James A. Forbes Jr.

Senior Minister, The Riverside Church

The Reverend James Alexander Forbes Jr. has been Senior Minister of The Riverside Church, an interdenominational, interracial, and international congregation in New York, since 1989. The “"On Faith”" panelist also hosts "The Time Is Now" on Air America Radio. Prior to his appointment as Riverside’'s first African-American senior minister, Forbes served as the Brown and Sockman Associate Professor of Preaching at New York’s Union Theological Seminary (1976-1985) and the seminary'’s first Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching (1985-1989). When he accepted the pastorate at Riverside, Union named him the first Harry Emerson Fosdick Adjunct Professor of Preaching. Forbes also serves on the Core Teaching Staff at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York. Known as the preacher's preacher because of his extensive preaching career and charismatic style, Forbes was named one of the 12 "most effective preachers" in the English-speaking world in 1996 by Newsweek. Ebony twice designated him one of America's greatest black preachers--in 1984 and 1993. Forbes has earned three degrees, including a doctorate of ministry from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in Rochester (1975); a master’'s of divinity from Union Theological Seminary, and a bachelor’'s of science from Howard University (1957). He has been awarded 13 honorary degrees. Since 1992 he has co-chaired A Partnership of Faith, an interfaith organization of clergy among New York's Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim communities. In 2004, Forbes keynoted most of the Let Justice Roll tour sponsored by the National Council of Churches of Christ, which promoted the prophetic principles in 15-20 cities across the nation. In August of that year, he addressed the Democratic National Convention. Built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1927, Riverside is a 2,400-member church affiliated with the American Baptist Churches and the United Church of Christ. Forbes, who is its fifth senior minister, is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Churches and the Original United Holy Church of America. Close.