James A. Forbes
Encyclopedia
American Baptist
American Baptist may refer to:* American Baptist Association* American Baptist Churches USA* Baptist who is an American...
and United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
) church on the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was the first African American minister to lead this multicultural congregation, and served it for 18 years.
Early life and education
James Forbes, Jr. was born in Burgaw, North CarolinaBurgaw, North Carolina
Burgaw is a town in Pender County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,337 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pender County.Burgaw is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, son of James Forbes. His family moved to Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, where he grew up.
Forbes attended college at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he earned a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1957. Called to the ministry, in 1962 he completed a Master of Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
in New York City. He earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, in 1975, after beginning his pastoring and teaching careers.
Forbes became ordained in both the American Baptist Churches and the Original United Holy Church of America
United Holy Church of America
The United Holy Church of America, Inc. is a predominantly Black Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination. International headquarters are located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The UHC of A consists of 516 churches, 17 districts, and 8 territories...
.
Career
From 1976-1989, Forbes taught preaching at Union Theological Seminary. In 1985 he became the first Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching. After being called as senior minister by Riverside Church, he became an adjunct professor. Dr. Forbes also teaches at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York.On June 1, 1989, Forbes was installed as the fifth Senior Minister of the Riverside Church, succeeding the Rev. William Sloane Coffin
William Sloane Coffin
William Sloane Coffin, Jr. was an American liberal Christian clergyman and long-time peace activist. He was ordained in the Presbyterian church and later received ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ....
. Forbes was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to serve as Senior Minister of one of the largest multicultural congregations in the nation. The church stands on the border of the Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
Morningside Heights is a neighborhood of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City and is chiefly known as the home of institutions such as Columbia University, Teachers College, Barnard College, the Manhattan School of Music, Bank Street College of Education, the Cathedral of Saint John the...
and Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
neighborhoods, and serves an interdenominational congregation.
He helped support Pernessa C. Seele
Pernessa C. Seele
Pernessa C. Seele is an immunologist and the CEO and founder of Balm in Gilead, Inc., a religious-based organization that provides support to people with AIDS and their families, as well as working for prevention of HIV and AIDS. In 1989 she initiated the Harlem Week of Prayer, with 50 churches,...
's efforts with the first years of the Harlem Week of Prayer for Healing of AIDS, the start of a national movement to deal with public health issues through communities of faith. She founded the Balm in Gilead, Inc., which continues the work with thousands of congregations such as Riverside Church.
Forbes also brought Riverside Church to play a role in the redevelopment of Harlem, with the consortium of churches in Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement.
He brought his charismatic gift of preaching to the congregation and attracted new members.
Rev. Forbes participated in a Drum Major Institute
Drum Major Institute
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-profit American progressive public policy institute founded during the Civil Rights Movement...
-sponsored event titled, "The Power of Restorative Justice
Restorative justice
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of victims, offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender...
with San Francisco Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Michael Hennessey
Michael Hennessey
Michael Hennessey is the longest serving Sheriff in the history of San Francisco and is currently the longest tenured Sheriff in the State of California. Hennessey was elected in a run-off election in December of 1979 and has been reelected in seven subsequent elections...
".
On June 1, 2007, after 18 years of service, Forbes officially retired from this position to become president of the Healing of the Nations Foundation, a national ministry of healing and spiritual revitalization.
In 2009, Forbes authored the book, Who's Gospel: A Concise Guide to Progressive Protestantism, in which he offers a compelling vision of progressive social change and addresses the most crucial issues of our time -- poverty, war, women’s equality, racial justice, sexuality, and the environment.
Forbes hosts the radio program The Time Is Now, which airs weekends on the Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
.
He is a member of Chi Phi
Chi Phi
The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton...
fraternity.
Marriage and family
He married Bettye Franks from San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. They have one son, James A. Forbes III.
Legacy and honors
- 2010 - Forbes was awarded the "Ossie Davis Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Westchester County Human Rights Commission on December 10, 2010.
- 2003 - Forbes was featured on Speaking to Power: A 'NOW With Bill Moyers' Special Edition, PBS, 26 Dec 2003.
- 1996 - In a Baylor UniversityBaylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
worldwide survey of 341 seminary professors and editors of religious periodicals, Forbes was voted one of the "12 Most Effective Preachers" in the English-speaking world. - 1993 and 1984 - Ebony magazine named Forbes one of the US's greatest Black preachers.
- Howard UniversityHoward UniversityHoward University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
's Alumni Charter Day Award for Distinguished Post-Graduate Achievement in Ministry.