The Rev. Brad Braxton, senior minister of New York City’s famed Riverside Church, has resigned just two months after his installation after a nasty fight with his new flock landed the church in court.
Braxton’s abrupt departure comes amidst congregational discord over the church’s mission and the pastor’s compensation package, which critics estimated as high as $600,000. Church officials said the package was consistent with that of similar high-profile pulpits.
Though he was chosen last September out of 200 applicants to be Riverside’s sixth senior minister, the former Rhodes scholar saw strife from day one. In April, four church members unsuccessfully sued to block his installation, alleging violations of church bylaws relating to his compensation package.
The soaring church, built by tycoon John D. Rockefeller Jr., on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1927, has become renowned for its interracial and interdenominational brand of preaching and social justice.
Braxton was the second African-American chosen to lead the 2,400-member congregation, following the Rev. James Forbes, who retired June 1, 2007. The church’s changing demographics, from majority white to majority black, has been a source of tension.
Betty Davis, a Riverside member who was on the committee that selected Braxton, told Religion and Ethics Newsweekly recently that “as soon as his name was announced, the attacks started. One of the things that some people are afraid of is that the church will turn black. And, you know, I really resent that.”
Braxton’s evangelical and scripturally focused preaching was also an issue, which some saw as a threat to Riverside’s open and inclusive reputation.
In his letter of resignation to the congregation, Braxton said he came to Riverside “to serve as pastor and to promote serious engagement with Scripture that would reignite the spiritual inspiration underlying the church’s social activism.”
He went on to write: “The consistent discord has made it virtually impossible to establish a fruitful covenant between the congregation and me that facilitates the flourishing of the congregation, the broader community, and my family.”
The chair of the church council, Jean L. Schmidt, also released a statement, saying, “Dr. Braxton’s decision to step down has illuminated the need for our church community to gain clarity on our shared mission.”
Braxton’s resignation had been rumored for several weeks. A June 21 Father’s Day sermon about leaving lasting legacies to families and institutions only fueled the speculation about Braxton’s possible departure.
Braxton spoke obliquely about feuds within churches and the need to make sacrifices for the sake of peace, saying “our sacrifices to God are never in vain.” Perhaps less obliquely, Braxton hoped for an end to hurtful gossip around the church. He said he hoped that soon, when people are within five blocks of Riverside, “they’ll say, `I smell peace there.”‘
By Tiffany Stanley and Chris Herlinger
Religion News Service
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted June 30, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Braxton definitely seems a bit more conservative than the typical Riverside stereotype. It doesn’t surprise me at all that there would be some tension between him and certain parts of the congregation.
posted June 30, 2009 at 9:59 pm
A little cknuck-like?
posted June 30, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Nate, He is indeed that to some degree. His approach to preaching is Biblical first and political/social second – something I can appreciate myself. I think the two year interim was not enough. This is a congregation that prefers Big Personalities, like Fosdick, Bill Coffin, and Forbes. Though this guy has a great pedigree, he did not have the same style and flare that his predecessors had. I expect he will find a suitable church that will appreciate his unique manner and approach. And the beat goes on at Riverside. If it were not in chilly Manhattan I might be tempted to put my name in for the job! Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk
posted July 1, 2009 at 6:13 am
Go for it! You can get a lot of heat for $600K.
posted July 1, 2009 at 11:44 am
“Braxton’s evangelical and scripturally focused preaching was also an issue, which some saw as a threat to Riverside’s open and inclusive reputation.”
Since when were “evangelical and scripturally focused” and “open and inclusive” opposites of each other? I have no comment on the controversy surrounding his compensation, but I’ve seen an interview with the guy, and I don’t see why a liberal congregation would object to his preaching.
posted July 1, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I think that people don’t want to be hit in the head with Fundamentalism and that has become thicker and thicker since the end of the 90′s. There is good in everything but it could never been understood as ‘open and inclusive’.
posted July 1, 2009 at 11:52 pm
This kind of press brings a sad reflection on those who are called to the ministry and the church when they end up in the world’s court to deal with a church matter. It is too bad that they couldn’t invovle some sister congregations to solve this problem.
I also believe it would benefit both the pastor and the congregation if they would get refocused on following Christ instead of fussing over worldly matters. The more they would focus on Christ, the more they would be concerned about serving Him and reaching others for Him and the less either one would be about who is getting paid how much.
Getting To Know Jesus is a Bible study that is being used by more Christians to learn how to become more like Jesus. Go to http://www.gettingtoknowjesus.org and see how Jesus can help you keep your priorities in order.
posted July 2, 2009 at 8:58 am
H22 wrote: “I think that people don’t want to be hit in the head with Fundamentalism…”
“evangelical and scripturally focused” is not the same as fundamentalist. Braxton is very, very far from fundamentalism.
I suspect the real issue is that he talked less about politics and more about Jesus and the Bible than his predecessors, not that he was fundamentalist or not “open and inclusive”.
posted July 3, 2009 at 11:43 pm
There is a good article in the July 3 Wall Street Journal about this whole incident. It seems to be as much about style as it is substance. Evangelical fervor can put people off whether it is liberal or conservative. His Gospel style may not sit well with the folks who have filled the pews and the offering baskets for the last few decades. But it may meet the needs of the folks who live around the church and are looking for someone to lead who is energetic without being vacuous, self-serving, or simply a show boat.
This is not a new problem. Paul had similar issues with the Corinthian church. This is a congregation that needs more time, more interim leadership, and the willingness to accept help rather than insist that because they are big they know better than anyone else.
Blessings on him and on the congregation. Neither was ready for this commitment.