Faith never stands still. The Collegiate Churches of New York is a coalition of Protestant churches (a “community of believers”) united around a set of guiding principles that affirm the traditions of an age-old faith community while simultaneously aligning them with the modern world. Rev. Shari K. Brink of the Marble Collegiate Church describes her church’s basic message as “connecting people with God.” Along with its fellow Collegiate Churches and like-minded progressive religious institutions throughout the country, Marble Collegiate Church supplements this age-old mission with a modern interpretation of Biblical principles that emphasize the importance of inclusion and diversity. Rev. Brink explains: “Marble Collegiate Church makes a point of saying we practice love, period… and when we say love, period, we mean love, period.” While this philosophy applies to people of all backgrounds, Marble Collegiate Church has cultivated a reputation for its efforts on behalf of LGBT rights.
Reverend Shari K. Brink of Marble Collegiate Church
Rev. Brink embodies these efforts. A minister for over 21 years, she came out as a lesbian in the early 2000s. Her denomination at the time was not broadly inclusive of LGBT people, so she sought out a faith community more in line with her identity and her values. Like so many others before her, Rev. Brink found a new home at Marble Collegiate Church. A mainstay of the Flatiron District located at 1 West 29th Street, Marble Collegiate Church has been in the neighborhood since 1854, established as part of a Collegiate Church system dating back even further to 1628. At its founding and for a great many years after, Marble Collegiate Church stood at a bustling dirt crossroads. Rev. Brink considers this an apt metaphor for the Flatiron District as it exists today: a crossroads of converging religions, cultures and values.
It only follows that an organization located in the Flatiron District and in close proximity to Chelsea, a hub of the gay community, would be involved in the promotion of LGBT rights and inclusion. Marble Collegiate Church regularly hosts Gay and Christian Small Groups, aimed at helping LGBT worshipers reconcile their sexuality and their spirituality. It also partners with other organizations and individuals that work on behalf of gay rights. For example, Marble Collegiate Church recently held an event with Matthew Vines, a renowned spokesman for LGBT in the faith community who promotes inclusion and challenges traditional Biblical interpretations of sexual morality. And then there’s the fun stuff. Marble Collegiate Church, along with its fellow Collegiate Churches, participated in Gay Pride Week, marching and dancing in the parade and manning a water station for thirsty marchers.
Marble Collegiate Church’s efforts to further the cause of LGBT rights are not confined to New York City, or even the United States. “Globalization means that the world is at our doorstep. In addition to caring about our neighborhood, we’ve tried to shine a light on the fact that LGBT people elsewhere in the world are living in very hostile climates,” Rev. Brink explains. “God calls us to love our neighbor and our neighbor could be someone who lives here in the Flatiron District, it could be someone who’s come here, possibly fled, from elsewhere in the world.” Rev. Joseph Tolton, a friend and ally of Marble Collegiate Church who spoke at this year’s Pride service, is instrumental in spreading the values of the Collegiate Churches abroad, preaching and spearheading programs in a wide range of countries that persecute LGBT people. Rev. Tolton has guided many refugees from these countries to Marble Collegiate Church.
In addition to its work on behalf of LGBT rights, Marble Collegiate Church is involved in a number of charitable endeavors. For instance, it takes an Easter Offering, 100% of which goes to non-profits. This year, Marble Collegiate raised $202,000. All the while, a “Marble Fights Hunger” initiative gathers food to distribute to the needy all year round.
The cultural crossroads of the Flatiron District provides opportunities for Marble Collegiate Church to partner with other religious institutions. For over a decade, it has held annual Trialogue services with the Central Synagogue, located on East 51st Street, and the 96th Street Mosque. Rev. Brink says these Trialogues are intended “to build understanding and to see the ways that we hold things in common: compassion, kindness and love for neighbor.”
In a further effort to broaden its reach, Marble Collegiate Church maintains an expansive social media presence to publicize its events, reaching six million people a week. They live stream their Sunday masses – delivered by Senior Minister, Dr. Michael B. Brown – for those who cannot attend, routinely drawing an online audience of 300-500 people each week.
Technical savvy, interfaith collaboration and LGBT advocacy aside, Marble Collegiate Church is, fundamentally, a place for worshipers of all different backgrounds to pray and learn from one another. Theirs is not some modern innovation or reinvention of the wheel. It is a version of worship consistent with timeless Biblical principles that may, at times, get lost amongst the intolerance and bigotry preached by some high-profile religious institutions. The faith of Marble Collegiate Church and the Collegiate Churches as a whole resonates with the people of New York City because it is inclusive rather than restrictive. It is for this reason that it has lasted for over one hundred years and will remain for a long time to come.
NYC Theater News
Flatiron’s Marble Collegiate Church Embraces Inclusion, LGBT Rights
Faith never stands still. The Collegiate Churches of New York is a coalition of Protestant churches (a “community of believers”) united around a set of guiding principles that affirm the traditions of an age-old faith community while simultaneously aligning them with the modern world. Rev. Shari K. Brink of the Marble Collegiate Church describes her church’s basic message as “connecting people with God.” Along with its fellow Collegiate Churches and like-minded progressive religious institutions throughout the country, Marble Collegiate Church supplements this age-old mission with a modern interpretation of Biblical principles that emphasize the importance of inclusion and diversity. Rev. Brink explains: “Marble Collegiate Church makes a point of saying we practice love, period… and when we say love, period, we mean love, period.” While this philosophy applies to people of all backgrounds, Marble Collegiate Church has cultivated a reputation for its efforts on behalf of LGBT rights.
Reverend Shari K. Brink of Marble Collegiate Church
Rev. Brink embodies these efforts. A minister for over 21 years, she came out as a lesbian in the early 2000s. Her denomination at the time was not broadly inclusive of LGBT people, so she sought out a faith community more in line with her identity and her values. Like so many others before her, Rev. Brink found a new home at Marble Collegiate Church. A mainstay of the Flatiron District located at 1 West 29th Street, Marble Collegiate Church has been in the neighborhood since 1854, established as part of a Collegiate Church system dating back even further to 1628. At its founding and for a great many years after, Marble Collegiate Church stood at a bustling dirt crossroads. Rev. Brink considers this an apt metaphor for the Flatiron District as it exists today: a crossroads of converging religions, cultures and values.
It only follows that an organization located in the Flatiron District and in close proximity to Chelsea, a hub of the gay community, would be involved in the promotion of LGBT rights and inclusion. Marble Collegiate Church regularly hosts Gay and Christian Small Groups, aimed at helping LGBT worshipers reconcile their sexuality and their spirituality. It also partners with other organizations and individuals that work on behalf of gay rights. For example, Marble Collegiate Church recently held an event with Matthew Vines, a renowned spokesman for LGBT in the faith community who promotes inclusion and challenges traditional Biblical interpretations of sexual morality. And then there’s the fun stuff. Marble Collegiate Church, along with its fellow Collegiate Churches, participated in Gay Pride Week, marching and dancing in the parade and manning a water station for thirsty marchers.
Marble Collegiate Church’s efforts to further the cause of LGBT rights are not confined to New York City, or even the United States. “Globalization means that the world is at our doorstep. In addition to caring about our neighborhood, we’ve tried to shine a light on the fact that LGBT people elsewhere in the world are living in very hostile climates,” Rev. Brink explains. “God calls us to love our neighbor and our neighbor could be someone who lives here in the Flatiron District, it could be someone who’s come here, possibly fled, from elsewhere in the world.” Rev. Joseph Tolton, a friend and ally of Marble Collegiate Church who spoke at this year’s Pride service, is instrumental in spreading the values of the Collegiate Churches abroad, preaching and spearheading programs in a wide range of countries that persecute LGBT people. Rev. Tolton has guided many refugees from these countries to Marble Collegiate Church.
In addition to its work on behalf of LGBT rights, Marble Collegiate Church is involved in a number of charitable endeavors. For instance, it takes an Easter Offering, 100% of which goes to non-profits. This year, Marble Collegiate raised $202,000. All the while, a “Marble Fights Hunger” initiative gathers food to distribute to the needy all year round.
The cultural crossroads of the Flatiron District provides opportunities for Marble Collegiate Church to partner with other religious institutions. For over a decade, it has held annual Trialogue services with the Central Synagogue, located on East 51st Street, and the 96th Street Mosque. Rev. Brink says these Trialogues are intended “to build understanding and to see the ways that we hold things in common: compassion, kindness and love for neighbor.”
In a further effort to broaden its reach, Marble Collegiate Church maintains an expansive social media presence to publicize its events, reaching six million people a week. They live stream their Sunday masses – delivered by Senior Minister, Dr. Michael B. Brown – for those who cannot attend, routinely drawing an online audience of 300-500 people each week.
Technical savvy, interfaith collaboration and LGBT advocacy aside, Marble Collegiate Church is, fundamentally, a place for worshipers of all different backgrounds to pray and learn from one another. Theirs is not some modern innovation or reinvention of the wheel. It is a version of worship consistent with timeless Biblical principles that may, at times, get lost amongst the intolerance and bigotry preached by some high-profile religious institutions. The faith of Marble Collegiate Church and the Collegiate Churches as a whole resonates with the people of New York City because it is inclusive rather than restrictive. It is for this reason that it has lasted for over one hundred years and will remain for a long time to come.