After 52 years of ministry, First AME Senior Pastor J. Edgar Boyd will officially step down from pastoring and his post at First AME Church, having reached the AME’s 75-years of age retirement mandate.
“I’m happy about it,” said Boyd. “I’ve done a lot. My career began way back in 1969 and has gone all the way up through 2023. I’m happy about the places I’ve served—seven different congregations located in different parts of the country, and it’s been a great experience, meeting people, working with people in the civic arena, working with law enforcement and community development. It’s been a thrilling 52 years.”
In those 52 years, Boyd is proud of what he has accomplished, including the building of a worship center in Oakland, the establishment of a community development organization that has built nearly 1000 units of affordable housing in San Francisco, and the development of a technology center that provided training for over 3,000 seniors.
It was his success in those endeavors that led to his appointment to First AME in 2012.
“When I came in 2012, the nonprofit organization which includes some 320 units of affordable housing and also the community development arm— both those organizations had been usurped from the control of First AME by the former administration, so we had to engage in some legal wrangling to get those restored. After five years of litigation, we got a favorable judgment from the courts to have those properties remanded back to the control of First AME Church. I have to admit that the condition they came back in reflected nothing like the condition that they were in under the leadership of Cecil Murray, but we’ve worked laboriously trying to get back to the standard that the church would be proud of and the community will be well served by.”
One of the highlights of his tenure at the city’s oldest Black congregation is successfully steering the church though the COVID pandemic.
“It was three years of COVID oppression, and the church learned a lot. Technology is something that we really get a chance to use and we’re able to do things now in the congregation—through technology—that we were not able to do prior to that. I’m proud of that.”
Boyd is just as proud of his efforts in supporting the key elections of civic officials.
“For the first time to see a Black woman secretary of state, a black man who’s the superintendent of public education for the state and a black woman who’s serving as the state’s controller. These are great milestones and we participated in those efforts.”
His departure from the church will also mark his departure from the city.
“I’m sure that for years to come I will be back and forth into Los Angeles, but my official role with the church will come to an end on the 30th of October and whatever relationships or connections I have will be unofficial as it relates to the church, but perhaps official as it relates to some of engagements. I will not be living here. I will be domiciled in Northern California and making my presence known electronically and physically on some other matters.”
Though not in the pulpit, Boyd intends to continue his work in ministry.
“When you get to the twilight of your life where I am now, you stop working and start teaching,” Boyd says. “You share what you’ve experienced, and you help people understand how they can use things that have been beneficial to you for development and how they can avoid pitfalls that you can speak to and address from a very experiential standpoint. I will probably be more engaged and busier in that season, than I am now.”
He will also be spending more time with family as well as fishing and golfing.
In the meantime, the church is planning to commemorate his decade long leadership with three days of festivities kicking off on Friday, September 8 with a “Holy Roast” at the Fame Renaissance Center. On Saturday, September 9th, the congregation will gather for a black-tie dinner and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel. The services will conclude with an afternoon “Jazz in the Gardens” event on Sunday, September 10 at the Allen House. Special guest at the Sunday services earlier that day include Rev. Mark Whitlock of Reid Temple AME in Washington D.C. (10AM) and Rev. Terry White of the Marsalis Avenue Baptist Church (8AM).
The announcement of Boyd’s successor will be made by Fifth Episcopal Bishop Clement Fugh during the 99th Annual Southern California Conference, which will be held at the Hilton LAX, October 24-30.