Summary: Reverend France A. Davis has been the pastor at the Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1974. He was born and raised in Georgia and attended school at Tuskegee University in Alabama, during which time he participated in marches with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He then served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era and later came to Salt Lake City as a teaching fellow in the Communications Department at the University of Utah.<br> Highlights<br> 08:00 His mentors all held the conviction that it is not enough to believe, but that you have to take action to make it a reality. They took the Bible as their guide and sought to change laws so that people were treated fairly and not mistreated due to skin color or place of origin. He has continued to do that in our community, working to make it better for everyone who might be treated unfairly.<br> 11:15 Felt the call from God to become a leader at a young age, and was prepared when the time came and the actual call came to serve<br> 15:30 Explanation of the process taking place now, looking for a new pastor to replace him<br> 18:30 The process of becoming a part of the Calvary Baptist congregation<br> 20:20 His early experience and some of the service programs the Calvary Baptist Church has worked on with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<br> 24:15 All people need to realize that there are other people who are different, and to appreciate those differences in the religious setting. The leaders of whatever the dominant group is need to make efforts to include those people who are not part of that dominant group.<br> 28:10 Some benefits and the more obvious negatives to having the Church so dominant in Utah<br> 31:20 Reaching out means getting to know people and interacting with them, appreciating differences and working together, and does not mean having a hidden agenda of proselyting<br> 35:35 The legislative process should also involve input from leaders from a diverse community and not from simply the dominant culture<br> 37:45 Principles of leadership: Start with formal training and learning leadership<br> <br> <br> * Everyone has something to say and the leader needs to listen to them<br> * To be an effective leader, you must first be a good follower<br> * Be willing to sacrifice your selfish wishes for the benefit of the total community<br> * Have a vision for how to accomplish what you want to see in the community<br> <br> 39:30 Listen first before pronouncing your opinion<br> 40:35 Every pastor needs a pastor, and in different settings you are a leader or a follower<br> 42:00 Experience interviewing elderly church members who wanted a wheelchair ramp, but the congregation shot it down. He learned to talk to more people first so that everyone’s opinion is heard and they have a buy-in.<br> 44:25 Vision is constantly changing, pointing the people forward to what they want to see happen in the future<br> 46:40 How confession is handled between individuals and God<br> 48:00 Spiritual counseling and financial or secular counseling handled separately<br> 50:45 Being a full-time pastor means dealing with the people full-time<br> 51:40 Worship services at the Calvary Baptist Church for those who wish to visit and worship<br> 52:35 Leading a congregation for 45 years has helped him understand that he cannot do it alone<br> Links<br> <a href="https://calvaryslc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Calvary Baptist Church</a>
