2023-2024 Poppen-Young Lecture – Worship that Dismantles Power and Privilege

The Reformed Church Center is pleased to announce that the 2023-2024 Poppen-Young Presentation in Reformed Worship will be on Thursday, December 14, 2023, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm, and that the presenter will be Adrienne Thorne. After her presentation, we will hear a response from Neal D. Presa, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship, and Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach here at NBTS.

The Reverend Adriene Thorne is the eighth senior minister of the historic Riverside Church in the City of New York and the first African American woman to hold the position. She received her Master of Divinity degree from The Pacific School of Religion and completed post-graduate studies in pastoral care and counseling at The Blanton-Peale Institute.

Adriene is a healer, Presbyterian minister, and classically trained dancer who uses movement to heal bodies in the church and community. When she is feeling open, though, Adriene will tell you that she has learned more about God from nature, art, and her child than from any classroom or book.

Adriene’s background in the performing arts includes credits with The Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Metropolitan Opera, and the world-famous Radio City Rockettes among others. When she is not parenting, pastoring, creating, or mentoring, Adriene is probably SCUBA diving a coral reef, on the squash court, or in the dance studio, fantasizing about what is newly possible. Adriene grounds her Christian practice and leadership in an appreciation for imperfection and leads with an understanding that even the resurrected Christ came back in a flawed body – what hopeful news for us!

Rev. Thorne’s topic will be ways in which we can use worship to dismantle systems of power and privilege in society.

The Rev. Neal D. Presa, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship and Vice President of Student Affairs and Vocational Outreach at NBTS.  He is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), was Moderator of the 220^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and presently serves on the World Council of Churches Central Committee and Executive Committee, Moderator of the WCC’s Finance Policy Committee, a member of the Strategy Planning Working Group, a member of the Green Village Steering Committee, and as Co-Vice Chair of the Third Round of Bilateral Dialogues between the Episcopal Church and the PC(USA). He holds degrees from the University of California, Davis; San Francisco Theological Seminary; Princeton Theological Seminary, and Drew University.

The lecture will be take place via Zoom.

Please Register:

The event is free, but registration is required. Please click here to register.