Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr.
Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. was born on September 6, 1935 in Burgaw, North Carolina to James A. Forbes, Sr. and Mabel Clemons Forbes. Forbes was raised as one of eight children in Raleigh, North Carolina. He received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1957. At Union Theological Seminary in the New York City, Forbes wrote his master’s thesis on Pentecostalism and the Renewal of the Church, and obtained his M.Div. degree in 1962. Forbes earned his clinical pastoral education certificate from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond in 1968. Forbes earned his D.Min. degree from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in 1975.
Following his graduate studies at Union Theological Seminary, Forbes returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he worked briefly in his father’s church, Providence United Holy Church. In 1962, Forbes became a student intern at Olin Binkly Memorial Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and went on to pastor Holy Trinity Church in Wilmington, North Carolina; St. Paul’s Holy Church in Roxboro, North Carolina; and St. John’s United Holy Church of America in Richmond, Virginia. After earning his Clinical Pastoral Education Certificate from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Forbes worked as campus minister for Virginia Union University in Richmond. In 1973, Forbes became a director of education for Interfaith Metropolitan Theological Education Inc. in Washington, D.C. In 1976, Forbes joined the faculty at Union Theological Seminary as its Brown and Sockman Associate Professor of Preaching. Forbes became the Union Theological Seminary’s first Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching in 1985. In 1986, Forbes gave the Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale University, informing his 1989 publication, The Holy Spirit & Preaching. Union Theological Seminary named Forbes the first Harry Emerson Fosdick Adjunct Professor of Preaching in 1989, the same year he was installed as fifth senior minister of Riverside Church in New York City. His installment rendered him the first African American senior minister of one of the largest multicultural and interdenominational congregations in the United States. Following his address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, Forbes led an interfaith rally and demonstration at Riverside Church as part of the Church’s Mobilization 2004 campaign. In 2007, he formed the Healing of the Nations Foundation, a non-partisan, non-profit, national ministry of healing and spiritual revitalization. That same year, Forbes retired as senior minister emeritus of Riverside Church. He authored Whose Gospel?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Protestantism in 2009.
Forbes was the recipient of fourteen honorary degrees, including D.D. degrees from Princeton University, Trinity College, Colgate University, and University of Richmond. In 1996, Newsweek recognized Forbes as one of the twelve “most effective preachers” in the English-speaking world.
Forbes and his wife, Bettye Forbes, have one son, James A. Forbes III.
Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on September 21, 2016.
A2016.046
Male
9/21/2016
Forbes
Married
A.
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Union Theological Seminary
Washington High School
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Medicine
James
Burgaw
FOR15
Autumn
North Carolina
None
All Things Work Together For Good.

New York
9/6/1935
New York
United States
Chicken
Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes (1935 - ) served as the fifth senior minister of Riverside Church in New York City from 1989 to 2007, making him the first African American Senior Minister of one of the largest multicultural and interdenominational churches in the United States.
Kittrell College
Olin T. Binkly Memorial Baptist Church
St. John’s United Holy Church
Virginia Union University
Union Theological Seminary
Riverside Church
Drum Major Institute
Brown
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr.'s interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes Stokes, North Carolina
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers harvesting tobacco, pt. 1
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers harvesting tobacco, pt. 2
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his maternal grandfather's house
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about his paternal grandfather's disappearance
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his father's education and occupations
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about his paternal family history
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls how his parents met
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his siblings, pt. 1
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his siblings, pt. 2
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his parents' emphasis on education
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his siblings, pt. 3
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his decision to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his earliest childhood memory
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers segregation in North Carolina
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls eating at an integrated lunch counter
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers his response to racism
Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his arrival at Howard University
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his activities at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his call to ministry
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers attending Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his approach to Pentecostalism
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his early interdenominational work
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his father's approach to religion
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls pastoring at Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers the social climate of Richmond, Virginia
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his civic involvement in Richmond, Virginia
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about making a living as a minister
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about black theology
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls working at Interfaith Metropolitan Education, Inc. in Washington, D.C.
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls teaching at Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about the founding of the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls writing 'The Holy Spirit and Preaching'
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes the history of Riverside Church in New York City
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls becoming a senior minister at the Riverside Church in New York City
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. remembers Nelson Mandela's visit at Riverside Church
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes the Riverside Church's history of inclusion
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his experiences at Riverside Church, pt. 1
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls his experiences at Riverside Church, pt. 2
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about founding Space for Grace
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. recalls joining the Drum Major Institute
Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. describes his book, 'Whose Gospel?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Protestantism'
Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about his spirituality
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. reflects upon his legacy
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. shares his advice for aspiring ministers
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. reflects upon his life
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. talks about his family and shares advice for mankind
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. narrates his photographs, pt. 1
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. narrates his photographs, pt. 3
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