The Church Club of New York

Annual Meeting & Tour of St. George's Church

The Church Club held it Annual Meeting on June 5th in conjunction with a reception and tour of historic St. George's Church, led by the rector, the Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Pike (left).

The Church Club elected new trustees to fill the slots of those whose terms were expiring.  John H. Andren, Jr., Frederick W. Gerbracht, Jr., Henry L. King, Cathy West Mullins, Arnold H. Neis, and Bettina Nelson were elected to a three-year term.  Stephen Storen was elected to fill an expiring one-year term.

After the business meeting, Dr. Pike talked about the history of St. George's Church (which became the parish of Calvary-St. George's), its dedication to lay leadership, and the long and important role in the church of J.P. Morgan -- who joined the Church Club of New York in 1900.

The business meeting and the first part of Dr. Pike's talk too place in the chapel.  He also led a tour of the main church, which was briefly the largest single interior space in the city until the first Madison Square Garden was built in 1879.

After the tour, Club members enjoyed a reception in St. George's Chantry and courtyard.

121st Annual Dinner

On April 30, the Church Club celebrated its 121st annual dinner by honoring the Rev. Canon John L. Peterson, Canon for Global Justice and Reconciliation at the Washington National Cathedral.  The event was held at the Harvard Club.

See more pictures here.

Listen to Canon Peterson's remarks here.

Gary Dorrien Talks Theology, Liberalism & Love

Prof. Gary Dorrien, the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, kicked off the Church Club's 2008 Lecture Series with a talk about liberal theology and the need for a clear intellectual and moral purpose, with love at its core.

His talk "The Liberal Vision" is the first installment in the series titled, "Anglicanism and the Moral Challenges of the Day." The event was held at Church of the Incarnation on Madison Avenue.  Information about the rest of the series may be found here.

You can listen to Prof. Dorrien's talk, about 40 minutes, by clicking here.

(The tropical decor comes from Incarnation's annual Shrove Tuesday pancake supper.)

Gallery-going

The Church Club spent an evening at the Cue Art Foundation in Chelsea, learning about the organization's support of young and under-recognized artists as they make their way in New York's rough-and-tumble art world.   The Club also welcomed prospective members, giving them an opportunity to learn about the Club's mission and programs.

Los Angeles-based artist Phranc, who works in  cardboard and craft paper (what she calls "a delicious medium"), spoke about her exhibit at Cue.  Reviewing the show, The New Yorker, wrote:

The post-punk folksinger is also an artist, who makes cardboard and kraft-paper constructions modelled on everyday objects like a red-and-white checked short-sleeved man’s shirt, a zipper-and-snap-bedecked motorcycle jacket, and a schlumpy bathrobe. This could be oppressively winsome if not for the production values; the pieces are expert while remaining patently handmade.

Special thanks are due to Club member Brian Starer, who is on the Cue Art Foundation's board of directors and is one of the founders of the organization, who helped make the evening possible.

See more pictures below.

St. Nicholas Greets the Church Club at St. James

St. Nicholas himself made an early visit to New York, greeting Church Club members at our Christmas party at St. James Church.

The Rev. Canon James Rosenthal, who had been speaking about St. Nicholas in historical and cultural contexts, disappeared before the sainted bishop arrived, which caused a flurry of speculation about secret identities and holiday magic.

Club members were treated to a reception and Christmas carols from St. James' children's choir.

Watch video of the choir singing "Angels We Have Heard on High":

Video of Jim Rosenthal's talk, part 1:

Video of Jim Rosenthal's talk part 2:

Arrival of St. Nicholas, part 1

Arrival of St. Nicholas, part 2

See more pictures below.

Aboard the Mariner III in Balmy October

Club members enjoyed a tour of the Hudson River and New York Harbor aboard the Mariner III on a balmy October evening.  Pulling up close to the Statue of Liberty, we enjoyed good food and fellowship.

More pictures below.

Party Like It's 1926

In keeping with our historical mission of fellowship, the Church Club's next event will be a cocktail cruise aboard the Mariner III, a jazz-age motor yacht.  We'll board at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers (enter at 23rd street) and sail at 6:00.  We'll tour Manhattan harbor. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers
West 23rd Street

Boarding promptly at 5:30 PM
Return by 8:00 PM

$80 per person
RSVP (212) 828-7418 or by email

Do wear comfortable clothes--no need to be decked out like Scott and Zelda.

Welcome Back - Open House at the Tutu Center

The Church Club's first event for the fall will be an Open House and Prospective Members Reception:

Monday, September 24, 2007
General Theological Seminary
175 Ninth Avenue (between 20th & 21st Streets)
Meet at the main entrance to the seminary
6:30 - 8:30 PM

$35 Club members (no charge for prospective members who must be guests of current members)
RSVP by email or call 212-828-7418

In an interview, the Very Rev. Ward Ewing, Dean of GTS, “The Tutu Center will provide points of contact with people in fields such as business, social service, or economic planning, allowing us to come together to reflect on how action and faith can intersect. We anticipate a major focus on urban ministry.  We will strengthen and expand our current programs in Christian Spirituality and in Jewish-Christian studies.  And we look forward to working with other national and international organizations--including the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre in Cape Town--with which we share a concern for social justice, reconciliation, and innovative models for conflict resolution.”

Church Club Honors the Fallen

Following its annual meeting, the Church Club of New York concluded its 120th year with a special tribute to the fallen firefighters of 9/11 with a reception at the law firm of Holland and Knight and a visit to the FDNY Memorial Wall, a 56-foot bronze bas relief installed on the west wall of Engine Company 10 – Ladder Company 10 on the corner of Greenwich and Liberty Streets. “Ten House” was damaged in the collapse of the Twin Towers, sitting directly south of the former World Trade Center Plaza.  The wall honors the sacrifices of the 343 active FDNY personnel who lost their lives in the tragedy.

Club member Brian Starer (pictured above), senior partner at Holland & Knight, said that the firm raised the monies for the wall entirely through private donations from its employees.  The wall is dedicated to the memory of Glenn J. Winuk, volunteer firefighter, partner and colleague of Holland and Knight, who lost his life as he tried to save others in the fall of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

Starer introduced sculptor Joseph Petrovics (pictured below) and Assistant Chief Harry Meyers. Petrovics, a Hungarian-born artist, completed the full-scale models in clay for the design of fourteen bronze panels,weighing over three tons.  He showed a scale concept panel he had created, as well as planning sketches.

Helping to oversee the project, Chief Meyers (pictured below) was the Manhattan borough commander for the FDNY and retired just after the dedication of the wall in June 2006.  He had planned to retire in 2003 but stayed on to make sure the memorial was finished.  He told the story of the installation of the enormous bronze panels, which had been lying flat before being mounted.

"When they were lying down," he said, "the eyes of the figures on the panels filled with water.  When the panels were lifted, the water spilled out, like the men were crying.  Now I'm not a misty guy.  But I got misty when I saw that."

After a reception, Club members walked over to the wall at twilight to hear Petrovics and Meyers talk more about the work.  The evening concluded with a singing of "America the Beautiful."   

The Church Club is grateful to Holland and Knight and to Brian Starer for providing such a lovely and enriching evening for the Club.

See more pictures here.

New Officers and Trustees for 2007-08

The Church Club of New York concluded its 2006-2007 season with its annual meeting and election of new trustees, along with a visit to the FDNY Memorial Wall at Ground Zero, thanks to the generosity of Club member Brian Starer and the law firm of Holland & Knight (read story).

Grace Allen passes the gavel to Bruce Mullin

R. Bruce Mullin, professor of history and Anglican studies at General Theological Seminary, will serve as president.  Henry L. King, Kenneth S. Giniger, and William H. Herrman will serve as vice presidents.  John H. Andren Jr. will serve as treasurer, and Dana S. Cole will serve as secretary.

Joining the board are Stanley M. Ackert III, Adelaide Perry Farah, and James E. Bacon. Outgoing president Grace Allen reported on the Club's activities throughout the year and thanked the board and members for their support throughout her term.