Congregants remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts at service at Abyssinian Baptist Church

NEW YORK — What would’ve been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 94th birthday was celebrated at a service Sunday at the city’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.

It was also the first year the church did so following the death of its beloved pastor, the Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts.

The three words “We shall overcome” reverberated within the walls of Abyssinian Baptist Church, decades after Dr. King’s death.

“This is what we are called to do, to give life, to give meaning, and to see the embodiment of that phrase, ‘We shall overcome,'” renowned writer and author Dr. Jelani Cobb said.

READ MORE: Rep. Adriano Espaillat pays tribute to Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts on Capitol Hill

Cobb said the phrase is often taken for granted.

“At a moment when we see democracy in crisis in this country, and the tenuousness of the rights that have been secured through the Civil Rights movement. It’s really something that we should be thinking about,” Cobb said.

This is also the first year the Baptist church is celebrating Dr. King’s life without its beloved pastor of over 30 years. Rev. Dr. Butts died at 73 this past October after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

“He did the work. He left a legacy for us to follow and we thank God for that. You name it and he’s done it,” congregant Catherine Alston said.

READ MORE: Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts honored during powerful funeral service at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem

As congregants packed the pews, clapping and celebrating the life of Dr. King, they highlighted the parallels of his message with their former pastor’s.

Like Dr. King, Butts is remembered for his fierce leadership, and strong message of community.

“Rev. Butts was an institution in Harlem and beyond. So even while we’re celebrating the legacy of Dr. King, it’s impossible to also not be thinking about Rev. Butts and his legacy and all the work that he did to build this community, to protect this community,” Cobb said.

Congregants will also pay tribute to Rev. Butts on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday at Harlem’s Convent Avenue Baptist Church.