Rockefeller told the Park Avenue Baptist Church leaders about the plan. He also hired someone to check out the proposed church site.
Fosdick's Conditions
Minister Woelfkin left in May 1925. Rockefeller Jr. immediately looked for a new minister. He chose Fosdick, who had turned down his offers many times before. Fosdick didn't want to be known as "the pastor of the richest man in the country."
Fosdick finally agreed to be the minister, but he had conditions. The church had to move to Morningside Heights. It also had to follow a policy of religious liberalism, meaning it would be open to different ideas. Members would not have to be baptized in a specific way, and the church would welcome people from all Christian groups, not just Baptists.
By the end of May 1925, Fosdick became the minister of the Park Avenue Baptist Church. Most of the church members, about 85%, voted for him. Under Fosdick's leadership, the church grew quickly. By 1930, its size had doubled. Many new members were not Baptists, showing the church's new open approach.
Building the Church
Choosing the Location
Morningside Heights was growing fast with new homes and universities. These included Union Theological Seminary and International House. The nearby Riverside Park and Riverside Drive also made the area popular.
Rockefeller first thought about a spot on Morningside Drive. But he chose a larger site at Riverside Drive and 122nd Street. This spot overlooked Riverside Park and the Hudson River. Rockefeller felt this location would be more visible to many people.
In May 1925, Rockefeller bought the land for the new church. He bought more land later, giving the church a large space on Riverside Drive. At the time, there were apartment buildings and mansions on the site. Rockefeller wanted to keep these buildings for a few years to help pay for the church's construction.
Planning the Design
Rockefeller led the committee for the new church building. He wanted to avoid too much attention, so he quietly asked several architecture firms for plans. He tried to keep his name out of the news, but it was hard. Some church leaders worried that his strong financial involvement might make the church seem too tied to his money.
Rockefeller asked for the new building to include space for the Park Avenue Baptist Church's carillon, which he had given them. Most plans showed a church facing 122nd Street. But the plan by Allen & Collens and Henry C. Pelton was different. They had designed the Park Avenue Baptist Church. Their plan showed a Gothic Revival church with its main entrance on Riverside Drive. It would have a bell tower and apartment towers.
The building committee removed the apartment towers from the plan. Allen, Collens, and Pelton were chosen to design the new church in February 1926. The plans included a 392-foot (119 m) bell tower, a large auditorium, and athletic rooms. Rockefeller also traded land with Union Theological Seminary to make space for a chapel and a covered walkway.
Construction was delayed until October 1926 when the current tenants' leases ended. Official plans were filed in November 1926. The congregation approved the $4 million building plans the next month. Pelton and Collens then traveled to France. They chose the 13th-century Chartres Cathedral as their model for Riverside Church.
Building the Church
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Construction began on November 21, 1927, when the church's ceremonial cornerstone was laid. The cornerstone held items like Woelfkin's Bible and New York Times articles about the new church.
In late 1928, three fires happened at the construction site. One fire on December 22, 1928, caused $1 million in damage and almost destroyed the inside of the church. However, the outside remained mostly intact. Insurance covered much of the damage. Rockefeller announced that construction would continue.
The fire delayed the interior's completion by six months. In February 1929, Rockefeller donated another $1.5 million. The church also sold its Park Avenue building for $1.5 million, giving them $3 million for construction.
The first part of the new church, the assembly hall, opened in October 1929. In December, Fosdick officially changed the church's name to "Riverside Church." The large bell was lifted to the top of the tower in September 1930. The tower was finished later that month.
The church was completed on October 5, 1930. The first service was held that day, with 3,200 people attending. The church was formally dedicated in February 1931. The total cost was about $4 million.
After the church was finished, Rockefeller also paid $350,000 to improve the nearby Sakura Park. He wanted the area around the church to look beautiful. He also bought more land around the church, eventually owning all the land along Riverside Drive between 120th and 122nd Streets. Rockefeller spent a total of $10.5 million on land and construction.
Church Life and Growth
From the 1930s to the 1960s
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After the new church building was finished, more and more people joined the congregation. By May 1946, there were 3,500 members. A church brochure said that "soon every room... was in use seven days a week." The Sunday school also grew a lot.
Riverside Church became a very important place in Morningside Heights. By 1939, the church had over 200 staff members. More than 10,000 people came each week for social and religious events, sports, and job programs.
In June 1945, Fosdick announced he would retire. Robert James McCracken was chosen as the new senior minister in March 1946. McCracken continued Fosdick's open and progressive approach to religion.
Construction on the Martin Luther King Jr. Wing began in 1955. This seven-story addition was designed by Collens, Willis & Beckonert. Rockefeller paid for its $15 million cost. The wing opened in December 1959, adding more space for church programs.
In 1960, Riverside Church joined the United Church of Christ. Rockefeller also bought the Stone Gym, a building southeast of the church. It reopened as a community facility in April 1962 after renovations. In April 1967, McCracken announced he would leave his position due to health issues.
From the 1960s to the 1990s
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Ernest T. Campbell became pastor in November 1968. In 1969, civil rights leader James Forman interrupted a sermon. He asked Riverside Church and other churches to pay reparations for slavery to Black Americans. This led the church to share its financial details in 1970. They also created a $450,000 Fund for Social Justice.
Campbell's time as pastor had some disagreements. He resigned in June 1976. The same month, Evelyn Newman became the church's first female pastor.
In August 1977, William Sloane Coffin was chosen as the next senior minister. When he started in November 1977, the church's membership had been going down. But after Coffin became minister, membership grew again. Coffin also gave many sermons about social and political issues.
Coffin resigned in July 1987. In February 1989, James A. Forbes became the church's first Black senior minister. At that time, about one-fourth to one-third of the church members were Black or Hispanic.
In 1996, Riverside Church began studying how to use its building better. Some members worried that proposed changes would alter the church's original look. In December 1998, the church voted to officially ask for landmark status. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission approved landmark status for the original church building in May 2000.
The 21st Century
In the early 2000s, there were some disagreements at Riverside Church. Forbes announced his retirement in September 2006. He gave his last sermon in June 2007. By then, the church had 2,700 members, many of whom were Black and Hispanic.
In August 2008, Brad Braxton was chosen as the sixth senior minister. His time was short due to disagreements about the church's direction. He resigned in June 2009. For the next five years, Riverside Church did not have a senior minister. By 2014, its congregation had shrunk to 1,670 members.
In 2012, the church and its other buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In June 2014, Amy K. Butler became the church's seventh senior minister. She was the first woman to hold this important job. In September 2018, Riverside Church announced it would buy the nearby McGiffert Hall. In July 2019, the church announced that Butler's contract would not be renewed. Michael E. Livingston became the interim senior minister.
Church Design
Riverside Church is on a large piece of land between Riverside Drive, 122nd Street, Claremont Avenue, and 120th Street. The main architects were Henry C. Pelton, Francis R. Allen, and Charles Collens. Pelton focused on the overall plan, while Collens worked on the Gothic details. Sculptures were made by Robert Garrison. The inside was designed by Burnham Hoyt.
The Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Wing was designed by Collens, Willis & Beckonert. The Stone Gym was designed by Louis E. Jallade. As of 2017, Riverside Church is the tallest church in the United States. Its tower is 392 feet (119 m) tall.
Pelton and Collens chose a Gothic style for the outside of the church. But the inside uses modern curtain walls and a steel frame. Fosdick believed the Gothic style helped people feel like praying. The church's design was inspired by Chartres Cathedral in France, but it also has unique features. The outside is made of Indiana Limestone.
When Riverside Church was finished, some people praised its design, while others criticized it. Some thought it should have been more modern. Others called the outside too fancy. However, many people today see it as a very important and beautiful building in New York City.
Main Church Building
The main part of Riverside Church is called the nave. It runs north to south. The chapel and narthex are to the south, near 120th Street. The chancel, where the altar is, and the ambulatory are to the north, near 122nd Street.
Outside Look
The church's main entrance is on the west side, facing Riverside Drive. It has double wooden doors. Above the doors are detailed sculptures of religious, scientific, and philosophical figures. There's also a large tympanum (a carved space above the doors).
To the south, there's another entrance to the narthex. Further south, a double-door entrance leads to the chapel. The northern part of the west side has five sets of windows.
The south side of the church is mostly hidden by the MLK Wing. You can see the tops of four narrow, arched stained-glass windows.
The east side also has five groups of windows. Much of this side is covered by McGiffert Hall. There's a covered walkway, called a cloister, leading to Claremont Avenue. A large rose window is above this cloister.
The north side surrounds the chancel. There's an arched entrance called the Woman's Porch, with carvings of biblical women. Another entrance is on the eastern part of the north side. Between these entrances is the ambulatory, with two levels of windows.
The nave, the main seating area, is inspired by Albi Cathedral in France. It is 100 feet (30 m) high, 89 feet (27 m) wide, and 215 feet (66 m) long. Its wide, low shape is like churches in southern France and Spain. The inside of the nave is made of Indiana limestone. Its vaulted ceilings are covered with Guastavino terracotta tiles. The floor is marble.
The nave's walls have five sections, each with a pointed-arch window. Above these windows is a gallery, then two more tall, narrow windows, and finally a rose window at the top. The ceiling is eight stories high. It has many vaults, which are curved ceilings. Eight iron lanterns hang from the ceiling.
The nave can seat about 2,400 people. It has 38 rows of wooden pews. Two seating areas, called galleries, hang over the southern part of the nave. The lower gallery is made of carved wood. The upper gallery is also wood. Behind the southern wall are six niches with stone sculptures of ministers and a sculpture called Christ in Majesty.
Chancel and Altar Area
The chancel is just north of the nave and is slightly higher. A limestone railing separates it from the nave. This railing has 20 carved medallions. The western part of the railing has a pulpit with a wooden canopy.
In the middle of the chancel floor is a labyrinth made of three types of marble. It was inspired by a similar design at Chartres Cathedral. On both sides of the labyrinth are four rows of wooden choir stalls. The organ console is behind the choir stalls. A communion table made of stone is at the back of the chancel, with a baptismal pool behind it.
The back of the chancel has a curved wall with seven sections. These sections have windows and an elaborate stone screen called a chancel screen. The upper part of this area, called the apse clerestory, has rose windows above pairs of tall, narrow windows.
Narthex and Chapel
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The narthex is just south of the nave. It has four vaulted ceilings with Guastavino tiles. A stone spiral staircase leads to the basement. There are two grisaille windows and one rose window on the west and east sides of the narthex. The eastern wall has four 16th-century windows that came from the old Park Avenue Baptist Church. These are the only windows in Riverside Church not built specifically for it. A small mortuary chapel, now called the Gethsemane Chapel, is in the northeastern corner.
The chapel, south of the narthex, is now called the Christ Chapel. Its design was inspired by older churches in France. It has a barrel-vaulted ceiling with Guastavino tiles. The walls and floor are limestone. The south wall has four arched, back-lit stained-glass windows. Double doors on the west lead to Riverside Drive.
The eastern end of the chapel has an altar. Sculptures are above the altar. Behind the altar are a baptismal pool and a reredos (an ornamental screen).
Tower and Carillon
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The 392-foot (119 m) tower is named after Laura Spelman Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s mother. The tower has 21 usable floors with 80 classrooms and offices. There are four elevators, two of which go up to the 20th floor. These elevators, rising 355 feet (108 m), were described in 1999 as the tallest elevators inside a church.
The tower's main entrance is on the west side. Above this entrance are seven arched niches, each with a statue of a king. A large rose window is above these statues. The very top of the tower has aircraft warning lights. The tower also has many windows that get narrower as they go higher. Each corner of the tower has narrow, covered niches with statues inside. The top of the tower has a cone-shaped metal roof.
Tower Levels
Many of the tower's floors have plaster floors, steel doors, and iron lights. The ninth and tenth floors have stone, terrazzo, and wood floors. These floors have wooden doors.
Originally, the fourth to fourteenth floors were used by Riverside Church's school. The fifteenth floor and above held staff offices and group activity rooms. The second floor connects to the nave's lower seating area. The third floor leads to the upper seating area. The fourth to eighth floors housed the church's nursery, junior high, and high school.
The ninth and tenth floors had the school kitchen, offices, and storage rooms. The ninth floor also has a library. The main church roof is above the tenth floor. The tower rises on its own above that point. The eleventh to fourteenth floors originally held the elementary school. The fifteenth and sixteenth floors were for young people's meetings and social events. These floors were later changed into office spaces. The seventeenth to twentieth floors have meeting rooms and offices. The twenty-first floor has the carilloneur's studio, and the twenty-second floor is for mechanical equipment.
The Carillon
The 23rd floor of the tower holds a three-level belfry. This is where the carillon is. It has 74 bronze bells. When it was built, it was the largest carillon of bells in the world. It includes a 20-ton bell, which is the world's largest tuned bell. Even though other carillons have more bells now, Riverside Church's carillon is still the heaviest in the world by total weight. The bells and their parts weigh about 500,000 pounds (230,000 kg).
The bells can be heard up to 8 miles (13 km) from the tower. The heaviest steel beams in the church were used in the tower because of the carillon's weight. The outside of the tower has fancy Neo-Gothic details, including gargoyles. There is a public observation deck at the top of the carillon. It was closed after the September 11, 2001, attacks but reopened for tours in January 2020.
Cloister Passageway
The cloister passageway is a covered walkway. It leads from the southern part of the nave to Claremont Avenue on the east. It has four arched sections, each with a window. The north and south walls have stained-glass windows. The inside of the passageway has five vaults and six lanterns.
The entrance to the passageway is a small, two-story building. It has two arched doorways facing Claremont Avenue. The top of this entrance has sculptures of Faith, Hope, and Charity. A gift shop is next to the cloister passageway. Sculptures of the church's architects and builder are above the doorway leading to the tower.
Martin Luther King Jr. Wing
The Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Wing is a seven-story building next to the main church. It is south of the main structure and faces 120th Street. This L-shaped building connects to the original church and the Stone Gym. The area between the MLK Wing and the cloister is a small courtyard.
Inside the wing are chapels for children, school space, a rooftop play area, and community areas like a gymnasium and assembly room. It also has a basement with a parking lot.
The building was designed by Collens, Willis and Beckonert. It is a simpler, more modern version of the original church's Gothic design. It was known as the South Wing until 1985. Then, it was renamed for civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr..
Outside Look
The outside of the MLK Wing is covered with Indiana limestone. Its foundation is stone and concrete, and it has a steel frame. The main entrance is through the chapel doors on Riverside Drive. There are also entrances to the basement from 120th Street.
The first and second floors of the west side have eight sections, each with a small window. The upper floors are set back from Riverside Drive. The windows on the third to sixth floors are also set back. The seventh-floor windows are even with the outside walls.
The south and east sides of the wing look similar to the upper part of the west side. The south side has eight window sections. The far eastern part of the south side has two arched openings that lead to the church's underground parking garage.
Inside the Wing
The first floor of the MLK Wing has the South Hall Lobby. It has a two-story-high ceiling with square patterns. The walls are gray plaster. South of the lobby are elevators and an auditorium called the South Hall. The South Hall has wood-paneled walls and nine stained-glass windows on the west side.
The third to seventh floors have classrooms, except for the fifth floor, which has offices. The hallways have terrazzo floors. Children's chapels are on the third and sixth floors. The roof has a sunroom and a play area.
Stone Gym
The Stone Gymnasium is a 1.5-story building at 120th Street and Claremont Avenue. It is east of the Martin Luther King Jr. Wing. The gym was built in 1912 and was first used by the Union Theological Seminary. It has a stone outside with limestone decorations and a metal roof.
In 1957, Rockefeller gave the building to the church. Five years later, in 1962, it reopened as a gym and community center. The inside of the building has a basketball court. There are also offices and lockers at its northern end.
Basement
Riverside Church's basement has many modern features. It includes a movie theater with 250 seats and a gymnasium with a full-size basketball court. The part of the basement under the nave has a very tall ceiling. An assembly hall is on the south side of this space, and the gymnasium is on the north side.
The assembly hall has stone floors and walls. It has six arched stained-glass windows on the east wall. It also has a wooden ceiling supported by stone arches. A stage is at the northern end. A kitchen is east of the stage.
The basement used to have a four-lane bowling alley. It was later removed and turned into storage space. There is also a two-story parking lot under the MLK Wing that can hold 150 cars.
Church Organs
Riverside Church has two organs. One is in the chancel, and the other is in the seating gallery. The chancel organ is the 14th largest in the world as of 2017. It was first installed in 1930.
In 1953–1954, the chancel organ was replaced. The ceiling above the chancel was coated to make the sound better. The chancel organ was officially opened with a concert in March 1955. In 1964, another organ was installed in the eastern wall of the nave's seating gallery. More parts were added to the gallery organ in 1978.
The Interim Director of Music and organist is Alan Montgomery as of 2023. Famous past organists include Virgil Fox and Frederick Swann.
Art and Sculptures
Paintings
Paintings by Heinrich Hofmann are displayed in the church. John D. Rockefeller Jr. bought these paintings and donated them in November 1930. Christ in the Temple (1871) and Christ and the Young Rich Man (1889) are in the assembly hall beneath the nave. Hofmann's Christ in Gethsemane (1890) is in the Gethsemane chapel.
Stained Glass
The main Riverside Church building has 51 stained glass windows. These windows were made in a mosaic style, which was popular when the church was built. Most of the 34 windows in the nave show religious images. The windows on the west side of the building have rich colors, while those on the east side have softer colors.
French glassmakers Jacques Simon and Charles Lorin created the glass for the tall windows in the nave. Lorin designed the windows on the western side, and Simon designed those on the eastern side. Both sets of windows show religious and government themes. They also include non-Christian images. The other windows in the nave were made by Reynolds, Francis and Rohnstock. They show 138 scenes, both religious and non-religious.
Mosaics
Gregor T. Goethals created two mosaics for the fourth and seventh floors of the MLK Wing. The mosaic on the fourth floor shows events from the Old Testament. The mosaic on the seventh floor shows the Creation story.
Sculpted Details
Outside Sculptures
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The most noticeable sculptures are on the Riverside Drive side of the building. The main entrance under the tower has five curved arches. These arches have sculptures of Jesus's followers and prophets. One arch shows philosophers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Pythagoras. Another arch shows scientists like Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin.
When Riverside Church was finished, some people debated including Einstein, who was a living Jewish man. Other figures were people who had already died. But the church committee decided to include Einstein because he was one of the "leading scientists of all time."
The chapel entrance on Riverside Drive has two arches. These arches show symbols of the zodiac. A sculpture above the doors shows the Virgin Mary with two angels.
Sculptures are also in niches (small carved spaces) all over the church's outside. There are sculptures of seven kings above the main entrance. Statues are also in the tower's niches and on the cloister entrance. The outside also has gargoyles near the top of the tower. On the roof of the nave's northern section is a bronze statue called Angel of the Resurrection.
Inside Sculptures
The carvings inside the church match the areas they are in. For example, the 20 medallions on the chancel railing show typical activities and ceremonies held in the chancel. Around the pulpit are sculptures of ten Old Testament prophets.
The seven-paneled chancel screen at the back of the chancel is carved from stone. It shows important figures like the composer Johann Sebastian Bach, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, and the social reformer Florence Nightingale. The panels show doctors, teachers, prophets, and humanitarians.
Above the doorway between the cloister and the tower base are statues of the architects Henry Pelton and Charles Collens, and the builder Robert Eidlitz.
- Carving details
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Stone carving detail
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Several sculptures like these adorn the church
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Sculpted figures inside the gallery
Sculpture
When the Martin Luther King Jr. Wing was built, Jacob Epstein's sculpture Madonna and Child was placed in the courtyard between the MLK Wing and the cloister entrance.
Community Services
Riverside Church was planned from the start to be a place for many community services. The building has meeting rooms, classrooms, a daycare center, a kindergarten, a library, an auditorium, and a gymnasium. In 2008, The New York Times called it "a stronghold of activism and political debate."
Riverside Church offers many services. These include a food bank, barber training, clothing distribution, a shower project, and private HIV tests and counseling. In 2007, The New York Times said Riverside Church was often compared to "the Vatican for America's mainstream Protestants."
Social Justice Programs
Helping People in Need
Riverside Church has ministries that help prisoners and their families. They hold worship services in prisons, help families connect with prisoners, and offer workshops. They also work to improve prison conditions.
Riverside's Coming Home ministry, started in 1985, helps people after they are released from prison. The church also helps people experiencing homelessness in New York City. From 1984 to 1994, the church provided overnight shelter for homeless people.
Riverside Church also took part in the Sanctuary movement in the 1980s. They helped and sheltered undocumented immigrants. As part of the New Sanctuary Coalition, volunteers at Riverside Church help asylum seekers. In 2011, Riverside Church gave tents to Occupy Wall Street protesters. They also sheltered them during cold weather.
Social and Cultural Support
Riverside Church has an LGBT ministry called Maranatha. It started in 1978 to support gay and lesbian members. Maranatha hosts activities and marches every year in the NYC Pride March. During the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the church also started a separate HIV/AIDS ministry. This ministry offers support, testing, and counseling.
Riverside Church also has an African Fellowship and Ministry. This group holds discussions about issues facing Africa. They also support African diasporas. The Sharing and Densford Funds help Native Americans in the United States. Other ministries support South Africans and Hispanic and Latino Americans.
Other Activism
Riverside Church has other social justice programs. The Beloved Earth ministry focuses on climate change activism. The Wellbotics ministry helps families of cancer patients. The church also has groups that promote peace. These include the Anti-Death Penalty Task Force. They also work to improve communication with the New York City Police Department. Riverside Church is also part of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
Past Programs
When the MLK Wing was finished in 1959, it included space for a radio station. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave the church a license in 1960. The next year, the church started running the radio station WRVR (later WKHK, now WLTW). It broadcast on 106.7 MHz.
WRVR first broadcast from the church's carillon. In 1971, it moved to the Empire State Building to reach more people. WRVR was originally a noncommercial station. It broadcast sermons and programs from cultural and university groups in New York City. But WRVR lost money for the church. In 1971, it became a "limited commercial operation," but it still didn't make enough money. The church decided to sell its radio station in 1975, and the sale was completed in 1976.
A small part of WRVR's history remains today. A recorded sermon from Riverside Church still airs on WLTW from 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
From November 1976, Riverside Church hosted the Riverside Dance Festival. This festival offered many dance programs. It ended in June 1987 because of a lack of funding.
Senior Ministers
Riverside Church welcomes people from different Christian groups. It is connected with the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. The senior ministers who have led Riverside Church are:
- Harry Emerson Fosdick (1925–1945)
- Robert J. McCracken (1946–1967)
- Ernest T. Campbell (1968–1976)
- William Sloane Coffin (1977–1987)
- James A. Forbes (1989–2007)
- Brad R. Braxton (2008–2009)
- Amy Butler (2014–2019)
- Adriene Thorne (2022–Present)
Famous Speakers
On April 4, 1967, one year before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a famous speech at Riverside Church. It was called Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, and in it, he spoke against the Vietnam War.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson gave the eulogy (a speech praising someone who has died) at Jackie Robinson's funeral service in 1972. In 1991, Nelson Mandela, a famous anti-apartheid activist and later president of South Africa, spoke at Riverside after being released from prison. Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan spoke there after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton also spoke at the church in 2004.
Other notable people who have spoken at Riverside Church include:
- Theologians Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr.
- Civil-rights activists Cesar Chavez and Desmond Tutu.
- Cuban president Fidel Castro.
- The 14th Dalai Lama.
- Abdullah II of Jordan.
Images for kids
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Riverside Church, between Grant's Tomb (left) and The Interchurch Center
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Memorial inscription to John D. Rockefeller Jr., who funded much of the church's construction
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Archivolts in the front doorway
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View from Sakura Park
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The tower of Riverside Church (center) rises above the tree-line of Riverside Park. Grant's Tomb (left) and the Interchurch Center (right) can also be seen.
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The northern facade of Riverside Church, seen from 122nd Street at the eastern side of the ambulatory
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View of the galleries above the nave, looking south. The Trompeta Majestatis organ stop can be seen in the center of the eastern wall, with additional antiphonal pipes at left.
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The chancel
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The chapel
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The bell tower, seen from the east
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View from Riverside Drive, at dusk
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Stone Gym (center), MLK Wing (left), and tower (center-right)
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Heinrich Hofmann, Christ in Gethsemane, 1886
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Front doorway at the base of the tower. At the bottom are archivolts (directly under the arch), tympanum, and jambs (bottom, to either side of the doors). At the top is the circular rose window, and niches with the sculptures of seven kings.
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Stone carving detail
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Several sculptures like these adorn the church
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Sculpted figures inside the gallery
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Volunteers from the Riverside Church Prison Ministry
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Riverside's Pride Parade Float
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Harry Emerson Fosdick
See also
In Spanish: Riverside Church para niños
- List of Baptist churches
- List of carillons in the United States
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan above 110th Street
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan above 110th Street
