The Church Club of New York

Listen to the Church Club Lecture Series

The Church Club's annual Lecture Series focused on the leadership of the laity in the Diocese of New York.  See below for the audio files.

Dr. Mary Donovan (shown with Church Club president Bruce Mullin) spoke about "Building Networks of Social Service: Laywomen in the Diocese of New York." (listen)

Ronald Young's talk was called "Amid the Tumult and the Shouting: The Laity, 1950 to the Present." (listen)

The Rev. Canon James Elliott Lindsley talked about "Serving the Church: The Laity in the Story of the Church in New York." (listen)

Lecture Series to Focus on Lay Leadership in New York

The Church Club's annual Lecture Series will focus on the leadership of the laity in the Diocese of New York and will be held on three Mondays in March at Church of the Transfiguration (The Little Church Around the Corner), One East 29th Street (between Fifth and Madison).

The event will offer a light supper and wine reception before the lecture.

6:00 supper; 7:00 lecture

$60 for the series (Church Club members).  $75 for the series (non-members)

RSVP by phone (212-828-7418) or by email.

[March 2]
The Rev. Canon James Elliott Lindsley
Serving the Church: The Laity in the Story of the Church in New York

From 1974 to 2008, James Elliott Lindsley served as historiographer of the Diocese of New York, authoring books on the history of the Diocese, St. James Church, and the Church Club of New York -- The First Hundred Years, which was published in 1994.

[March 9]
Mary S. Donovan
Building Networks of Social Service: Laywomen in the Diocese of New York

Mary Donovan is the co-author, with R. William Franklin, of Will the Dust Praise You?: Spiritual Responses to 9/11 and A Different Call: Women’s Ministries in the Episcopal Church, 1850-1920.  She is Adjunct Assistant Professor of History at Hunter College, a member of the editorial board of the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church, former trustee of the Church Club, and the wife of the Rt. Rev. Herbert Donovan.

[March 16]
Ronald B. Young
Amid the Tumult and the Shouting: The Laity, 1950 to the Present

Ronald Young is a Doctor of Theology candidate at General Theological Seminary and the author of an update to the Church Club’s history, focusing on the post-war years and picking up where Elliott Lindsley left off.

The Rev. William Danaher on "Money Matters"

The Rev. William Danaher of General Theological Seminary concluded the Church Club's 2008 lecture series with a talk called, “Money Matters: On Anglican Economics & Millennium Development Goals."

He spoke about the role of the Anglican Communion in providing the leadership necessary to fulfill the goals outlined by the United Nations in reducing global poverty.

You can listen to his talk here (40 minutes), and follow the discussion afterwards here (15 minutes).

Fr. Danaher's lecture concludes this year's series titled, "Anglicanism and the Moral Challenges of the Day."

You can listen to the first two lectures here (Prof. Gary Dorrien) and here (the Rev. Victor Austin).

Victor Austin, Moral Authority & Anglican Cohesion

The Rev. Victor Austin, theologian in residence at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan, gave the second lecture in the Church Club's annual series. He spoke about moral authority, the power from which it derives, its relationship to truth, and its capacity to bind disparate groups within the Anglican Communion.

Despite centuries of reliance of scripture, tradition, and reason, the global Anglican Communion is under increasing strain, as questions of authority abound.  Fr. Austin noted the "characteristic Anglican willingness to muddle through imperfect structures." 

Listen to his talk (about 45 minutes) by clicking 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.)

Anglicanism & Moral Challenges: Lecture Series 2008

The Church Club's lecture series for 2008, titled "Anglicanism and the Moral Challenges of the Day, will feature three addresses by three leading Anglican moral theologians.  Representing different traditions and approaches, they will speak about not simply what Anglicans should think about the moral questions of the day but how Anglicans should think morally.  All three are Episcopal priests and professionals in the field of moral theology.

All lectures will be held at Church of the Incarnation:

209 Madison Avenue (at 35th Street)

$60 for the series for Church Club Members, $75 for non-members

For reservations, contact
The Church Club of New York
(212) 828-7418
churchclubny@nyc.rr.com

February 12:  6:00 Refreshments. 7:00 Lecture
“The Liberal Vision”
Professor Gary Dorrien, (Ph.D. Union Theological Seminary)
Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary

February 19:  6:00 Refreshments. 7:00 Lecture
“Authority in Anglican Ethics”
The Rev. Dr. Victor Austin (Ph.D. Fordham University) Theologian in Residence, St. Thomas Church

February 26:  6:00 Refreshments. 7:00 Lecture
“Money Matters: On Anglican Economics & Millennium Development Goals”
Professor William Danaher, (Ph.D. Yale University)
John Henry Hobart Professor of Christian Ethics, The General Theological Seminary

Lecture Series Explores Mission & the Anglican Communion

The Church Club's annual lecture series began on February 6 with a talk by the Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, bishop suffragan of New York (pictured below). On the eve of the primates meeting, held in mid-February in Tanzania, she said, "One of the great gifts of the Anglican Communion is that we have been bound together by affection. "  She was hopeful about the prospects for continued dialogue among the leaders of the Anglican Church around the world, saying, "We set our hope in Christ."

On February 20, the series continued with a talk by Janette O'Neill, senior director for African programs at Episcopal Relief and Development.  She filled in for the Rev. Brian Grieves, who was recovering from dental surgery.  She gave a preview of the upcoming conference, Towards Effective Anglican Mission (TEAM 2007), to be held the first week of March in Boksburg, South Africa.  The conference will draw clergy and lay Anglican leaders of all levels, government officials, and others to focus on "Prophetic Witness, Social Development and HIV and AIDS. The consultation aims to enhance current initiatives in social outreach work that seeks to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."

O'Neill's was introduced by Church Club member Margaret Larom, Director of Anglican and Global Relations & Provincial Secretary for the Episcopal Church.

These events were held at Church of the Incarnation on Madison Avenue.  Club members also enjoyed a bag supper.  Some took part in Incarnation's Shrove Tuesday pancake supper.

Margaret Larom (left) and Janette O'Neill (right)

Click here to listen to Janette O'Neill's talk (about 40 minutes, with additional comments by Margaret Larom and a Q&A at the end).  My recorder ran out of space during Bishop Roskam's talk, so I don't have it.  Apologies.

Click below to see more pictures.

Lecture Series 2007

The Church Club's annual lecture series will feature three speakers on the topic of Mission and the Anglican Communion.  On three Tuesdays in February 2007, the series will be held at Church of the Incarnation (209 Madison Avenue at 35th Street):

A Preview of the Primates Meeting 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007. 
6:00 Refreshments. 7:00 Lecture
The Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of New York
Bishop Roskam will address the importance of the forthcoming Primates Meeting (February 2007) and speak about the issues facing the other Instruments of Communion (including the Anglican Consultative Council, on which she serves).

“Toward Effective Anglican Mission”
Tuesday, February 20, 2007. 
6:00 Refreshments. 7:00 Lecture
The Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, director of Peace and Justice Ministries for the Episcopal Church
Canon Grieves will preview the major Anglican Communion conference in South Africa, March 7-16, titled “Toward Effective Anglican Mission,” focusing on the importance of church work regarding the Millennium Development Goals and hiv/aids.

International Anglican Women’s Leadership
Tuesday, February 27, 2007.
6:00 Refreshments. 7:00 Lecture
The Rev. Margaret R. Rose,  director of Women’s Ministries for the Episcopal Church
Margaret Rose will focus on the Anglican women’s delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which meets in March 2007.  Women’s Ministries has partnered with the Anglican Observer’s Office as part of an ongoing program of global advocacy for women on such issues as the girl child, human trafficking, and violence against women.

Fees for the series are $60 for Church Club members and $75 for non-members and include a light supper.  Call the Club at (212) 828-7418 for a reservation.

General Convention Preview

The Rev. Dr. Gregory Straub, executive officer for General Convention, spoke to the Church Club about the 2006 gathering, to be held in Ohio in June.  In a talk at General Theological Seminary, he gave some sense of the history of General Convention with a nod to the challenges facing the upcoming forum as it prepares to elect a new presiding bishop.

Dr. Straub has written an overview of General Convention  (click here).

Listen to Dr. Straub's talk to the Church Club: part 1, part 2 (streams mp3 files).

The Club's event began with evensong, followed by a reception and dinner before Dr. Straub's talk.  Due to extensive renovations at the seminary, dinner was held not in the refectory but in the basement lounge of Seabury Hall, affectionately known as "Seabury's Bottom."

What They Are Saying about Henry VIII

Prof. Bruce Mullin concluded the Church Club's lecture series, talking about "What They Are Saying about Henry VIII."  He explored three positions concerning the events that became the Protestant Reformation--whether Henry unilaterally imposed a new religious order on England, whether Henry's actions (and those of subsequent monarchs) reflected a broader movement among the people, and whether it was a combination of several forces.

To listen to Prof. Mullin's lecture, click here (streams a 6 meg MP3 file, about 45 mins).

Click here to download the lecture overview, Prof. Mullin's handout (MS Word file).

Bruce Mullin is professor of History and World Mission and professor of Modern Anglican Studies at General Theological Seminary, where he is conducting another lecture series:

Christianity in America and the Episcopal Church Since 1945
Four lectures on the Church in America in the Post-War Era

Click here for more info.