...Here for You
ANNUAL
REPORT
2023
Our Mission Marble Collegiate Church is a diverse, inclusive community of God’s people led by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We inspire everyone to become positive thinkers who make a difference in the world. As I was watching a recent tour group explore our magnificent Sanctuary, it reminded me that what is truly remarkable about Marble is our people and the ministry we do together in the world. For generations, Marble has been a movement and a message that exists to see individuals’ lives transformed. In other words, Marble is a place that is here for you! And “you” as a community is a beautiful sight to behold. When I look out on a Sunday or talk with people online, I see a wonderful mosaic of God’s people of all ages, races and ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities, political views, socioeconomic statuses, and life experiences. Marble exemplifies the kind of faith community a divided society needs. We need to cherish this unique and precious gift and build on it. Together, we have had to face great financial challenges with the loss of an appropriation ($3.5 million per year) from Collegiate, the parent organization for the Collegiate Churches of New York. We have made great strides on the plan we set in place in 2022 to address this challenge, but we still have a ways to go. Your financial support has allowed us to continue ministry boldly through it all. Thank you for your generous giving! We have also had to address attendance trends. As you may have read, national attendance trends show there are far fewer young people attending church. This reality combined with the toll the pandemic took on families with children and their church attendance has made engaging with young people a priority for us, as seen in our strategic plan. As we learned from our Growing Young work with Fuller Youth Institute, churches grow old naturally and grow young intentionally. Therefore, 2023 was a year that focused on our Children, Youth and Families Ministry, and our culture shift will be highlighted in an upcoming book on church leadership by Jake Mulder. Essential to this growth has been our children and youth participating in ministry with people of all ages. It is truly an intergenerational initiative, and this growth could not have happened without your support! As annual reports go, there are always many numbers and statistics. They are helpful to understand how our ministries are doing, but we must remember Marble will always be about people and the ministry we share together. In our ministry, we know God will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for God’s sake in serving the saints, as you still do... - Hebrews 6:10. Blessings,
Dr. Michael Bos Senior Minister
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...Here for You
2023 was an extraordinary year for Marble. Amidst the changes and challenges we have faced, we continue to proclaim the love of Christ to people down the street, across the country and around the world. I have been so encouraged to see people gradually returning to in-person Worship and programming while at the same time growing our robust array of programs for our live stream congregation. We continued our commitment to step down the draw from the Marble endowment and last year we took a 7.5% draw (down from 8.5% the year before). This fiscal year, we will step down to 6.5% with the goal of attaining a 5% draw by 2025. We rely more than ever before on the faithful giving of our congregation to help us achieve a balanced budget and maintain the strength and quality of our programs and ministries. 2023 saw the departure of our long-time Director of Music, Kenneth Dake, which the community grieved. Yet the Holy Spirit was with us and, after a months’ long search and 188 applicants, we identified Michael T. C. Hey as our new Director of Music. Michael has brought new ideas and energy to the music program, and we are so grateful he chose to come to Marble. We are also thrilled with the addition of Dr. Julie Faith Parker as our Biblical Scholar in Residence. While we have had to reduce our number of full-time staff, the ministry continues to grow and thrive in new ways. Challenges remain, but our commitment to transparency and accountability to the congregation is stronger than ever. Be assured we are doing our very best every day, at every level, to assure a strong future for Marble. For everyone who has helped in this monumental effort in any way, I give my heartfelt thanks. But mostly, I give thanks for the steadfast presence of God who has stayed with us through it all. In Christ’s love, Dr. J. Elise Brown, Executive Minister 4
I’ve never experienced church at high velocity. I wrote that sentence in 2023 about participating in Sunday service “virtually,” from a moving car. I might as well have been referring to the year as a whole. This 2023 annual report tells the story of a church on the move, headed in the right financial direction. It is a story of difficult decision making and careful planning, of achievement in the face of adversity. In the past year Marble Church has (among other milestones): conducted and successfully concluded searches for both our new Director of Music and Gospel Choir director; reduced endowment draw and overall expenses in ongoing recognition of Marble’s financial reality; revisited, revamped, and refined internal systems and processes to ensure increased transparency and accountability; expanded thoughtfully on core programming without substantive additive costs; solicited and incorporated congregational input on major decisions; made our Board available on a regular basis; and ministered to souls on a local and global level. None of these accomplishments belongs to me. They belong to the talented, dedicated, God-inspired staff and volunteers of Marble, and to all congregants who support this ministry via their time, talents, and treasure. They belong to you. Though I’m pleased by these achievements, do not mistake my glasses as rose-colored. Significant financial challenges remain. Church income must increase, or further judicious cuts must be made to ensure long term financial health for this great institution. However, this annual report, and the achievements of 2023, reveal a church capable of meeting its challenges in 2024 — via continuing transparency, communication, and accountability from your leadership, and the investment and support of our congregation. This is church at high velocity. With God as our co-pilot, I could not be more excited to see what’s around the next bend. Gratefully,
Matthew Morse, Elder & Board Chair
2023 Highlights
Michael T. C. Hey Hiring
After an exhaustive, nationwide search, we were pleased to welcome Michael T. C. Hey as our new Director of Music in June. He had been serving here in NYC as Associate Director of Music and Organist for eight years at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and as Associate Director of Music for three years at Park Avenue Synagogue. In addition to the gift of Michael’s talents, his wife, violinist Christiana Liberis, played during Worship twice, including a surprise performance on a Stradivarius on September 24! Michael got busy right away in the search for a new Gospel Choir director and plans to reinstate the volunteer Festival of Voices in 2024.
A Caroling We Go Concert
Michael’s first concert at Marble was the return of our Advent/Christmas concert and for the first time was live streamed. A Caroling We Go was an afternoon of uplifting music by The Marble Choir, with a special appearance from the Marble Community Gospel Choir and all of us joining in singing carols, plus inspirational readings by renowned actor (and Marble member) Simon Jones.
Gospel Choir Back in Action
In October we welcomed John Stanley to the Marble Staff in a part-time role as our new Director of the Marble Community Gospel Choir.
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Fall Festival
In October, the CYF partnered with All-Church Events for Marble’s Fall Festival where kids and adults played games, won prizes, made arts and crafts, built Thanksgiving bags for those in need, and had a costume parade in the Sanctuary at the end of Worship.
Gratitude for Our Past - Commitment to Our Future
During Gratitude season, we highlighted people’s personal stories and learned the many ways Marble has played a positive role in their lives. Thank you to all who participated and filled out a commitment card to help support our future. View the Gratitude Stories at MarbleChurch.org/Gratitude.
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Engage & Build Series
This year we opened the Sanctuary to put worship in action. Congregants of all ages lined up in the center aisle to stuff backpacks with school supplies for our annual Back-to-School Drive and place all the trimmings for a tasty Thanksgiving into bags for those in need. The Sanctuary also became Santa’s Workshop as helpful Marble elves wrapped the Operation Santa Letter gifts.
Blessing of the Animals
On October 8, we had a record number of people bringing their pets or photos of pets who didn’t travel well, plus children’s stuffed animals, to be blessed. We were also pleased to have members of the NYPD Mounted Police and K-9 Unit stop by to have their horses and dogs blessed.
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2023 Highlights Merry, Merry Marble & Carol Sing
Our annual inter-generational celebration of decorating trees and wreaths for those in need, added a new element this year – a Carol Sing on 5th Avenue. A joyous gift to the neighborhood and all who participated.
MarbleVision Move
MarbleVision’s Control Room moved from 276 Fifth Avenue to the rear of the Chapel downstairs on the Concourse Level of the church building, resulting in annual savings of $147,000. This move was accomplished fully in-house with the expertise of our existing Media and Communications staff and helps us maintain our strong online and live stream presence.
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Ministry by the Numbers Marble’s Ministry Engagement
Worship In Person Attendance for 2023
Streaming for 2023
11,727 Total
459
1,675
Average Weekly Views
82,780 Total Streaming Viewers
Non-Sundays Ash Wednesday (am & pm) Maundy Thursday & Good Friday
152
Total Countries Reached
Marble Community
3,339 1,666 1,673 Total
Members
Adherents This number is based on non-members who have participated at least once in fellowship groups, committees, and or given during the 2023 calendar year
New Members
17
Including 2 children (non-confessing members)
Program Participation
1,227
Average Monthly Attendance of All Ministries
4,800 Followers
Increase of 116% over last year
Social Media Followers Instagram TikTok
1,135 Followers
Increase of 36% over last year
1,570
Likes Launched this year - recent video of a Sermon Spotlight has 1,734 plays
YouTube
941
Subscribers Increase of 30% during 2023, and views are up 25% over the past year
Website
Advent & Lenten Blogs
Users
52,000 Lent Blog: Daily Average Views
106,252
62,400
308,247
116
59,144 Sessions
Pageviews
Advent Blog: Daily Average Views
Total Countries Top 3 Searched Lenten Blog on Google
Reaching Out Easter Offering Update
Every year, Marble gives 100% of the money raised during the Easter Offering to carefully-vetted organizations in the United States and abroad that make a difference in people’s lives. Thanks to the generosity of over 500 donors from the Marble community, the Marble Easter Offering raised $197,575 towards its goal of $230,000. Organizations receiving grants represent a range of programs in the areas of education, health, housing, hunger, social/legal justice, and peace and reconciliation. Organizations include Kaleidoscope Ministries, The Innocence Project, Safe Passage Project, Rural and Migrant Ministry, Health Advocates for Older People, Nazareth Housing, and Partners Relief and Development.
Back-to-School Drive
Marble’s Back-to-School drive provided over 300 backpacks filled with school supplies to equip New York City children from low income homes for the school year. Supplies went to Fresh Youth Initiatives, Housing Plus, P.S.30, Icahn House Shelter and Osborne Association.
Food Drives
Marble congregants provided over 80 pounds of non-perishable food items to a neighborhood shelter.
Thanksgiving Bags
Thanksgiving bags were provided to over 300 families at Housing Plus, Fresh Youth Initiatives, Icahn House Shelter and Osborne Association.
Operation Santa Letters
Marble congregants were full of the Christmas spirit. We are thrilled to report that we were able to fulfill every child’s request this year! Because of your support, we made over 370 children’s Christmases a little brighter — reaching more children than we have in recent years. Gifts were given to children in need at Icahn House, Osborne Association, Fresh Youth Initiatives, Osborne Association and P.S.30.
Humanitarian Support for Syria and Turkey
Marble supported the Reformed Church in America in providing humanitarian relief for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. 12
Stephen Ministry
Marble continues to provide Christ-centered care in one-on-one confidential Stephen Ministry relationships. Stephen Ministers support church members by walking alongside them with compassionate care, offering a listening ear for life challenges including depression, illness, grief, divorce, job loss, and other life issues. In April 2023, eight new Stephen Ministers were commissioned who completed 50 hours of training. Over the last 12+ years we have trained over 110 Stephen Ministers and Leaders.
Voter Outreach
Marble and Middle Collegiate Church joined forces to mobilize voter registration through efforts to encourage citizens around the country to vote in upcoming elections. The ongoing campaign included writing letters to under-represented voters, as well as providing education on important electoral issues.
P.S.30 Tutoring
Marble tutors continued to provide over 30 hours of weekly tutoring to students at P.S.30 in Harlem.
Marble Operating Results
Revenue
FY 2023 Budget FY 2023 Actuals FY 2024 Budget
1,692,796
1,619,123
1,692,796
175,000
225,115
178,000
Income from the Marble Endowment
2,220,546
2,220,546
1,997,422
Transitional Funding and CCC Grant
—
189,237
—
Collegiate Church Appropriation
—
—
—
Gifts from the People of Marble includes: Pledge Giving: $1,273,515 2023 was the first year Marble received no appropriation from the Collegiate Church Corporation. That support was $3,239,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $0 in fiscal year 2023. Marble funding now comes from three sources – congregant giving, program and building revenue and a draw from the Marble endowment. We are actively working on financial independence and made great strides in 2023 toward accomplishing this essential goal. We began the fiscal year with a budgeted deficit of $171,538 and were able to reduce it by $92,431. The deficit for FY23 was $79,107 prior to factoring in an incremental draw from our endowment to fund MarbleVision moving related costs. The deficit reduction was accomplished in large part by the generous giving of 105 households in June 2023 who contributed special fiscal year-end gifts. Our total number of giving households increased from 986 in 2022 to 995 in 2023. Pledge giving increased from $1,212,317 in 2022 to $1,273,515 in 2023. We have continued to reduce the draw from the endowment; the draw was reduced from 8.5% in FY22 to 7.5% in FY23 and 6.5% in FY24. We will continue to step down one percentage point each year until we achieve the best practice of 5%.
Our work to assure a strong financial future for Marble is active and ongoing. We are striving to be more transparent with the congregation about the financial picture of Marble and seek your input in how we can continue to improve on this critical element of our life together. Please reach out directly to either of us with your questions and feedback. We are open and eager to hear from you.
Dr. J. Elise Brown Executive Minister Renier van Aswegen Elder & Treasurer 14
Easter Offering: $197,575* Program Revenue
$4,088,342
$4,254,021
$3,868,218
Pastoral Care, Stewardship and Missions
615,485
648,052
516,693
Music and Worship
613,740
696,157
468,766
Children, Youth and Families
114,457
105,718
145,698
Adult Formation, Membership, Hospitality and Program Groups
417,110
391,762
391,973
Media and Communications (Live Streaming)
628,285
627,892
521,204
Caring for Our Staff – Finance and HR Benefits
831,452
876,063
791,277
Caring for Our Sacred Property, Facilities and Events
1,039,351
987,484
927,221
—
—
—
Total Revenue
Expenses (by department) (Easter Offering distribution of $197,575 is included)
Capital Expenditures and Misc. Expenses
$4,259,880
$4,333,128
$3,762,832
(171,538)
(79,107)
105,386
Incremental Draw to Fund MarbleVision Equipment Costs
—
(74,219)
—
Income Over Expenses / (Deficit), Net of Equipment Costs
(171,538)
(153,326)
105,386
Total Expenses Expenses Over Income
*Both the Christmas and Easter Offerings were down from the previous year by $29,998 and $23,210, respectively. A factor in the decreased Easter Offering might have been the Marble Match, which was employed for the first time in 2023, encouraging people to match their gift to the Easter Offering with a gift to Marble. Many households participated in the Marble Match.
Getting the Word Out This year we worked hard on getting the word out beyond the walls of the church to increase participation in all our programs. By carefully cultivating relationships with the press, our earned (free) placements included several features on NY1, TimeOut NY, AARP, and the Daily News, to name a few. We also invested in low-cost advertising in papers and online with AMNY, Gay City News and Patch (community calendar). The potential reach was well over 250 million. See some of our placements below:
Spectrum New York 1 (Earned Editorial) Live remote on hourly rotation and Feature that ran throughout the week. 750,000 Unique Weekly Viewers AARP.org (Earned Editorial) 1 Million Daily Visitors
AMNY (Promoted Post for Web and Print) 175,000 Print Circulation 627,000 Daily Web Visitors NOTE: Also appeared on affiliate websites, New York Family, SI Parent, Gay City News, and QNS, which boosted reach by 22,000 Daily Web Visitors.
NYDailyNews.com (Earned Editorial) 289,000 Daily Visitors New York Daily News (Earned Editorial) 55,653 Print Circulation
TimeOut.com (Earned Editorial) 900,000 Daily Visitors
LeMonde.fr (Earned Editorial) 4 Million Daily Web Visitors 450,000 Daily Circulation 15
CYF Corner In 2023, the Children, Youth & Families Ministry continued to be an inspiring source of Christian education, outreach, relationshipbuilding, spiritual growth, opportunities in worship, and special events. CYF was fully present in the life of the church through frequent children’s messages, ushering and greeting, reading scripture, giving testimonial stories, having a special table at coffee hours, participating in all-church events and outreach, and the annual Christmas pageant. Volunteers were used during the year for coffee hours, parties, events, and teaching which created a strong sense of community. A new infant/ toddler class was added to the program in the Fall, a new Youth Group Bible Study was launched, and a newly focused collaboration was achieved when the CYF joined with All-Church Events and Outreach to create a greater sense of church family with the congregation.
Passport to the Fall
In September, members of our children’s program, Wyatt, Nell, and Solange, took leadership roles in Marble’s Passport to the Fall and taught adults how to make bookmarks. It was a huge hit, and the three kid leaders did a great job! The CYF also participated in our all-church Build-a-Backpack service project that month.
Confirmation
In May, the Confirmation Class of 2023 consisted of: Andrew Constantin Iliescu, London-Marie Jones, William Regier, Colin Jamar Sherer, Fred Lee Whitfield Jr., and Paul Milton Whitfield. And our three high school graduates, Juliette Nicole Testa Licata, Felicia JenningsBrown, and Fred Lee Whitfield Jr., were blessed and joined Dr. Michael Bos for the conversational sermon, A Conversation with Our Youth.
Scholarships Given
In July, with the help of our generous donors, 10 scholarships were given to CYF Alumni continuing their education in colleges and universities. 16
Service Projects
In February, the Marble Youth hosted a Valentine’s service event: Spreading God’s Love One Sandwich at a Time. With our CYF families and guests from West End Collegiate Church, they made sandwiches and Valentines for the hungry and homeless populations of NYC. 162 sandwiches and Valentines full of God’s love and encouragement were donated to The Bowery Mission that day. In April, The Marble Youth Group participated in the It’s My Park Project with Partnership for Parks at Thomas Jefferson Park. 12 Marble youth and three adults pulled up weeds, cleared litter, and mulched over 20 yards of garden beds. Also in April, the Youth sold Easter baskets made of recycled materials, and the children collected spare change for Marble’s Easter Offering — raising $453.76! The Youth Group even spent time making their baskets during their overnight Lock-In. In December, Sunday School teacher, Oanfa Quan led her 2nd-6th Grade class in a special service project. They made hand-marbleized Christmas ornaments and sold them at the Artists’ Boutique raising $375 to make Christmas goodie bags for those in need – with a little bit left over for another service project for the Spring.
Pageant
This Christmas, 29 children and youth and three parents participated in our annual Christmas Pageant, Our Favorite Thing to Do at Christmas, written by CYF Director, Brian Hampton, and directed by Youth Director, Sarah Cheatham Sanou. Marble’s Director of Music, Michael T. C. Hey, also helped by weaving members of The Marble Choir into the pageant as well as sharing his expert piano skills in a lively “animal dance break” in the stable where the congregation was asked to dance along.
Movie Night
In January, the Marble Youth started the year with fun and fellowship at a Marble Movie Night! We popped popcorn and screened a movie in the Labyrinth Room.
Youth Group Bible Study
In November, Youth Director, Sarah Cheatham Sanou, launched a new Youth Group Bible Study where youth can dive deeper into the Bible and grow spiritually. This YG Bible Study was a hit, and it will continue through the year. 17
Ministry Snapshots Arts Ministry
During 2023, under the leadership of Arts Ministry Coordinator Mario E. Sprouse and Program Coordinator and long-time Arts Ministry member Karla Hendrick, the Arts Ministry celebrated its 42nd Anniversary at Marble Church! As a venerable group of visual, performance and fine artists we have endured the ravages and residual effects of COVID by providing a mix of in-person and Zoom events and meetings. We enjoyed an average of nearly 20 people for our weekly meetings (three times a month) and about 20 for two workshops (Zoom and in person) in the winter and spring. On June 18 we held our 7th Annual Marble Summer Arts Festival after a service which acknowledged the vital contribution of artists at Marble. More than 50 people were in attendance. On December 10 we held our Annual Artists’ Boutique where original hand-made items were sold to an appreciative crowd looking for Christmas gifts. Throughout 2023 the Arts Ministry presented 10 art exhibits on our Wall of Hope, Inspiration and Healing outside the Labyrinth Room and online on our webpage featuring over 150 works of art.
GIFTS: LGBTQ+
This past year at Marble has been about celebrating our history, and building relationships to expand our understanding, support, and allyship. We had two notable events partnering with Kaleidoscope Ministries: our Allyship 101 Workshop in October when we explored how our faith informs our work to be more supportive allies, and Hymns & Carols: A Queer Christian Worship Night that marked World AIDS Day, December 1, and was an evening with musician and community organizer Sue Ann Shiah. We also celebrated Pride Month with our June 1 Kick-Off Service, Pride Water Table and by displaying The AIDS Quilt panels we displayed were featured on NY1 News. panels from the AIDS Quilt in the Sanctuary again.
PrimeTime(55+)
PrimeTime(55+) was very busy this year. In June, Gary Thompson & Friends performed at our end-of-year Revue with 75 participants, and in September, Sr. Carol Perry joined us for our annual PrimeTime Open House for nearly 100. Our Annual Merry, Merry Marble Christmas tree decorating party was on December 17, and we decorated 12 trees which we donated to some of our Easter Offering organizations, as well as some of our Marble shut-ins. People of all ages joined and even Santa made an appearance. Lastly, we honored and remembered fondly, Richard (Dick) Doll, one of the founding members of this event, who passed on December 7, 2020. 18
Women’s Ministry
Our theme for this year was Navigating the Waters of Change. We chose this theme because change has surrounded us as individuals and as a congregation especially throughout the last few years. The Marble Women’s Ministry is going strong amidst the changes, and we are grateful for the power of this supportive community of women who have moved boldly with faith and action into the future. A highlight of our many wonderful events in 2023 was our Spring retreat, our first since March 2020! We moved to a new retreat center, Wisdom House, in Litchfield, CT and it was a sold-out event. Wonderful speakers and powerful worship were experienced by all. Each month of 2023 the MWM had at least one event and we have worked to collaborate more with other ministries and program groups, including our annual Hallowtide service, this year with Dr. Bill Lutz as our special guest. Most importantly, we want all women to know they are always welcome to be part of the Marble Women’s Ministry. Our hearts and arms are open wide to you. Please join us in 2024!
Small Groups
There were nine monthly groups this past year. Most notably, our hybrid series Recognizing/Embracing The Holy Spirit, led by Dr. Elise Brown, was enthusiastically received with 258 participants. Dr. Elise Brown’s second in-person group, Songs of the Faithful – A Study in the Psalms, was also well attended by 81 people. A group exploring Eve Isn’t Evil, the newest book written by Dr. Julie Faith Parker our Biblical Scholar in Residence, was introduced in the fall with 128 participants.
Monthly Meet-Up
This year we launched an exciting new group, The Marble Monthly Meet-Up. The fun monthly themes and guest speakers have created a dynamic atmosphere to meet new people, dive into invigorating conversations and enjoy lite bites that are chosen to match the monthly theme. This group is blossoming with more people each month. Held on the fourth Thursdays at Marble from 6:30 to 8:00pm – all are invited to join this growing group!
Prayer
Marble continues to be a community that prays together. There were the weekly opportunities of Sunday Prayer Circle, in person and on Zoom, and Tuesday Afternoon Prayers on Zoom, plus the annual Good Friday Prayer Vigil. In addition to the Labyrinth being open to walk most months, on February 11, there was a workshop on How to Walk the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool. The Marble Prayer Ministry Team and the Growing Deeper Strategic Plan Task Force also hosted the online gathering Partners in Prayer at Pentecost on May 31. 19
Notable Mentions 10:00 O’Clock Hour
After previously speaking several times at Marble, Dr. Julie Faith Parker became our Biblical Scholar in Residence in September 2023 and started leading 10:00 O’Clock Hour twice a month. We also celebrated the launch of her new book, Eve Isn’t Evil: Feminist Readings of the Bible to Upend Our Assumptions. We had robust 10:00 O’Clock Hours with a variety of speakers and topics, including the return of former staff members Rev. Barbara Crafton, Dr. Bill Lutz, Rev. Chad Tanaka Pack, Dr. Shari Brink, Nina Frost and Rev. Liz Testa. We also had special guests: writer, pastor, and activist John Pavlovitz on July 23, and Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus in the University of Cambridge David Ford on October 8, speaking about his latest book How to Read The Gospel of John. Important issues were also highlighted including food insecurity and the missions of some of our past Easter Offering recipients.
Ken Dake Farewell
We ended an era and celebrated Ken Dake for his 27 years of profound music ministry at Marble. His last Sunday was June 4. Before that, there were special farewell performances including Romancing the Tone on February 15, with Ken and some soloists from The Marble Choir, Sing of Spring and Favorite Things: A Choral Celebration on April 23, his last concert with The Marble Choir and Festival of Voices, and Ken Dake Encore: An Organ Fireworks Finale Concert, on May 21, as part of Sacred Sites Open House.
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Gospel Choir Concert
All of My Help: Songs of Encouragement for Unpredictable Times was the February 26 Winter Gospel Celebration with the Marble Community Gospel Choir, directed by Rev. Rashad McPherson.
Racial Justice Series
Our Racial Justice Series had two special events, Justice and the Church: Women Organizers and the Social Gospel on January 15, with special guests Rev. Dr. LaKeesha Waldrond, President of New York Theological Seminary, and Rev. Kaji Douša, Senior Pastor of Park Avenue Christian Church, and Making Space on the Great White Way: An Homage to Black Trailblazers of Theater and Performance on February 19, which included performances by Natasha Yvette Williams (Some Like It Hot), Q. Smith (Come From Away), Will Mann (National Touring Cast of Hadestown) and Eric Lockley (The Inheritance).
New Website
In October, the Media and Communications team launched a brand-new website, saving the church thousands of dollars each year. It was completely redesigned and built by the team in-house and uses affordable third-party apps to help replicate the church’s complicated needs like the calendar and video streaming. 21
Current Marble Staff and Board Ministers Dr. Michael Bos
Nick Giardina
Yvette Rosario
Dr. J. Elise Brown
Clay Hale
Sarah Sanou
Senior Minister
Executive Minister
Rev. Susanah Wade
Media Production Specialist Development, Database, & Receivable Specialist
Associate Minister
Joshua Hansen
Program Leaders Dr. Julie Faith Parker
Rick Harper
Maintenance
Receptionist
Youth Director
Mario Sprouse
Arts Coordinator
John Stanley
Biblical Scholar in Residence
Events & Space Usage Manager
Director of the Marble Community Gospel Choir
Michael T. C. Hey
Karla Hendrick
Gary Thompson
Director of Music
Program Coordinator
Christina Morano Keiser
Daphne Kim
Mike Thurlow
Director of Media & Communication
Director of Human Resources
Kim Sebastian-Ryan
Greg Lum
Jose Tirado
Director of Membership & Connecting
Art Director
Custodian / Porter
Brian Hampton
Beatriz Marin
Judy Tulin
Director of CYF Ministry
Accounts Payable / Payroll Accountant
Coordinator of Pastoral Care
Staff Virgilio Belen
John McHugh
Siobhan Tull
Property Manager
Program Leader for Online Community
Baleta M. McKenzie
Jerry Williams
Maintenance
Daniel Finegold
Production Assistant
Karla Fritsch
Publications Manager
Director of PrimeTime & Small Group Ministries
Wedding Coordinator Executive Assistant
Maintenance
Zoila Perez Receptionist
Board of Elders & Deacons Matthew Morse
Richard Davis
Brenda W. Walker
Barbara Sagan
Tim Lee
Kathy Weida
Renier van Aswegen
Gregory Lozier
John E. Rorer, II
John Hupalo
Mamie McIndoe
Greg Walker
Elder & Chair
Elder & Vice Chair Elder & Treasurer
Deacon & Secretary
Deacon Elder
Deacon
Larry Schafer Deacon & Church Master
Abigail Shue
Jeannette Aycock
Iyana Titus
Deacon
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Deacon
Deacon Deacon
Elder
Deacon
Elder Emeritus Elder Emeritus
...Here for You 1 West 29th Street New York, NY 10001 212 686 2770 MarbleChurch.org