MADISON AVENUE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
921 Madison Avenue
(at East 73rd Street)
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212- 288-8920
Fax: 212-249-1466
(at East 73rd Street)
New York, NY 10021
Tel: 212- 288-8920
Fax: 212-249-1466
The 2007 winner of the David H.C. Read Preacher/Scholar Award is Jessica Tate, who received Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education degrees from Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education, Richmond, VA, on May 26. This annual award was established by the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church to honor the Rev. Dr. David H.C. Read (1910-2001), an internationally renowned preacher, scholar, author and ecumenist, upon his retirement in 1989 after serving for 34 years as the church’s Senior Minister.
It is awarded to a student in the final year of a Master of Divinity degree program at a Protestant theological school who demonstrates special distinction in both preaching and biblical scholarship and is committed to the parish pulpit.
The 2007 winner was selected from 34 candidates nominated by 24 theological schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. The other finalists, each of whom received a $1,000 award, were: Lindsay Borden of Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ; Christopher Henry of Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA; and Michelle Johnson of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, IL.
Jessica Tate will preach at MAPC on June 17.
“Jessica Tate is probably the best student I have ever taught,” John Carroll, Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament at her seminary, wrote in his letter of recommendation. “She is an accomplished exegete of biblical texts, a gifted preacher and an outstanding community leader, and a gracious, poised, and mature young woman of unquestioned character and integrity. The first time I heard her preach, I was stunned. This was one of the best sermons I had heard in a long time...Preaching is very difficult, and Jessica knows it. She doesn’t take the task, or the preparation, lightly. But she is going to be a master preacher.”
Her preaching skills, intellectual depth in discerning juxtapositions between scriptural texts and contemporary experience, both public and private, and exceptional promise for ministry were also stressed by Ronald P. Byars, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Worship. “Members of the congregation are drawn to her. She represents something close to that Reformed ideal: a learned (and always learning) ministry.”
Earlier this spring, Jessica was also selected by the faculty to receive Union-PSCE’s 2007 preaching award, the E.T. George Award for Excellence in Homiletics, Worship, and Public Speaking.
Jessica Elizabeth Tate, 27, grew up in Virginia and later in North Carolina after her father Tom, a Presbyterian minister and also a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, became Pastor of Plaza Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. She earned A.B. degrees in public policy analysis and sociology from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where she was active in the Presbyterian campus ministry and at the University Presbyterian Church, and then, before entering seminary, spent one year as a church intern for education and advocacy in Washington, D.C.
“Because of my strong sense that as Christians we have a calling to respond to God’s grace in Jesus Christ through love of God and neighbor, I want to help people in an individual congregation and the church collectively to connect their faith to public life,” she declared. “This call is not answered in isolation but in a church community that strives to enable its members to respond in all aspects of our lives, from our personal lives to our family lives, our daily occupations, our communities, our nation and our world.”
Candidates nominated by their seminaries for the David H.C. Read Preacher/Scholar Award are judged on the basis of their seminary record, biographical statements, recommendations by two professors, audio tapes of two sermons (one based on an Old Testament text, the other based on a New Testament text) preached before live audiences and brief exegetical papers in support of each sermon. A seminary can nominate no more than two candidates a year.
All of the materials submitted are first reviewed by a lay committee of MAPC members that selects up to four finalists for evaluation by a panel of distinguished preacher/scholars. In addition to the Rev. Dr. Fred R. Anderson, Pastor of MAPC, the panel for the 2007 award consisted of the Rev. Brenda Husson, Rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church, the Rev. Dr. Amandus Derr, Pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Bauman, Pastor of Christ Methodist Church, the Rev. Dr. John Walton, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, and the Rev. Laura Jervis, Presbyterian Pastor and Director of the West Side Federation for Senior Housing.
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Andrew Henderson, MAPC’s Director of Music and Organist, earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School on May 25, 2007. Dr. Henderson was a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow at Juilliard and was awarded the prestigious Richard F. French Doctoral Prize during the 102nd Commencement Exercises for the best doctoral dissertation. Andrew’s document, entitled “The Early Organ Works of Charles Tournemire,” is a biography encompassing Tournemire’s early career in France, as well as an analytical examination of his largely neglected organ works (1894-1910). In addition to writing the dissertation for the degree, Andrew completed two years in residence at Juilliard, three solo recitals, a lecture-recital, two language proficiency exams, and oral and written comprehensive exams. Congratulations on this monumental accomplishment, Dr. Henderson! |
As part of the upcoming American Guild of Organists’ Regional Convention in New York City, MAPC will be hosting two events that are open to the public and free of charge! From 2 to 4 pm on Saturday, June 30, three finalists will be competing in the AGO Regional Young Organists’ Competition. The winner, selected by a panel of judges, will then present a recital at MAPC on Sunday, July 1 at 2 pm on the Casavant organ in our sanctuary. The finalists in the competition have been selected from various AGO chapters in New York state and northern New Jersey and were required to be under 23 years of age to enter the competition. If you are in town, please come to hear and support these talented young musicians at the competition and winners’ recital!
June 12, 6:30 - 8pm, MAPC Knitters meet in the Hood Library.
June 13, 9 am - 5 pm, Seniors Unlimited Bus Trip to Cold Spring, NY and Boscobel. There are a few seats left on the bus! If you’d like to go on the Seniors Unlimited trip, call Arabel Bello at 212-288-8920 x241 as soon as possible. The cost of the trip is $30 which helps defray the expense of the bus, and includes lunch and entrance to Boscobel House Museum and gardens.
June 19, 10:30 am - noon, MAPC Knitters meet in the Hood Library.
Please note, both knitters groups will take a break in July and August, and resume meeting in September.
June 20, 8 - 8:30 am, Parents Prayer Group in the Phillips Lounge.
This will be our third annual trip to a Staten Island Yankees game. Minor league games are great fun! The stadium is right next to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, and the views of the Manhattan Skyline and New York Harbor from the ferry and stadium can’t be beat! At the time of this writing we have just a few seats left for this event. If you’d like to come, please call Beverly Bartlett to see if there are any tickets left. You can reach her at 212-288-8920 x247, or email bab@mapc.com. Tickets are a whopping $9, the ferry is free, and food is whatever you choose to spend!
The Mid-Timers will gather to enjoy good food, fellowship and music at the July 17 New York Philharmonic concert in Central Park. A few of us will go early to stake out space. We’ll have balloons and cell phones to help guide others to the spot. Bring a beverage and picnic food to share and something to sit on if you so desire. The concert begins at 8 pm, but the picnic will begin a couple of hours earlier! Please let us know whether you’re coming so we will know how much space to save and can make arrangements to find each other. RSVP to Beverly Bartlett at 212-288-8920 x247, or bab@mapc.com.
During the Sundays in June, you may check out books for the entire summer. Books borrowed in June will be due on September 9. There’s a wealth of reading material available to you: books on spiritual growth, current affairs, biography, and lots of good fiction for beach reading! How about creating a balanced spiritual discipline of reading for yourself over the summer: check out a book from the religion section to deepen your faith or knowledge of scripture or theology, add a secular non-fiction book to increase your understanding of the world we live in, then find a good novel for rest and relaxation! The library will be closed from the beginning of July through Labor Day weekend, so take advantage of this opportunity to gather your books for the summer.
On alternate Wednesday mornings a small group of parents of youth and young adults meets for reflection on a Biblical passage and prayer. This group has become a valuable source of support for those who are parenting their children through these challenging stages of life. The group will meet on Wednesdays, July 11 and 25 from 8 to 8:30 am in the Phillips Lounge. After a break for the month of August, the group will meet again on September 5, and continue meeting every other week through the fall.
For more information on any of the above events or groups, please contact Beverly Bartlett at the church, 212-288-8920 x247, or bab@mapc.com.
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