New ProgressiveBaptist Church
Kingston, NY
OUR CHURCH
Our Mission is the Great Commission
If churches could be assigned anthropomorphic qualities, New Progressive Baptist Church - or New Pro as it is affectionately called - could be described as compassionate, unabashly affectionate, generous, enegertic and constantly evolving.
New Pro would never be mistaken for a traditional Baptist Church. There are very few ritualistic or religious traditions. The focus, instead, is on authentic praise and fervent worship. The church places much of its energy and resources on evangelism through outreach. These outreach efforts include inner-city street ministry in Kingston and other cities in the Mid-Hudson Region. These are festive, street events with a backyard-barbeque atmosphere, except that community residents are also treated to Gospel music and Christ-centered preaching.
The church is also sensiitive to the needs of returning citizens from inncarceration. New Pro has operated two residential re-entry facilities in the past and is currently being established as a "station of hope" with the Healing Communities organization. Ministers and laypersons conduct jail and prison ministries at area correctional facilities.
Involvement in Social Justice issues are an integral part of New Pro's profile. Pastor and people are involved in numerous activities that address community concerns. These include monitoring and maintaining effective community policing; aggressive recruitment of educators and school administrators of color and robust involvement in enhancing area residents' quality of life through enhanced educational and employment opportunities.
OUR PASTOR
Rev. Dr. G. Modele Clarke has been the senior pastor at New Progressive Baptist Church in Kingston, NY for 21 years. An advocate of street, jail and prison outreach ministries, he has lectured and ministered in Uganda, Trinidad, Grand Cayman Island and Puerto Rico. He is president of the Ministers’ Alliance of Ulster County and former president of the board of directors of Save Them Now, a re-entry program for ex-felons formerly operated by New Progressive Baptist Church.
A former lecturer of communication, School of Communication and the Arts, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY, for 16 years, Clarke received a Masters of Divinity (M. Div.) and Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) from Trinity Theological Seminary. He was also inducted into the National Omicron-Psi Honor Society for his distinguished theological scholarship and community service.
Clarke also studied at New York Theological Seminary, where he was the recipient of the Benjamin Mays Fellowship.
He graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz with a B.S. degree in English with a journalism concentration and Elementary Education (N-6 certification). He then graduated from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and was a journalist for several years, serving as a reporter, editor, columnist and freelance magazine writer.
He was also a public relations practitioner who served as director of public information for the New York State Department of Civil Service. He was a commissioner with the Ulster County Human Relations Commission and served on the Ulster County Re-Entry Task Force, the Ulster County Criminal Justice Council and the Ulster Council Workforce Development Board.
Clarke lives in Port Ewen, NY with his wife, Rev. Evelyn Clarke, an associate minister at New Progressive Baptist Church. Their son Foluke and their four grandchildren live in Philadelphia, PA.