Philadelphia pastor elected to lead historic Black church in New York City

New York's historic Abyssinian Baptist Church has elected its new senior pastor, likely bringing an end to a national search to replace the late Rev. Calvin O.

- Darren Sands Associated Press

Butts, who had served the church for a half-century before his death in 2022.

The Rev. Kevin R. Johnson, the founder of the independent Dare to Imagine Church in Philadelphia, was elected Sunday and will assume the new post in mid-July, Abyssinian said in a statement. He had served as an intern and assistant pastor under Butts, who had started searching for his successor before his death.