It's been nearly 2 years since the passing of famed pastor Rev. Calvin Butts who served as Pastor at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem for decades.
But now, the church has (finally) as a successor, Rev. Dr. Kevin R. Johnson.
Rev. Dr. Johnson was the founding Lead Pastor of Dare to Imagine Church in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.
He is a 1996 graduate of Morehouse College and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Education degree from Columbia University.
He founded Dare to Imagine Church in 2014 after a contentious resignation and split with historic Bright Hope Baptist Church.
Rev. Johnson brings with him his wife, Mrs. Kimya S. P. Johnson, Esq. and their three children.
It had taken some time to officially welcome Rev. Johnson given the gender discrimination lawsuit brought Rev. Eboni Marshall Turman, a Yale Divinity School professor. Rev. Turman alleges that she was passed over from the Senior Pastor position because of her gender.
Rev. Raschaad Hoggard served as the interim pastor at Abyssinian. He bid farewell to the congregation on July 7th before Rev. Johnson formally assumes leadership.
Historic Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest black churches in NYC.
Welcome Rev. Dr. Kevin Johnson and family to Abyssinian.