Shannah Rae MEMORIAL

Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern

Metro Baptist Church (410 W. 40th Street - Manhattan)


All are invited to attend a memorial service for beloved church member, Shannah Rae, on Sunday, October 26 at 2:00 PM Eastern.  The service will be held in person in the sanctuary* of Metro Baptist Church and will also be streamed live via YouTube for anyone who cannot join us in person. 


At the close of the formal memorial service which begins at 2:00 PM, we will hold an informal open mic time (beginning at approximately 3:00 PM) for anyone who would like to offer spoken tributes or songs in honor of Shannah, who herself loved an open mic opportunity.  For those planning to offer a song during open mic, please bring sheet music for the pianist (no rehearsal ahead of time).


*Please note that Metro Baptist Church's physical sanctuary unfortunately is not ADA accessible and requires climbing approximately 10 stairs to enter the space.  We apologize for any inconvenience.


Please email thenkel@mbcnyc.org with any questions.



CLICK HERE TO STREAM SHANNAH RAE MEMORIAL ON OCTOBER 26, 2025

SHANNAH RAE IDLEMAN (1977-2025)

Beloved Metro member, Shannah Rae, passed away suddenly on September 19, 2025 after a brief illness. Shannah was such a joyful, creative and warm member of our community for many years, and she will be greatly missed.  She touched so many people throughout her life - including her family and friends, faith communities, students, and wider creative circles. You can read her full obituary here.


Shannah's funeral was held on Saturday, September 17 at her hometown church, First Baptist Church of Galena, KS.  A recording of that service can be viewed here.


In lieu of flowers, there are two opportunities to support her family and honor Shannah. First, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Shannah's family with unexpected expenses related to her funeral and closing out her business and apartment. Secondly, her family has encouraged people to make a charitable contribution to RMM's Winter Clothing Closet, an initiative that Shannah provided ongoing support.