A pastor at a California church was stabbed to death on Friday morning last week and the police arrested his son, who was tagged as the suspect.

Bishop Teman Bostic Sr., 55, was dead when police arrived at his apartment at 5:30 a.m. in San Leandro. He bore several stab wounds.

Bostic served as bishop at the Mt. Olive Apostolic Original Holy Church of God in Menlo Park and president of Crime Prevention Narcotics Drug Education Center, according to San Jose Mercury News and CBN.

He also coached the community basketball team and was a member of the Rotary Club.

Police went to the apartment after they were called by a neighbour who heard screaming and someone "saying he did not want to die."

The police found the bishop's 21-year-old son, Isaiah, covered in blood and arrested him for the killing. The father and son lived in the apartment together.

He was held without bail and a case was set to be filed against him before the Alameda County District Atorney's office.

Bostic was just two years old when his mother, Hattie, started the church in 1963 in the family's home in Belle Haven. He took over when his mother died in 2011.

"With heavy hearts we announce the untimely passing or our father, and pastor, Bishop Teman L. Bostic Sr.," the church announced on Facebook. "He evangelised nationally and internationally. He will be greatly missed. We are soliciting your prayers during our time of great loss."

During Sunday's service, churchgoers prayed, "We are cast down but not destroyed. God will heal. God will lift us up. This is not a time to lose faith in God."

Visiting Pastor Apostle Ross Garrison Jr. of the Judah The Gathering Place described Bostic as "warm-hearted and warm-spirited, a joy to be around."

"You couldn't get none better than this real disciple of Jesus Christ," he said of his friend.