Amy Butler (minister)

Rev. Dr. Amy Butler is an ordained Christian minister and from 2014 to 2019 served as the senior minister at The Riverside Church, a United Church of Christ/American Baptist church in New York City, the first woman to hold that position in the church's history.[1]

Education and career

Butler attended Baylor University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1991 and a Master of Arts in 1995. She also holds a Bachelor of Theology from the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Ruschlikon, Switzerland, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary.[2]

Following her graduation from Wesley Theological Seminary, Butler served as a missionary in New Orleans, Louisiana through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. She then served on the staff of Lindy's Place,[3] a transitional home providing care for some of New Orleans' most underprivileged members.[4] Butler then became Associate Pastor of Membership and Mission at St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church, also in New Orleans.

In 2003, Butler became Senior Minister of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC, the founding church of the Northern Baptist Convention, now American Baptist Churches USA. As Calvary's first female Senior Minister, Butler helped Calvary more than triple in membership.[1] Her work at Calvary was featured in Paul Nixon's book We Refused to Lead a Dying Church!: Churches That Came Back Against All Odds.[4] She held this position until 2014, at which time she accepted the Senior Minister position at The Riverside Church.

The Riverside Church

Butler was elected to the senior minister position at Riverside on June 8, 2014.[5] In July 2019, after Butler completed an initial five-year term at the church, it was announced that the church's governing body would not be extending Butler's term for an additional five years. The official announcement described the decision as mutual. Later reports, however, cited retaliation against Butler for a harassment claim she had filed against a Church Council member who was accused of sexually harassing her and other female staff members, a visit to an education-based, sex toy store by Butler, two church employees, and a congregant during an out-of-town conference trip, and her request during the contract renewal negotiations to be compensated the same as her male predecessor as well as have protections put in place to guard staff against church leaders who engaged in practices of harassment and bullying as potentially contributing factors in the governing body's decision.[6][7] A former church council member also revealed that although the Church Council had conducted a full and comprehensive investigation into the lay leader accused of sexually harassing female staff members, the governing body voted to terminate their relationship with Butler after an investigation that seemed rushed and poorly documented by comparison into complaints leveled against her by unnamed staff members.[8]

Personal life

Butler was raised in Hawaii and is the mother of three children.[4] She is divorced.[9]

References
  1. Otterman, Sharon (8 Jun 2014). "After Period of Turmoil, Riverside Church Elects New Leader". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 Jul 2019.
  2. "D.C. Pastor Becomes First Woman to Head N.Y.C.'s Influential Riverside Church" "The Washington Post"
  3. "Lindy's Place"
  4. "Senior Minister Biography" "The Riverside Church"
  5. Swarns, Rachel (12 Oct 2014). "A Warm Embrace for Riverside Church's First Female Leader". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 Jul 2019.
  6. Rojas, Rick (11 Jul 2019). "Pastor's Exit Exposes Cultural Rifts at a Leading Liberal Church". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 Jul 2019.
  7. Natanson, Hannah (15 Jul 2019). "Riverside Church congregants call for reinstatement of first female minister after her exit following a sex shop visit". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 Jul 2019.
  8. "The stained-glass cliff and the Riverside Church: a double standard for our first female senior minister". Baptist News Global. 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  9. West, Melanie Grayce (April 3, 2015). "Amy K. Butler Takes On New Challenges at New York City's Riverside Church". The Wall Street Journal.
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