NEW YORK (RNS) — As New York City Mayor Eric Adams prepares to leave office this fall, after suspending his reelection bid amid outcry over a scandal-ridden mayorship, he leaves behind a new network of faith leaders mobilized by his crisis initiatives and concerned those partnerships will falter under a new administration.
Adams, who was indicted in 2024 on federal charges of wire fraud, bribery and conspiracy tied to campaign fundraising, decided not to run in the Democratic primary in June, choosing to run in the general election as an independent candidate instead. But faced with the popular Democratic candidate, Zohran Mamdani, and the familiar face of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Adams announced on Sept. 28 that he would not seek reelection, after a Quinnipiac poll showed his approval rating was among the lowest for a New York City mayor in recent decades.
Despite his unpopularity with many New Yorkers, Adams’ legacy among faith communities is marked by an unprecedented partnership that brought small and often overlooked congregations to the front lines of city governance in ways no modern mayor had before.
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“Faith has always been central to my life, and to the lives of millions of New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” Adams, who grew up going to church in Queens, wrote in a statement to RNS. “That’s why, as soon as we entered office, we established the Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships to ensure that faith leaders have a seat at the table.”
The OFBCP was created in 2022, Adams’ first year in office, wi …