A federal judge recently dismissed a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by a professor and minister who had hoped to become the first female senior pastor of New York Cityโs noted Abyssinian Baptist Church.
The Rev. Eboni Marshall Turman, who serves as a Yale Divinity School professor and was previously an assistant pastor at Abyssinian, was considered a candidate to succeed the churchโs long-standing senior pastor, Calvin O. Butts III, following his passing in 2022.
After not being chosen as a finalist, Marshall Turman initiated legal action against the church and the search committee in December 2023, alleging gender discrimination. Historically, Abyssinian, established in 1808, has never had a female senior pastor.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho dismissed Marshall Turmanโs lawsuit on Monday, referring to the โministerial exceptionโโa legal principle that offers religious institutions certain protections from employment discrimination lawsuits concerning clergy-related decisions.
Judge Ho noted that Marshall Turman did not sufficiently demonstrate that her qualifications were superior to those of the five male finalists chosen.
In a recent email statement, Marshall Turman expressed her disappointment and intentions to consider an appeal, labeling the church as being embroiled in hypocrisy. She argued that while the dismissal leveraged religious exception as the basis, the Bible advocates equality, saying there should be neither male nor female in Christ.
โThe essence of my claim is moral: neither I nor anyone else should face gender discrimination in Godโs house,โ Marshall Turman affirmed.
Abyssinian Baptist Church, on the other hand, defended its selection process and expressed satisfaction with Judge Hoโs ruling. A statement from the church asserted its ongoing dedication to gender equity and its long-standing commitment to advancing social justice and equality.
Among the five finalists for the position, Kevin R. Johnson emerged as the selection committeeโs choice. Johnson, who established Dare to Imagine Church in Philadelphia after leaving Bright Hope Baptist Church, was elected by Abyssinianโs congregation as their senior pastor in June 2024.
Despite this, some congregants were displeased with the selection process, and a lawsuit was filed by four members in a New York State court in October, claiming violations of the churchโs bylaws during the election.
The lawsuit remains unresolved, though Abyssinian has filed a motion to dismiss the case as of December. The church described the lawsuit as a ploy to replace their duly-elected pastor with someone deemed more spiritually qualified by the plaintiffs, asserting no fraud or misconduct occurred during the election.
Renowned for its historical significance, Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem gained recognition as a prominent megachurch during the tenure of Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., an iconic former leader and influential political figure who shepherded the congregation from 1937 to 1972.