Thursday, November 14, 2024

Why I Am Suing My Church: Because Elections Matter, Even For Churches

News Why I Am Suing My Church: Because Elections Matter, Even For Churches By blackstar Updated on: November 14, 2024 Join our Whatsapp Channel For The Latest News Join Now By Dr. Kevin McGruder
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
“Do not major in bylaws and minor in the Bible…. America is counting on you, Abyssinian. This is holy ground, not a battleground.” These were remarks made by Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock at the September 29th installation ceremony for Rev. Kevin R. Johnson, the announced new pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. Warnock, as a legislator, advising a congregation to not to ‘major in bylaws’ when electing its new pastor was oddly unusual, particularly at a time when this country was moments away from perhaps the most consequential presidential election in our history. Further, he had been on the frontlines campaigning for the Democratic candidate, Vice President Harris. One of the central Democratic critiques of the first Trump presidency was the fact that he repeatedly broke the law, the rules. Yet, the Georgia Senator, and former Abyssinian Assistant Pastor, disapprovingly referred to a months-long effort by groups of Abyssinian members to get the church leadership to follow its own rules in selecting a new pastor who would be the successor to Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, the previous Abyssinian pastor, who died in October of 2022. Our efforts were unsuccessful, largely due to the church leadership’s refusal to adhere to a litany of provisions in the church’s bylaws. In three member-called special meetings, our concerns were ignored and our questions were not answered by church leadership. The search culminated with the June 23rd announcement of Rev. Johnson as pastor, even though he had received only twenty-five percent of the vote of members rather than the majority required by church bylaws. Why is this so important? When a pastor is called to a church by less than a majority of its members, there is potential danger of a church fracture that could alter the institution’s future, proving detrimental to opportunities for growth and its financial well-being. Two weeks after the September installation ceremony, the church and Rev. Johnson were served with legal papers in a lawsuit regarding the pastoral search and election. I am one of the four plaintiffs in the suit. I never expected – or wanted – to be in this position. Each of the plaintiffs have varying reasons for being the public face of this effort, which is supported by dozens of other Abyssinian members. For me, my decades-long history with Abyssinian, and my equally long history of working for nonprofit organizations, left me no other choice in taking what I firmly believe is a step toward saving this church that has lost its way as it relates to governance practices. Like any institution or corporation, survival is impossible when its foundation lacks integrity.
Abyssinian is a religious institution. The First Amendment of the Constitution restricts the government from interfering with most aspects of the activities of churches. But Abyssinian is also a nonprofit organization. Like other nonprofits, its exemption from paying income taxes, which also allows its members to deduct our contributions to the church from our personal income taxes, rests on the fact that, like other nonprofit organizations, it is viewed as a public trust, undertaking activities that are for the public good. Bylaws of nonprofit organizations are the rules that govern their operations. They are developed by the organizations and are expected to be followed, providing organizational consistency as staff and leadership change over the years. They may be amended as needed, but ignoring protocols and bylaws is a sign of serious organizational dysfunction, something that the recent pastoral search and election processes revealed regarding the current governance practices at the Abyssinian Baptist Church that are so egregious that we are asking the court to intervene, after failing to get church leadership to take corrective action. I became a member of Abyssinian in 1987. I had just turned thirty, and having grown up in the church, had stopped attending regularly as an adult, but felt that something was missing from my life. Abyssinian became a central part of my identity. I was a member of its Chancel Choir, Director of Real Estate Development at the Abyssinian Development Corporation, and led its Archives and History Ministry for over a decade, during which professional archives were established. My work with the Archives and History Ministry led me to decide to obtain a Ph.D. in U.S. History, and also provided me with the opportunity to become a co-author of the 2014 Abyssinian bicentennial history book, Witness: Two Hundred Years of African American Faith and Practice at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. I also served as Assistant Church Clerk, one of the officers of the Church, from 2009 to 2012. When I moved to Ohio in 2012, I maintained my Abyssinian membership, supporting the church financially and watching services online. I often traveled to New York for the February annual church meetings. Abyssinian was founded in 1808 when eleven women and four men of color asked permission to leave the First Baptist Church on Gold Street in Lower Manhattan, a predominantly White congregation. It was the first Black Baptist church established in the state of New York. The 1800s was a period of challenges and small triumphs for Abyssinian, but the church grew and entered the national stage in the twentieth century. Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Sr., pastor from 1908 to 1937, moved the church from midtown to Harlem, and to national prominence through his work with White and Black Progressives of his era. His son, Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. succeeded him, and through his concurrent service as the Congressional representative for Harlem, brought the church to international prominence as the “Church of the Masses,” one of the first megachurches with a reported membership of 10,000 people.
After Powell, Jr.’s death in 1972, he was succeeded by Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor, who stabilized the church, and then encouraged Abyssinian to be a force for revitalizing its Central Harlem neighborhood by forming the Abyssinian Development Corporation, incorporated in 1989. That same year, Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III succeeded Dr. Proctor as pastor, and continued to build on the foundation that he had inherited. He expanded it in the area of education with establishment of the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, a high school and lower school, that are New Vision, smaller public schools. To appreciate why my fellow petitioners and I have taken these steps, it is important to understand that Abyssinian, a flagship Baptist Church in this country with this rich history, is not merely a church. Abyssinian is often looked to as a model of what could be and what should be as a preeminent institution of faith that has been at the forefront of social justice, equality, and civil rights for the Black community. If Abyssinian’s leadership establishes a dangerous blueprint, with this recent election of a pastor, that ignoring bylaws is acceptable, what type of precedence does this set for the governance of other Black Baptist churches going forward? Speaking truth and seeking course correction of this matter has had consequences for me and others. Most recently, at the end of the November 10th Sunday worship service, during which Abyssinian celebrated its 216th anniversary, Rev. Johnson concluded the service by noting that the day before, the Deacon and Trustee Boards had voted unanimously to prohibit any member who was “opposing” the church from continuing to serve in any Abyssinian ministry, the organizations through which most of the day-to-day work of the church is done. Ministries, including choirs and usher boards, are the main vehicles through which members move from Sunday-only attendees to working on activities that strengthen their bonds with other members while creating initiatives that serve Abyssinian and the broader community. Most importantly, as the name implies, serving in an Abyssinian ministry is an opportunity for a member to minister to others like a Christian should.
Rev. Johnson claimed that the recent decision was made at the advice of the church’s attorney, and was meant to achieve “unity” within the church. The statement implies Rev. Johnson and his followers are the “church”. I do not oppose Christ’s church, the congregation of Abyssinian. What I oppose is those who interlope as the church, have a casual disregard for Abyssinian’s bylaws, and show contempt for members of Abyssinian. While I know this latest announcement was meant to isolate and demonize the plaintiffs and others, it was also meant to silence anyone seeking accountability from church leaders, now and in the future, by daring to ask a simple question. It is a page taken out of the playbook of dictators, and it reveals the unethical foundation on which Rev. Johnson and Abyssinian’s church leaders are attempting to build his pastorate that is only a few months old. Contrary to Rev. Dr. Warnock’s remarks at the recent installation service, I believe that all church members need to be double majors, grounding our faith in our knowledge of the Bible, while also understanding the governance practices, represented in, and the integrity required by, our bylaws. Our lawsuit is meant to provide Abyssinian leadership with an opportunity to embark on a course correction and bring our governance practices, in this case the pastoral search and election process, in alignment with our bylaws so that the Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York can move forward into the future as a well-governed, spiritually strong church. Our goal is to restore integrity at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, something that is now in extremely short supply. To support the Restoring Integrity at Abyssinian Effort, go to: https://gofund.me/9d9f98a5

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

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Friday, November 01, 2024

2,000 NYCHA apartments in Manhattan to be torn down under controversial redevelopment plan A worker is seen cleaning the sidewalk outside the Chelsea Houses in Manhattan on Aug. 4, 2022. John Smith / By David Brand Published Oct 30, 2024
A controversial plan to tear down and replace thousands of public housing apartments in Manhattan is one step closer to reality following a key vote on Wednesday. The New York City Housing Authority's board approved the proposal to replace 18 buildings across the Fulton and Chelsea-Elliott Houses — where around 4,500 people live — and also allow for thousands of additional market-rate units on the two campuses. The plan would be the largest such replacement project in the history of NYCHA, which runs the nation’s largest public housing system but has faced decades of disinvestment compounded by mismanagement and scandals. The agency has turned to private developers and managers to take over building operations through a program that changes the source of federal funding for the apartments. The demolition-and-replacement proposal has earned support from Mayor Eric Adams and members of NYCHA’s board. It represents a major change in how the city’s public housing is managed and developed, with tenants set to move into new apartments once construction is completed in phases over the next seven years. “While it’s taken a long time to get here and it’s going to take a long time to move on, this is a really important moment in the history of NYCHA’s transformation,” said Jamie Rubin, the board's chair, at the board’s meeting on Wednesday morning. “The only way to restore NYCHA to the status that it once had, which is the glory of the United States public housing system, is to reinvest in the buildings at scale.” Under the plan, two private developers — Related Companies and Essence — would erect six new apartment buildings and move most of the existing tenants into them in phases over the next seven years. The current structures, which contain more than 2,000 units, would then be torn down. About 120 tenants, including residents of a building specifically for seniors, would have to move out before the new apartments are constructed. Construction on the first two NYCHA buildings, which can be built within current zoning regulations, is expected to begin after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approves a required environmental review next year, according to the housing authority. The agreement between NYCHA and the developers outlines key milestones and phasing timelines for the project. Tenant association leaders support the plan and say it’s necessary to address their aging homes. “I invite anyone who doesn’t live in Fulton: Come stay in Fulton and you’ll see how we’re living, how disgusting it is,” said Miguel Acevedo, president of the Fulton Houses Tenant Association. But concerns about potential displacement have fueled some of the opposition to the plan, as residents and their allies worry the tenants won’t be able to return. Other opponents say they fear losing their current rights to pay a percentage of their income toward rent and pass on apartments to family members. They presented the board with a petition signed by 939 residents opposing the demolition plan. “The demolition proposal is being forced on us. It’s what you want,” Elliott Houses tenant Celines Miranda told the board. “It’s obvious what the true motive is for this demolition: It’s a land grab.” Officials from NYCHA, Essence and Related have sought to allay residents’ concerns by promising that the tenants will retain their same lease rights throughout the project, though the tenants may be forced to move into units that are smaller than their current apartments. Many of the tenants who end up displaced from the buildings before the new ones are ready would have the opportunity to move into vacant apartments on the two campuses, NYCHA Vice President Jonathan Gouveia told the board on Wednesday. “Any household that is temporarily relocated off site will have the right to return to their development once the associated NYCHA replacement building is complete,” he said. The proposal would also allow the two developers to construct around 3,500 additional apartments on the sites. A portion of the units would be reserved for low- and middle-income tenants, according to the plan. Any new market-rate housing in one of the nation’s most expensive ZIP codes could be a bonanza for the developers, as some of the plan's opponents have pointed out. But its supporters say the additional proposed apartments are crucial for addressing the city’s housing shortage. The replacement plan re-emerged last year after a tenant-led task force initially rejected the demolition concept in 2021. Essence CEO Jamar Adams told Gothamist last year that his company began calculating the cost of renovations and determined they would roughly equal the cost of building from scratch. NYCHA surveyed residents of the Fulton and Chelsea-Elliott Houses last year about whether they would support replacing the current units. Most of the 950 respondents said they did. The housing agency estimates it needs $78 billion for repairs and renovations across its hundreds of developments, according to its most recent budget estimate. NYCHA campuses are officially home to more than 360,000 New Yorkers, though housing experts say the true number of residents who are not listed on leases is likely far higher. This story has been updated with additional information from NYCHA. Related stories NYC public housing tenants make last-ditch push to stop demolition in Chelsea Report: NYCHA 'mishandled' water issues at East Village public housing complex in 2022 About 70 NYC public housing employees arrested in bribery probe, federal officials say Tagged David Brand David is a reporter covering housing for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email dbrand@nypublicradio.org or Signal 908-310-3960. Read more Conversation56 Comments 35 Viewing Commenting on this article has ended Log in Sign up Sort by Best StopFECDemolition 1 day ago It is disappointing that this article lacks critical thinking. These are the numbers that should be reviewed. According to the official survey results: 969 residents participated, representing just 29% of the eligible population. 37% of all households took part of the total households. 57% of responde... See more 8 Share 1 reply DC 2 days ago What should be controversial is NYCHA continuing to exist when the Section 9 model of public housing has been largely abandoned nationally. Hopefully this is the start to the long process of a full department phaseout. NYC should work to redevelop every NYCHA site with increased density and mixed i... See more 10 5 Share J C 2 days ago What's controversial is that Ronny Reagan's policies are still in place. The "market" is a failure except for the very well off or the very well connected. 11 5 Share Joe Gonzalez 1 day ago MEMO TO DC: Where are the 650,000 NYCHA Residents going to move to if NYCHA is phased out? 9 3 Share 1 reply Show 1 more reply suzanne jablonski 1 day ago Is anybody asking what these developers are getting out of this they're getting land to put in mixed use departments mostly Market rent and retail space they're not doing this out of the kindness of their hearts or because they care about these tenants they're going to make an unbelievable amount o... See more 8 1 Share Stacy Stac (Sexy one) 22 hours ago Yup,and those poor ppl won't be able to move bk to whr they called home. Those developers are gonna do em dirty. Market rate apts are gonna b out up. Watch. Apts ppl just can't afford. Gentrification is whts it's called. Once they get their foot in the door,the plans gonna change. That's hw they go... See more 2 Share BoFiS 1 day ago Bet you the plan will include cutting down tons of large, old trees in order to make room for these new buildings...many of which will be full of very overpriced "market-rate" apartments no one can afford. Any new buildings built on NYCHA property should have to be fully affordable, and should not... See more 3 Share 1 reply MIKE Scandif 1 day ago These are well constructed buildings isn't there any other way to redo them at a cheaper price? 9 1 Share StopFECDemolition 1 day ago Though asked repeatedly they have not shown how the price tag has from 366 million to 1.2 billion. Everyone is taking the word of Related/Essence. 8 Share Sheila Reveala 1 day ago If you understand anything about buildings, sure they can be well constructed, but they have to be maintained, including the roofs and the bricks. You learn this when you become a homeowner. When NYCHA can't repair and replace the roofs and point all the bricks periodically, it leads to the buildin... See more 2 3 Share 1 reply A Lady 1 day ago Exactly! 3 Share Show 1 more reply Carl Lutz III 1 day ago Once you see the name "Related Companies", you know this won't bode well for these tenants. My guess is that they will be shipped out, but not shipped back in again. 6 Share 1 reply A Lady 1 day ago What a absolutely terrible idea. Why destroy buildings that are sturdy and have withstood the tests of time for some new building that will be built with sub par materials? If anything they should just be renovated. Those two private entities that are taking over are ruthless. Just do the research.... See more 5 1 Share Alicia Wang 2 days ago I thought they had agreed for this to happened already. The residents get temporary housing while that project area gets leveled and rebuild as new. The residents complaining none stop it’s falling apart now it’s finally steps to start doing it they getting cold feet? 6 3 Share S. 1 day ago I think the reason for this is because they are afraid, they will come out with something at the last second as to why they can't move back. I totally understand their apprehension. 7 Share Lee Laurie 1 day ago The issue with temp housing is location. Where are the tenants going? Staten Island was a suggestion. People would need to travel very far to go to their doctor/school/jobs. Build 1 building move tenants in knock down old building. Buildon top of old building. Move the next group over. Repeat 3 Share Show 1 more reply Joe Gonzalez 1 day ago Pure and simple this is a naked land grab. Who really voted for this mouthpiece Miguel Acevedo to be a "tenant leader"? Real estate fat cats who are plotting to build a casino directly behind Fulton Houses are the straw that stirs the stench. Where are the NYCHA tenants suppose to reside while the ... See more 9 2 Share Justin at jtsphotographer 1 day ago I wish this article had more input from tenants, I'm not sure what to think i never lived in these houses. Adams is corrupt and should be impeached. He's on trial and i don't trust him. He allegedly has greed issues why should i trust this project? Why should anyone trust him with money? 4 Share OnePersonOrAnother 2 days ago That is a truly terrible headline. They're being replaced with new apartments, not just torn down. 12 3 Share J C 2 days ago Replaced with substandard construction and gifts to taxpayer backed developers. 13 3 Share Erin Dolak 2 days ago Came here to say this! 8 1 Share Downtown_Pete 1 day ago The majority of the tenants seem to be in favor of this plan; after all, they voted on it. Also, even if the alternative (gut renovations while the tenants somehow stay in place) would be financially possible, staying in a building that undergoes a gut renovation? That is a really bad idea. Highl... See more 2 3 Share StopFECDemolition 1 day ago The majority of tenants are not in favor. A survey isn't a legally binding document. It is being used as justification. 550 is the survey number for new construction and 939 signed petitions against demolition. 3 Share This comment violated our policy. J C 2 days ago I don't understand why taxpayers are forced to pay for illegal wars (Iraq), Wall Street bailouts, and things like underwriting Hudson Yards. You see only the surface, and have no idea of where things come from, that's why "it" makes no sense to you. 5 2 Share S. 1 day ago I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for saying this, but I'm going to say it anyway. IMO, there is no reason why some (perhaps more) NYCHA projects need to look the way you do. Being of a lower income is no excuse for not taking pride where you live. If you can't pick up after your dog, you sh... See more 3 5 Share Pablo Honey 1 day ago It's not their fault that they keep their buildings and dwellings filthy and violence-ridden. It's society's fault for not providing enough "programs" and "education." At least according to the majority of commenters here. 2 Share Show 3 more replies Nicole 18 hours ago So here's the problems I see. I think that There are many generations of people that live in nycha and they don't want to lose that. There are people in nycha who don't want to pay market rate. Secondly, The moderate income apartments that they want to build would kind of be like the lotteries and ... See more Share Vanyali 7 hours ago Buildings have limited lifespans. People prop up old buildings with extreme efforts — they don’t just stand there forever on their own. If you aren’t going to go through these extreme efforts, then tearing the buildings down and replacing them is the only sensible option. Letting the buildings c... See more Share stillDrLoosen 2 days ago time to move on this 3 Share joe 1 day ago all the NYCHA buildings in every borough needs to be torn down and rebuilt, for the better, and get real tuff on crime in these NYCHA buildings 4 4 Share John_Dortmunder 1 day ago How would Henry George respond to this article? I ask you. Has anyone contacted the Henry George School of Social Science? It's located on E. 38th & Lexington. Just sayin'... 1 Share DJ 1 day ago As public housing has been proven to be a complete failure, the only reason I can think of to maintain it is to warehouse reliable Democratic voters. 2 4 Share 1 reply B-Spider Cherry 1 day ago Instead of donating 100s of billions of dollars to foreign bloodbaths please Washington DC give federal tax dollars to NYCHA 88 billion dollars! That's the 78 they require plus 10 more. Also ban "luxury" housing housing and "AirBNB". 1 2 Share Ellaina Dreifach 1 day ago Where the hell are these seniors going for 7 years??? Who's paying the rent?? 1 Share 1 reply hostiliscivitas 1 day ago If you can't afford to live in NYC, please move 3 5 Share Joe DaLathe 10 hours ago They should add electric and gas meters for each unit. Share meesalikeu 1 day ago they can build them swimming pools too and fill them with yankee fan tears. 1 Share DKR 1 day ago As if we don't have enough homeless already. Share John_Dortmunder 1 day ago I wanna hear ACDC played at max volume during any scheduled demolition Share

Monday, October 28, 2024

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024

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Friday, October 18, 2024

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Sunday, October 13, 2024

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NBC - Abyssinian Baptist Church - Court petition seeks to ‘nullify' pastor Kevin Johnson's election at historic Black church in Harlem

NBC - Abyssinian Baptist Church: A church divided: Rift over new pastor Rev Kevin Johnson, installation at influential Black church in Harlem