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.
