Mayor Koch Remembered As Great Listener By David Randolph

“Ed Koch was a great listener and that is why he was a great leader,” said David Randolph, minister of Christ United Methodist Church during Koch’s tenure. “When he asked, how am I doing? He listened to your answer,” added Dr. Randolph who now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he hosts the […]

Ed Koch was a great listener and that is why he was a great leader,” said David Randolph, minister of Christ United Methodist Church during Koch’s tenure. “When he asked, how am I doing? He listened to your answer,” added Dr. Randolph who now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he hosts the New Way Media Fest.

Dr. Randolph, who received his PhD from Boston University and taught at Drew University in New Jersey, cites his visit to Gracie Mansion in 1986 when he spoke about the problem of drugs in the city.

Mayor Koch listened to religious leaders and with Cardinal O’Connor and others formed an interfaith force to deal with the drug problem on which Randolph served. This expanded into action that helped lay the foundation of the transformation of the city from the crime and chaos of that time. Randolph recalls that the United Methodist City Society of the New York Annual Conference played an important role then with John Carrington as Director as it as it does now with William Shilladay as Director. Randolph’s sermon “New Heaven, New Earth, New York” along with other sermons preached at the time is included in his book “Credit Card Christ” published recently and available at Amazon.com.


A photo of Mayor Koch listening and Pastor Randolph speaking is at  [email protected]. More will be added on Mayor Koch, Joey Adams and others who helped make the new New York in Randolph’s forthcoming autobiographical book, “The Great Parade.”

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