Riverside Church as seen from West 121st Street

The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational (American Baptist and United Church of Christ), interracial, international church in New York City, famous not only for its elaborate Gothic architecture — which includes the world's largest carillon — but also as a center for the promotion of progressive causes. It is situated in Morningside Heights, Manhattan between Riverside Drive and Claremont Avenue and between 120th Street and 122nd Street. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 335 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 335 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... When used to refer to the bringing together of different faiths, Interdenominationalism is sometimes refered to as Universalism Interdenominational Churches built for the purpose of bringing together Christians of different denominations are often refered to as Union churchs. ... ABCUSA American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a group of Baptist churches within the United States; headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. ... Disambiguation: This article is about the United States denomination known as United Church of Christ. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ... You may be looking for Carillion plc The Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia, USA. A carillon (Dutch: ) is a musical instrument composed of at least 23 cup-shaped bells played from a baton keyboard using fists and feet (such an instrument with fewer than this number of bells is known... This article is about the neighbourhood in New York City. ... Riverside Drive is a scenic north-south thoroughfare in New York City. ...

History

Riverside Church

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Christian churches in New York City and their members were in debate over the future of their faith. Some preached a fundamentalist interpretation, made famous previously by thinkers such as William Jennings Bryan, who believed in a strict interpretation and enforcement of the Bible. Others, however, disagreed, and believed that for religion to succeed it must take what they regarded as a more modern approach and become actively involved in the world, following the example of Jesus as social revolutionary. In 1922, the latter group, with the major financing and support of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and modernist Baptist pastor Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, decided to create a church dedicated to these values in New York City. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1224x1632, 279 KB)Photographed and uploaded by user:Geographer. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1224x1632, 279 KB)Photographed and uploaded by user:Geographer. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, statesman, and politician. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... John D. Rockefeller Jr. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging... Harry Emerson Fosdick (1879-1969) was the most prominent liberal baptist minister of the early 20th Century. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

This church was to be built around three main principles advocated by Rockefeller and Dr. Fosdick: a church in an interdenominational setting, a large church in a neighborhood important to the city, and a church open to all who have faith in Christ. Based on these requirements, land was purchased by Rockefeller, Jr. and construction began in December 1927 and ended about six years later in 1933. Christ is the English term for the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ...

Modeled after a famous French cathedral (see Architecture below), the Gothic Riverside Church remains not only an important landmark for tourists, but also an important center for lively political discussion. Past speakers at the pulpit have included the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., articulating the immorality of the Vietnam War, Nelson Mandela on his first visit to the United States after being released from prison, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan after September 11, 2001, and Fidel Castro during one of his rare visits to the country in 1999. The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr., who was Senior Minister from 1989 to 2007, is the Distinguished Senior Minister Emeritus of The Riverside Church. His tenure is the second longest in the history of the congregation. He has been heralded by Newsweek magazine as one of the twelve most effective English-language preachers, and called one of the best black pastors by Ebony magazine. Dr. Forbes was preceded at Riverside by the Rev. William Sloane Coffin, who was senior minister from 1977 to 1987. The Cathedral of Chartres (Cathedral of Our Lady in Chartres, French: Cathédrale Notre_Dame de Chartres), located in Chartres, about 50 miles from Paris, is considered the finest example in all France of the high Gothic style of architecture. ... Riverside Church as seen from West 121st Street The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational (American Baptist and United Church of Christ), interracial, international church in New York City, famous not only for its elaborate Gothic architecture — which includes the worlds largest carillon — but... Martin Luther King Jr. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA: ) (born 18 July 1918) is the former President of South Africa, and the first to be elected in fully representative democratic elections. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... A large number of international organizations and other bodies have a secretary general or secretary-general as their chief administrative officers or in other administrative capacities. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1997 to January 1, 2007, serving two five-year terms. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... Reverend James Alexander Forbes, Jr. ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ... Academy Award winners Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and Jamie Foxx on the 60th anniversary cover of Ebony Magazine, November 2005 Ebony, a magazine for the African American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has been published since the autumn of 1945. ... Rev. ...

Current Clergy

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Stiers, Interim Senior Minister
The Rev. Linda Tarry-Chard
The Rev. Robert Coleman
The Rev. Elice Higginbotham
The Rev. J. Lee Hill, Jr.
The Rev. Dr. Joan Kavanaugh
The Rev. Patricia Lawson
The Rev. Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas
The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Distinguished Senior Minister Emeritus

Architecture

Riverside Church (left), as seen from the campus of Columbia University.

The Church was designed by the firm of Allen, Pelton and Collens. Henry C. Pelton and Charles Collens were commissioned by Rockefeller to travel across Spain and France to find inspiration for their project. They took for their model of the nave the 13th Century Gothic Cathedral of Chartres, France, and for the massive single bell tower that dwarfs the rest of the church, one of the towers at Laon, but here with a base 100 feet square, and built on a steel frame the equivalent of a 22-story building (392 feet)^[1]. Inlaid on the floor is a labyrinth similar to those at Chartres and elsewhere. The church was begun in 1926 and, with delays caused by a spectacular fire in the wooden scaffolding, finished — with its first service at the main altar — October 5, 1930. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... Columbia University is a private research university in the United States and a member of the prestigious Ivy League. ... It has been suggested that Ecclesia (Church) be merged into this article or section. ... Interior of Cologne Cathedral Gothic architecture is a style of architecture, particularly associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. ... The Cathedral of Chartres (Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), located in Chartres, about 50 miles (80 km) from Paris, is considered one of the finest examples in all France of the Gothic style of architecture. ... Exterior of the cathedral The cathedral of Notre-Dame of Laon is one of the most important examples of the Gothic architecture of the 12th and 13th centuries, ranking with the cathedrals of Saint-Étienne of Sens and Notre Dame of Paris. ... A Roman mosaic picturing Theseus and the Minotaur. ... is the 278th day of the year (279th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The exterior buttressing is purely decorative, for the structure is supported on its steel frame, and their weight would not be sufficient to counter the weight of the vault. The writers of the WPA Guide to New York City (1939) noted "Their smallness has the effect of making the building itself seem smaller than it is, so that its scale is scarcely impressive, even when seen at close range."

The south-facing main entrance, in the base of the tower, is based on the Porte Royale of Chartres, with the seated figure of Christ in the tympanum, flanked by the symbols of the Evangelists. The figures sculpted in the concentric arches of the doorway represent leading personalities of religion and philosophy, joined by great scientists. The Romanesque tympanum of Vézelay Abbey, Burgundy, France, 1130s. ...

The tower houses a carillon that John D. Rockefeller Jr. donated in memory of his mother, Laura Spelman Rockefeller, which was installed from 1925 with additional bells later. Its final complement of 74 bronze bells (at the time the largest carillon of bells in the world--see also Kirk in the Hills) include the 20-ton bourdon, the largest cast and tuned bell in existence. You may be looking for Carillion plc The Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia, USA. A carillon (Dutch: ) is a musical instrument composed of at least 23 cup-shaped bells played from a baton keyboard using fists and feet (such an instrument with fewer than this number of bells is known... Laura Spelman Rockefeller, (1839-1915), (known as Cettie), was a philanthropist, the namesake of Spelman College and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, and the wife of the richest man who has ever lived, John D. Rockefeller, the founder of both Standard Oil and the Rockefeller family dynasty. ... Kirk in the Hills is a Presbyterian church located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan that includes the Tower of the Apostles. ...

The church was conceived as a complex social services center from the outset, with meeting rooms and classrooms, a daycare center, a kindergarten, library, auditorium and gym.

Artwork

In the Riverside Church hang three paintings by Heinrich Hofmann which were purchased by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.: Christ in the Temple (1871), Christ and the Young Rich Man(1889), and Christ in Gethsemane (1890). Johann Michael Ferdinand Heinrich Hofmann (March 19, 1824-June 23, 1911) was a a German painter of the late 19th to early 20th century. ...

References

External links

• Church website