Meet Our Pastor

Rev. Howard A. Bryant, Interim Pastor

     A native of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Howard was born on September 4, 1928 to Rev. James and Mary Bryant.  In 1942 his family moved to Richmond, California where he completed high school in 1946.  After one year at San Francisco City College, Howard returned to Oklahoma to care for his ailing grandfather.

     In 1948 Howard's skill in the sport of boxing won him a scholarship to San Jose State College in California where he studied until he was drafted into military service in 1950.  Howard trained at  Camp Roberts, CA then was shipped to Korea where he remained until being  honorably discharged in 1952.

     Upon his return to the U.S. Howard worked in a naval ship yard as a ship fitters helper and then as a postal clerk for the U.S. Post Office.  He also resumed his college education and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco City College in 1956.

     Called to ministry, Howard's preaching career began in 1957 at the Paradise Baptist Church.  He then joined his father in ministry at the Gethsemane Baptist Church in Oakland,CA.  In 1963 Howard organized the Second Baptist Church in Daly City, CA where he served as pastor while continuing to work at the post office.  Four years later he became Executive Director of the Daly City Information and Referral Center, a program he had developed under the government program "The War on Poverty".  He served as director until 1969.

     In 1969 Howard was awarded a scholarship to San Francisco Theological Seminary.  Taking into account his experience as a minister, the seminary allowed him to complete his Master of Divinity degree in two years.

     Howard resigned as pastor of Second Baptist Church in 1970 to become the first African-American pastor at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church in Oakland,CA.  In 1973 he moved to the East Coast, answering God's call to become pastor of Roseville Presbyterian Church in Newark, NJ.  As was the case in Oakland, he was the first African-American pastor of a predominantly white congregation.  

     Three years later Howard accepted a position with the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly at the Inter Church Center in New York, serving as an Associate Director for the Council on Administrative Service.  Howard served the council with distinction as he worked to put in place the denomination's Affirmative Action Equal Employment Opportunity program.

     Nine years later Howard was appointed to the position of Eastern Area representative for the Presbyterian Church (USA) Board of Pensions.  He retired from this position in 1992, but God wasn't finished with him yet!

     At his retirement Howard volunteered to be the Executive Director of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus where he served for 7 years.

     In 1998 the Third Westminster Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, a multicultural congregation, selected Howard to serve as interim pastor.  The congregation was composed of people from 21 different countries!

     Howard has served as interim pastor to Presbyterian congregations at St. Albans and Hollis in Queens and Clinton Avenue and Memorial West in Newark.

     In 1998 Howard developed a Protestant ministry on the campus of Kean University in Union.  He directed the ministry for 3 years and it's still running today.  From 2001 to 2005 Howard served as Interim Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Rahway and administrator of Achieve To Excel, an after school program.  He also served at Connecticut Farms Presbyterian Church from 2006 to 2008 and as moderator of the Elizabeth Presbytery from 2009 to 2010.

     With a lifetime of service to God, country and community  Howard has honorably served on advisory committees and boards of directors for over 45 organizations.  Recently, Howard has held positions as coordinator and tennis instructor of the Arthur Ashe Safe Passage Foundation Tennis Program for both Newark and Hillside, NJ.  He also worked as a cashier at Staples Office Supply and ran his own gardening and landscaping business.

     Howards hobbies are tennis, cooking, golfing and music.  Howard and his wife Betty have 3 children, Howard, Jr., Patricia and Carla, 3 granddaughters, a great-grandson and a foster granddaughter.

     Rev. Bryant has preached across the country and as far away as Africa.  We are blessed to have him here at Garwood Presbyterian Church.