Chautauqua Community Worship Service: Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson

Lakeside Chautauqua welcomes the Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson as Preacher of the Week from July 10-14. He will lead the 10:30 a.m. Chautauqua Community Worship Service on Sunday, July 10 in Hoover Auditorium. This week’s Preacher of the Week is supported by the Knobel Family Endowment.

Featuring music and the spoken Word, Michael Shirtz and guest artists will provide musical leadership during the service, while the liturgy is led by the Rev. Dr. Charles Yoost, Senior Director of Religious Life & Pastoral Care.

Following the opening prayer, children (ages 5-11) will proceed to Bradley Temple for Children’s Church with Chip Richter. There will be a message by Richter, songs, crafts, and refreshments to share. Children ages 6 and under are welcome if accompanied by an adult. This week’s service will be live streamed. Visit lakesideohio.com/streaming to watch on the day of the service.

Simpson will also lead Vespers by the Lake at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Steele Memorial Bandstand.

Simpson is the leading pastor of Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York. He responded to God’s call at an early age. Simpson preached his first sermon at age 15 at Southfield Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus and was ordained at age 20 by the Eastern Union Missionary Baptist Church Association.

He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Denison University with a bachelor’s degree in religion and black studies. He also earned two degrees from Union Theological Seminary in New York City — Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry.

Simpson has a great passion for the nurturing of the next generation of pastors for the Church of Jesus Christ. In 2002, he was sought out by the Lilly Endowment to create a formal Pastoral Residence Program at Concord Church. In doing so, he and his congregation have aided a generation of seminary graduates to transition to congregational ministry.

Under Simpson’s leadership, Concord was one of a handful of churches across the country serving as a teaching congregation for pastors. In 2011, he won support from the Lilly Endowment to expand Concord’s program to include a collaboration with three additional African American Baptist congregations, shaping and supporting even more pastors for the church.

Simpson has achieved tenure as an associate professor of Homiletics at Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. He has taught and lectured at six other schools. His favorite assignments are serving as a teacher at his Sunday morning Men’s Bible Class and in Concord’s Wednesday Night Community Bible Study. He is one of eight featured preachers on the Future of Great Preaching website, a resource for the Andover Newton Theological School, and his video is being used in theological schools to teach the art of preaching.

Church Pass

Guests are welcome to attend Sunday morning church services free of charge by requesting a complimentary Church Pass between 7:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday; valid until 1 p.m. The pass includes admission to Lakeside for guests and auto, but not access to the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus pool.