The members of New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church will mark the 10th anniversary and birthday celebration for Pastor Sonja R. Dawson with two events on Sunday, Jan. 24.
At 11 a.m., a virtual worship service will be held via New Mt. Calvary’s Facebook Live @newmtcalvaryla and YouTube accounts. The guest preacher will be Pastor Geremy Dixon of Center of Hope Church of Inglewood.
A drive-by birthday celebration takes place at 3 p.m., at the edifice located at 402 E. El Segundo Blvd., in Los Angeles. Performers include the NMC Worship and Arts Ministry, Elder Cecil Thompson, and other special guests. The theme for both events is “X: A Decade of Diligence, Dedication, and Determination” based on Colossians 3:23.
According to a spokesperson, God has used Dawson “to chart new courses for pastoral ministry” and be the “first woman” on many occasions. She is the first woman to serve as senior pastor of New Mt. Calvary, following the 48-year tenure of the founding pastor and her father, the late Rev. Dr. Lonnie Dawson.
Also, Dawson is the first and only woman to preach at the historical Dr. C.A.W. Clark Annual Revival hosted yearly by the late Pastor A.D. Iverson, Jr., the first woman to preach the “Order of the Day” at the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles under the leadership of Pastor K.W. Tulloss and the first woman clergy member of the organization.
Most recently, the Rev. Dr. Martha Simmons and Women of Color in Ministry recognized Dawson during a special segment, “Women of Color Who Pastor Mega-churches.” At the heart of Pastor Dawson’s ministry are liberation, justice, and equality for all.
Known for her prolific preaching and teaching ministry, Dawson is a sought-after speaker, both locally and nationally, for conferences, workshops, revivals, and seminars. In addition, she has led New Mt. Calvary’s expansive growth in membership, ministries, technology, community development, and international missionary work in Belize and Haiti.
Pastor Dawson also serves as the founding director of Sisters in Ministry Inc., a philanthropic parachurch organization that provides ministerial coaching and development to women in ministry. She is not only is a faith leader, but also in the civic community as a retired deputy city attorney for the city of Los Angeles and has received numerous awards and accolades for her groundbreaking work in the area of human trafficking and prostitution diversion.
The community at-large is invited to join the celebrations. For more information, visit newmtcalvary.org as well as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter, or call the church office at (310) 324-0644.
(The Rev. Dawnesha K. Beaver contributed to this article.)
