Marble Collegiate Church

And I don't know why it hit me, but just as soon as I knew thoughts were things...

And then my dad's constant inspiration, like we would watch Norman Vincent Peale at the Marble Collegiate Church.

Even though we're Jewish, it was like listening to the sermons.

He would give me Success Unlimited magazine.

Oh, that's such a great question.

Um, where did that come from? Well, it came from sitting with my dad and watching Norman Vincent Peale at the Marble Collegiate Church and listen to the, the power that you have to get things done.

You know, at that time I was trying to be the starting point guard for my high school.

I, I went to a really big high school in Teaneck, and, um, I was playing in a small league off to the side and, uh, I never played with the, the big guys.

I've known you, I, I said for an undisclosed amount of years.

Um, [laughs] but, uh, we've known each other for quite a long time, from singing together at Marble Collegiate Church and now teaching together at NYU.

So I'm, um, I just, I think so highly of you, and I'm really glad to have this conversation with you.

Thank you, and the feeling is definitely mutual.

There's a reason for that.

He was watching television one day in Mar-a-Lago and came across her and was like, "Oh yeah, this is my, my guru." Not coincidentally, as a young boy, he had sat in the pews of Norman Vincent Peale's Marble Collegiate in New York City, right? So he had been shaped by prosperity gospel teachings, in that case, in the mainline, right, the power of positive thinking.

And so he sees somebody like Paula White, who is absolutely charismatic, right, and resonating with his, the power of positive thinking, which is essentially you Can do anything.

You can create your own reality.

[laughs]

... freezing winter day in New York City, trudging through Manhattan to get to Marble Collegiate Church to kind of establish what would be this Women's Board of Foreign Mission.

Um, and so as they, kind of the next seven decades, they gave women a platform, uh, for fundraising, but also for leadership and active partas- participation in denominational life, like well before they were able to be ordained.

Hmm.

So, um, I mentioned that RC, uh, uh, that...

I'm sorry, Dr. Ida, Ida Scudder had to garner her fundraising skills, and God provided again, uh, this need for a hospital.

And this came through a family who worshiped at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City.

A gentleman by the name of Robert Schell, a trusted banker and member of this church, overheard Ida speaking about her work in Vellore, and he provided $10,000, a significant amount at that time, and helped with the purchase of equipment needed for the new hospital also.