Sunday Morning Worship
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
November 2, 2025
11:00 AM
Preacher: Rev. Adriene Thorne
Sunday Morning Worship
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
November 2, 2025
11:00 AM
Preacher: Rev. Adriene Thorne
Learn more about the Church Council of The Riverside Church. Get to know the inspiring individuals who lead our congregation and inspire our community. Explore their stories, backgrounds, and contributions, and witness the powerful impact they make in our lives.
Jean recently retired from practicing law after more than 40 years, specializing in employment law and litigation. Prior to becoming an attorney, she owned a computer consulting company. She has served on the governing boards of my law firm, her sorority and its sorority’s foundation, and a childcare services agency, and is currently president of a community organization on the Upper West Side of New York. Jean has lived in New York City since 1980, and joined Riverside in 1992, along with her partner and daughter.
Riverside Church Roles: Jean is currently Chair of the Church Council. Previously, she served on the Council as Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Chair of Budget & Planning. She also served on the Bylaws Committee, the Riverside Development Committee, Personnel and Salary Committee and the Greeters Ministry.
Hobbies & Interests: Jean is an avid sports fan and a New York Liberty season ticket holder since 1997. She also loves participating in sports, walking/hiking, theater, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends.
Eric was born in Durham, NC seven months after the Brown v Board of Education in 1954. Eric grew up in Rochester, NY in the late 50’ and early 60’s – a child of the civil rights movement in Upstate New York. He attended #49 School and Monroe High School.
Eric is the Founder of Lycaon Technologies (founded in 2013) – an IT services and consulting practice based in Harlem. Eric has provided strategic consulting services to Minority and Woman-owned businesses such as SMP (WBE), Noviant (MBE – Asian), Empire USA (WBE), Cognis IT (MBE – Black) and Flint Communications (MBE – Native American). Eric is considered a Subject Matter Expert in NYS/NYC MWBE business development & procurement policies and practices, as well as a passionate advocate for Minority and Women Business inclusion in the IT industry and active supporter of Black Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship in technology.
Beneath his corporate identity, Eric is a classic renaissance man: a trained musician (piano and trombone), an accomplished public speaker, social activist, and writer. Eric is active in his community, his church (Riverside Church), and is a grandfather to nine beautiful children and two step-grandchildren.
Outside of business and politics, Eric’s passion lies in the arts, music and creative culinary expression. He has a lifetime of experience as an intelligent Black man in America – with all the discrimination, hostilities (corporate, social, and law enforcement), micro-aggressions, and biases that America offers to Black and minority existence. Eric is passionate in his advocacy for social/business equity in public and private procurement.
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Hobbies & Interests: Cooking, American Political History (1865 – 1968), Economics, Music, Art and museums
Read Eric's full bio hereI was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C. I graduated from Duke University (Durham, N.C.) with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I later received a Masters in Business Administration from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan), and a law degree from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee). I am admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey. I have two adult sons, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, who all reside outside of the New York metropolitan area.
Riverside Church Roles: I became a member of Riverside in 2000. I am currently a member of the Church Council. I have previously served on the Worship Commission, the Senior Minister’s Committee, as well as on the Institutional Relations, Budget & Planning and Ordination Committees. I have also been a member of the Flower Guild.
As a 10th grader, a mission trip to the American Baptist Mission in Limbe, Haiti challenged my view of the world, its people and of God. My first flight. My first “foreign” country. My eyes were opened, and my life and faith were forever changed. With a BA in Sociology and Business, I pursued both Criminology and Penology (prison work) for my MA. Working with young boys in a reformatory and women in a state penitentiary convinced me that I needed to do what I could to STOP the prison pipeline. And so began my 33-year career with Girl Scouts of the USA, an organization dedicated to helping girls and young women of all backgrounds develop their leadership skills and make a positive impact on the world. An active listener and an inquisitive problem solver, I managed cross-functional volunteer/staff teams to successfully partner to achieve specific strategic goals. As president of a 414-unit NYC condominium volunteer board, I used the same process to achieve specific capital projects and other improvements (within budget): identifying issues, analyzing challenges and developing effective solutions. I am honored to have recently been appointed to the Church Council for one year and am blessed to continue to serve on the Building Committee. I pray my commitment, leadership experience and skills will bring value to the ongoing work and mission of The Riverside Church and its members.
Hometown: Arlington and Lexington, MA, Ridgewood, NJ
Riverside Church Roles: Member, The Riverside Ringers Member, Building Committee
Treasurer, Church Council
Hobbies & Interests: Global Travel – 47 countries and counting! US Travel – 50 states and 2 of the 5 major territories Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Nairobi, Kenya World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
Joined May 2004, married at Riverside and our children are active in Riverside’s Children and Youth Ministries. Born and raised in Ohio, I was looking for a new home church to help me grow as a Christian. Riverside provided such with its great preaching and opportunities for faith development through Open Bible study and other classes. Through the years, I have grown to become a more accepting Christian as I journey with you all in Christ. Professionally, I hold a degree in chemical engineering and hold a background in finance. Currently, I work in commercial real estate.
Hometown: Ohio
Riverside Church Roles: Usher, Council Member, Audit Committee Chair, and parent
Hobbies & Interests: Working out, photography and tropical fish
Asset Management professional. Lacrosse Mom. Philanthropist. Servant Leader. Child of God.
Riverside Church Roles: Church Council, Finance Committee Chair
Hobbies & Interests: Inveterate World Traveler. Dog Mom. Breakfast connoisseur.
My professional career focused on assuring equal rights and opportunities under the law for all the population. I served as the director of training for a consortium of advertising agencies in Manhattan. I later became Chief of Conciliation and Director of Complaint Processing for the New York City Commission on Human Rights. After leaving the Commission I took over the following positions in Washington, D.C: Consultant for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Equal Rights Managers for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and The Department of Transportation (US Coast Guard} I retired as VP for Equal Opportunity at the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation. I am the author of the novels, A DARKER SHADE OF BROWN( Brown Vs Board if Education) and THE AWAKENING OF REGGIE( A journey from a legally segregated society into a law enforced integrated society.
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Riverside Church Roles: I joined Riverside in 1985. Since then I have served on The Racial Justice Initiative, Membership and Parish Life Commission, Co Chaired Mission and Social Justice Commission, The Common Table, Greeters Ministry, and currently Chair Stewardship Committee.
Born in England. Ran and owned a business. Now retired. Married to Irene King.
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Riverside Church Roles: Church Council, MSJ commission, member of BEC, buildings committee, chair of the Sharing Fund Committee
Hobbies & Interests: Walking, reading and music
Retired PA Dept of Education, Compliance Monitor for Special Education, degrees: BA, MEd, MFA, PhD. Served 14 years in US Army/Signal Corps. Published poet/writer. Educator & Administrator. Coordinates/Leads writing workshops, Certified Trauma Facilitator. Joined Riverside 1985 with son/Terreyl and married @ Riverside to Carol Lee, 2018.
Hometown: Born, Brooklyn, NY. 1991-E. Stroudsburg, PA
Riverside Church Roles: Member Inspirational Choir(1985), served as Men’s Shelter Friday night coordinator, Maranatha.
Hobbies & Interests: writing, singing, motorcycle riding, kayaking, traveling, reading
An American Baptist lay leader with volunteer experiences with ABCUSA and MMBB, as well as AB Metropolitan NY Region Board service. Nonprofit management and HR professional with a passion for service. Adjunct instructor (HR and management courses) and career advisor. A graduate of Barnard College, with degrees in genetics and public health as well as Ph.D. in organizational development.
Hometown: Montevideo Uruguay…now living in The Bronx
Riverside Church Roles: Member of Membership Care & Parish Life Commission; Member of Church Council; Usher
Hobbies & Interests: Star Trek; Biking; Kayaking; Movies and a proud NY Liberty fan!
Jocelyn brings decades of experience in finance and accounting, with a strong background in nonprofit governance and church board service.
Riverside Church Role: Chair of the Budget and Planning Committee
Hobbies & Interests: Jocelyn is also a certified yoga teacher, integrating wellness and community care into her work.
I grew up in Pensacola, Florida and studied vocal performance at Florida State University and Catholic University of America in Washington, DC where I was active as a soloist and professional chorister. I became more active in church music – spending the next thirty-five years as Director of Music and Fine Arts Ministries within the Presbyterian Church USA.
I did further studies at Northwestern University and Wesley Theological Seminary. My wife Sally and I have three children, four grandchildren, one dog and two cats.
Riverside Church Roles: I am active as a worship life of TRC and its Bible Studies. I serve on the Worship Commission and Church Council.
In his over 25 years as a Riversider, Christian has been a church-school, cherub-choir, and children’s-choir parent; served on the senior minister search committee that hired Rev. Amy Butler; and served on Church Council during. As a Church Council member, I have chaired the Building Committee and also served on the Personnel and Salary Committee and the Investments Committee. I was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where I lived until age 12. After moving to the United States, I lived in Blacksburg, Virginia, through high school and have since lived in Indiana, Boston, and San Diego, before come to New York City in 1997. I am a professor at Barnard College, where I teach and do research in organic chemistry. I have served in leadership positions at the department and college levels and am committed to collaborative decision making. I enjoy reading (fiction and poetry), running, and just looking at things like the “Lordly Hudson hardly flowing” and the trees in Riverside Park.
Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay; Blacksburg, Virginia; New York, New York
Riverside Church Roles: Church-school, cherub-choir, and children’s-choir parent; served on the senior minister search committee that hired Rev. Amy Butler; and served on Church Council during. As a Church Council member, I have chaired the Building Committee and also served on the Personnel and Salary Committee and the Investments Committee.
Hobbies & Interests: I enjoy reading (fiction and poetry), running, and just looking at things like the “Lordly Hudson hardly flowing” and the trees in Riverside Park.
When one asks Martha Wiggins if she has retired from the private sector, she emphatically says, “No, I resigned.” Her wide-dimpled smile says it all. She does not view her formal end of employment as retirement but rather as a seasonal-life-shift to reimagine her next steps in God’s call to kin-dom building. Riverside Church provides plenty of opportunities to do just that. Her yes to engagement at Riverside springs from her call to educational ministries in both secular & religious environments. Prior to her reimagining journey, Martha was the education manager of non-physician academic programs at two of NYC’s largest healthcare systems’ corporate education divisions. She also did nurse manager rounding and later CPE rounding with seminary students and physicians. She assumed that position upon her return from an amazing stint as associate director/editor of the Howard Thurman Papers Project at Morehouse College, and teaching stints in the fields of education & modern & American church history at Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, New York Theological Seminary, and Auburn Theological Seminary. She has served as a leader on many denominational Boards/Councils; she has mentored many budding leaders.
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Riverside Church Roles: Martha has served on the Church Council, Education Commission, Riverside Church Archivist Search Committee, Ordination Committee; Riverside Church Tower League Steering Committee, Riverside Development Committee’s Community Assessment & Partnership Sub-committee; and on Riverside’s Remember & Repair: Expanding Racial Justice & Equity in Church & Society six-week lecture series committee as co-designer & co-convener.
Hobbies & Interests: Liming – the body’s invite to chill – is her new form of relaxation. She is an ardent jazz, R&B & hymns enthusiast; novice portrait sketcher; lover of books; and lover of most things relating to farming.
Retired from NYC’s Health and Hospital Corporation.
Hometown: Pittsburg, PA and New York City
Riverside Church Roles: Parish Life, Worship Commision, Maranatha, MSJ Commission, Congregational Care, attended trip to Israel with Open Bible Study
Hobbies & Interests: stamp collecting, coin collecting, photography, gardening