9th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration

Cache Community Connections will be hosting the 9th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Logan Tabernacle.

Rev. France A. Davis, Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, will be our featured speaker, “Human Rights in the Midst of Turmoil”.  Musical groups, including MLK Celebration Choir directed by Buffy Evans, will also be performing.

Rev. France A. Davis has been the full time pastor of the historic Calvary Missionary Baptist Church of Salt Lake City, Utah since 1974. Pastor Davis was licensed in 1966 and ordained for ministry in 1971. In April 2016, Pastor Davis reached 50 years in the ministry.

Pastor Davis came to Salt Lake City in 1972 as a teaching fellow and graduate student at the University of Utah. He was appointed instructor in communication and ethnic studies courses, earning a distinguished teacher award. Pastor Davis retired July 1, 2014 from the University of Utah as Adjunct Associate Professor Emeritus, and continues his ministry as Pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church.

Pastor Davis lectures widely on cultural and religious topics. He has received numerous awards: an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from the University of Utah 1993, Salt Lake Community College 1997, Dixie State College 2002, an official citation from the Utah House of Representatives in recognition of outstanding service 2006, was appointed to the Salt Lake Community College Board of Trustees in 2007, received the Westminster 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award, received the Distinguished Teacher Award from the Sigma Chi Fraternity, Beta Epsilon Chapter, April, 2011, the Pioneer of Progress Award in Education, Health & Humanitarian Assistance, July, 2011, the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education Regional State Director of the Year Award, December, 2011 and the 2013 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award at FBI Headquarters, Washington, DC on April 4, 2014.

Four scholarships have been established in honor of Pastor Davis’ life-long commitment to education:

§  University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

§  The Waterford School, Salt Lake City, Utah

§  Rowland Hall St. Marks School, Salt Lake City, Utah

§  Ransom Everglades School, Miami, Florida

Pastor Davis was appointed to the Utah Board of Regents, 2008, appointed Fifth Vice President of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education in 2009-2014, appointed as Vice President of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education in 2014, received the Utah Valley University “Excellence in Ethics Award” on September 24, 2014, was the commencement speaker for Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah on May 1, 2015, and received the Lifetime Achievement Heroes Recognition from the American Red Cross on March 31, 2016 and the IGBC Presidential Heritage Award, August 12, 2017.  Pastor Davis is the husband of Willene, and the father of Carolyn, France II, and Grace. He has four grandchildren and one great grandchild.