Harlem, New York, Church of God in Christ Bishop Kevin Griffin Denies Wrongdoing in Attorney General’s Church Sale Case

Bishop Kevin Griffin is senior pastor and president of Childs Memorial Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, New York. According to the New York Attorney General’s office, Griffin agreed in 2014 to sell the church property to developer Moujan Vahdat, who heads the firm Elmo Realty. Vahdat paid the church $2 million for the site and promised to spend $2.5 million on a new building.

Prosecutors say that, beginning in 2014, Vahdat made separate payments totaling $220,000 to Griffin. They also say Griffin received $440,000 in finder’s fees from Vahdat for introducing him to the pastor of Healing from Heaven Temple, a sister church. When the Childs Memorial sale closed in 2016, prosecutors say, Griffin received $450,000 in proceeds and his wife received $100,000. The state alleges that Griffin made $900,000 from his relationship with Vahdat and did not disclose the payments.

The state’s case, as reported, goes further. Prosecutors allege that Griffin broke state law by not telling parishioners about his own stake in the deal, and by amending the sale agreement to give Vahdat more time. One report says the Attorney General’s office took Griffin to court last fall, while the other says the office filed the action in state court on a Monday, without giving that day’s date.

Griffin has denied wrongdoing. His attorneys argue that the state’s case has a “fatal” flaw because it alleges no harm to Childs Memorial. In a February 22 court filing, attorney S. Christopher Provenzano wrote that the church’s board chose to reaffirm its deal with the developer after the state offered a chance to revoke it. Griffin’s attorneys are asking a judge to dismiss the case.

The state is seeking to bar Griffin from leadership roles in New York-based nonprofits or charities. Under the request as reported, he would be allowed to continue serving as a pastor. The reports note that accountability for how church property is sold and how payments are disclosed is central to the dispute, a matter of honest dealing (Proverbs 11:1).

The church building was demolished in 2018 after the sale, and the planned apartment building has not been built.