Harlem Pastor and Major Political Force and Influential Figure Rev. Calvin Butts III Dies at 73

Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church and one of New York City’s most prominent religious and community leaders, passed away on Friday at the age of 73.

The Baptist church sent out a tweet on Friday, confirming Butts’ passing with no cause of death given.

“It is with profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, lll, who peacefully transitioned in the early morning of October 28, 2022,” the church tweeted.

“The Butts Family & entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers.”

It is with profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, lll, who peacefully transitioned in the early morning of October 28, 2022. The Butts Family & entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers. pic.twitter.com/fBzJBoUe3v

— Abyssinian Baptist (@AbyssinianBC) October 28, 2022

Butts served as the senior pastor of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church for more than 30 years and spent 50 years in the ministry, CBS News reports. He took on a more advocate role in the 1980s when he founded the Abyssinian Development Corp. to redevelop the areas surrounding the church.

Butts helped to establish retail and residential buildings as part of his mission to “rebuild Harlem, brick by brick, block by block.” His activism continued in the 1990s when he condemned what he referred to as the misogyny of rap music. In 1993, he infamously had a steamroller crush hundreds of rap CDs outside the church.

In 1995, Republican Gov. George Pataki appointed Butts to two state boards that controlled economic development grants to businesses in New York. That same year, Butts invited then-Cuban leader Fidel Castro to Abyssinian, where the communist leader received a warm welcome.

Butts’ activism and religious leadership also spanned across education with Butts having served as president of SUNY Old Westbury for more than two decades, from 1999 to 2020. The respected pastor presided over Cicley Tyson’s memorial service at Abyssinian last year which was attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton and Tyler Perry.

Rev. Al Sharpton remembered Butts as a major pillar in the Harlem community.

“He was a dominant faith and academic leader for decades,” Sharpton said in a statement.

“We knew each other for more than 40 years, and while we did not always agree we always came back together.”

Saddened to hear of the passing of Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, a true treasure. He was an educator, and a Pastor of the highest level, he served both duties for decades. We found ourselves differing at times but we’d always come back together. pic.twitter.com/2Ba3olTXhO

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) October 28, 2022