#  Charles G. Adams Is First William and Lucille Nickerson Professor of the Practice of Ethics and Ministry 

 





July 10, 2007

 

 

 The Rev. Charles G. Adams, one of the most prominent and dynamic ministers in the United States, has joined Harvard's Faculty of Divinity as the first William and Lucille Nickerson Professor of the Practice of Ethics and Ministry, starting a five-year term on July 1, 2007.

 "Charles Adams is one of the country's most accomplished religious leaders," Dean William A. Graham said in announcing the appointment on June 4. "He is not only a widely acclaimed preacher, but has been just as influential as a pioneer in linking the church's mission to urban revitalization through economic, educational, and social initiatives. This range of experience makes him an especially apt choice to inaugurate the Nickerson professorship, which was created, in part, 'with special attention to economic policies and practices as they affect both the profession of the ministry and society as a whole.' "

 Adams, BD '64, has been pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit since 1969. Under his leadership, the church has established social, educational, and recreational programs for a congregation that now numbers at more than 10,000 members. Its various economic development initiatives have gone even further, in helping to revitalize much of northwest Detroit.

 Beyond Detroit, Adams has been integral to the World Council of Churches' efforts to combat racism. In this regard, for example, he spoke before the United Nations on South African apartheid. He has been president of the Detroit Branch of the NAACP and holds memberships on numerous boards, including the National Council of Churches and Morehouse College. In 1994, he accompanied President Bill Clinton to Jordan to witness the signing of the peace accord between Jordan and Israel.

 In addition he has acted as one of HDS's most trusted advisers over the years, and has won several of the School's alumni awards. He was a founding member of the Black Alumni Network, now known as Alumni/ae of African Descent; he played an integral role in raising the money to create the Black Seminarians Fund; and he has been a guiding force in the development and growth of HDS's Summer Leadership Institute, an annual two-week program begun in 1998 that trains pastors and lay leaders in community and economic development. Not only has Adams served on the SLI faculty each year, but he has engendered a fruitful cross-fertilization between Hartford and Harvard, bringing Harvard professors to speak at his church.

 by Wendy McDowell



 

 

 



 

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