A church divided: Rift over new pastor at influential Black church in Harlem

Fresh off of the selection of a new senior pastor, Harlem’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church is facing a deep divide. A dozen members of the influential Black congregation tell the I-Team they represent dozens more who believe the new pastor was chosen in a flawed process, set up to unfairly favor one candidate.

Last Sunday, Rev. Kevin Johnson officially took over both administrative and spiritual leadership of the century’s old church on West 138th Street. Over the years, Abyssinian has hosted governors, senators, and presidential candidates, while playing a prominent role in the nation’s civil rights movement. Among those on hand to celebrate the new pastor’s installation: Sen. Rev. Raphel Warnock (D-GA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–NY).

But Johnson’s ascendency to the pulpit of one of the nation’s most powerful African American churches has frustrated some members who say his choosing was pre-ordained by a biased selection committee, that handed him a victory with too few votes from rank-and-file church members.

“We had fourty-seven candidates or so. Fourty-six were overlooked because we circumvented the process,“ said Jasmine McFarlane-White, an Abyssinian member who said she’s attended the church since she was 2 years old.

According to church bylaws, “a majority vote of the members in good standing” is needed to elect a new pastor. Critics of Johnson’s selection interpret that to mean the new pastor must earn support of 51% of all members eligible to vote, not just a majority of those who chose to vote. The process, they say, is intended to force pastoral candidates to maximize voter-turnout and obtain a “super majority” — since members are considering only one candidate at a time — as opposed to choosing between multiple candidates at once.

According to a record of the vote provided by critics of the process, fewer than half of Abyssinian church members voted in the June election. In an up or down vote, Rev. Johnson received 672 yes votes – 55.6% of the people who cast ballots. But that amounted to just 25.3% of the 2,655 church members who were eligible to vote.

“You need a super majority, a majority of all the members in good standing versus the majority of people who vote,” McFarlane-White said.

Gilda Squire, an Abyssinian church member who voted against Johnson, said she believes the electoral process was so flawed, the results should be scrapped and the church should start over.

“When you combine the flawed and tainted search process with a flawed election process, and you’ve ignored bylaws to do so, what that says at least to me, is that perhaps we need a reset,” Squire said.

Rev. Kevin Johnson did not respond to the I-Team’s request for an interview or a comment, but Latoya Evans, a public relations representative for Abyssinian Baptist Church, said he was elected in a fair and legal manner.

“Abyssinian is ready to move forward into a new era and chapter with the leader they rightfully chose,” Evans said.

She also organized Zoom interviews with supporters of Rev. Johnson, who believe the election of a new pastor only required a majority of those members who actually cast ballots.

“He’s a dynamic leader. He inspires people,” said Kanika Morgan, an Abyssinian member who was married by Rev. Johnson and voted for him.

“He’s doing God’s work and that’s what I really admire about him,” said Michael Deas, an Abyssinian deacon.

“I never had any qualms about the process at all,” said Delsenia Glover, an Abyssinian church member who voted in favor of Rev. Johnson.

“I respect him. He’s an incredible church leader, church builder,” said Lamonda Williams, an Abyssinian trustee. “He’s a man of God that I completely respect and I couldn’t be more enamored that he is in the pulpit to succeed my beloved Reverand Butts.”

The search for a new pastor began even before Abyssinian’s former leader, Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, passed away two years ago. And that’s another point of grievance for those who feel the selection process was unfair.

Critics within Abyssinian say Rev. Butts hand-picked members of the pulpit search committee – effectively helping to choose his own successor.

“He didn’t have the authority to assemble that group. That group was never presented to us,” said Dr. Kevin McGruder, a history professor who has been a member of Abyssinian Baptist Church since 1987.

According to the church bylaws, the selection committee tasked with filling a pastor vacancy “shall be appointed by the Diaconate at a duly called Church Meeting, and such shall be representative of the Church Members in Good Standing.”

Calvin O. Butts IV, who now serves as an Abyssinian deacon, confirmed his father did hand-pick the search committee members that ultimately put forth Rev. Johnson as the sole candidate considered by the congregation. But the younger Butts said the selection committee was ultimately approved by the Abyssinian deacons, as required by the bylaws.

“With the approval of the Deaconate, my father did appoint the search committee,” Butts said. “He announced it in front of the entire congregation and there were zero objections.”

Evans said, in Feb. 2023, there was an official church meeting in which the search committee was expanded – but she didn’t address whether individual appointees to the committee were named or ratified.

“The February 2023 church meeting allowed the formal increase of the number of Pastoral Search Committee (PSC) members,” Evans wrote in an email to the I-Team.

The I-Team requested any official record of that meeting, including attendance records or minutes. The church has not yet provided any.

“The Pastoral Search Committee did not follow any of the laws that were set forth in place to elect him,” said Dr. Clarence Ball, a member of the church for ten years. “After they brought him forward, they had a propaganda campaign.”

Opponents of Rev. Johnson’s selection say they’re befuddled as to why the selection committee elevated him above dozens of other candidates, especially considering several negative headlines about Johnson’s tenure as a pastor in Pennsylvania. After he resigned as the leader of Philadelphia’s Bright Hope Baptist Church, the Philadelphia Inquirer described Johnson as an “embattled pastor” who clashed with church members who “tried to get answers about the church’s financial affairs, including his salary.”

“How did what happened at Bright Hope Baptist Church factor into the search committee making an intentional decision to move this candidate into the top position?” Squire asked.

Still, supporters of Rev. Johnson brushed aside any controversy surrounding the pastor’s former service.

“What happened in Philadelphia does not have any concern of us,” said Morris McWilliams, an Abyssinian Deacon.

Last Sunday, just before Rev. Kevin Johnson was formally installed and took his position at Abyssinian pulpit, Senator Raphael Warnock, one of the nation’s pre-eminent Baptist pastors, used part of his remarks to call for healing in the legendary Harlem church that’s now fractured.

“America is counting on you, Abyssinian,” he said. “This is holy ground. Not a battleground.”