Abyssinian Baptist Church will install Kevin Johnson as new senior pastor this month

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, September 13, 2024

Three months after announcing that the Rev. Kevin R. Johnson was selected as its new senior pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church, the renowned black Baptist congregation founded in New York City more than 200 years ago, will officially install him this month.

In a statement to The Christian Post Thursday, the church said that Johnson will be installed as the new senior pastor on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m., culminating a week of installation events.

A banquet where $250 tickets are already sold out is one such event scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27, at the Dr. Calvin O. Butts III Educational and Cultural Center.

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"It's a profound honor and joy to return to my family's spiritual home as I assume the role of Abyssinian's 21st senior pastor," Johnson said in a statement. "This pastoral call feels like a homecoming, an opportunity to serve our beloved Abyssinian family, the Harlem community, and beyond. I'm excited to build upon our church's rich 216-year legacy of exceptional leadership, while introducing a fresh vision for a global ministry. Together, we will empower individuals and families to discover their purpose and positively impact their communities and the world."

The installation of Johnson, who previously served at Dare to Imagine Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comes after a contentious dispute for the job left vacant by the late Rev. Calvin O. Butts III.

Abyssinian Baptist Church's top job opened up on Oct. 28, 2022, when Butts died from pancreatic cancer after leading the church for three decades.

The Rev. Eboni Marshall Turman, a Yale Divinity School professor who made history when she became the youngest pastor ordained at Abyssinian in 2007, had hoped to make history again as the church's first female pastor after Butts' death.

When she wasn't named as a finalist for the position by the church's search committee, Turman filed a federal lawsuit accusing the church and its search committee of gender discrimination.

The church said more than 40 candidates from diverse backgrounds across age, gender and sexual orientations were considered for the senior pastor role.

The search committee considered applicants with a proven record of at least 12 to 15-plus years of successful church leadership; had pastoral experience as a senior pastor; a master of divinity degree and/or preferably, a doctorate degree from an accredited theological seminary. The candidates also had to have experience managing complex religious organizations.

Johnson grew Dare to Imagine Church, Inc., from 20 people in his home to a congregation of now more than 1,500. He also serves as the founder, president and CEO of Dare to Imagine Community Development Corporation. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Kimya, a corporate attorney who served as the vice president of Dare to Imagine Church, Inc.'s board, have been married for nearly 27 years with three children.