With grateful hearts of joy and celebration, on Friday, December 5, 2014, the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church of Bessemer hosted a Doctoral Graduation Reception in honor of their beloved Pastor, Rev. Dr. Reginald W. Calvert, who earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Beeson Divinity School of Samford University. Dr. Calvert was conferred his doctoral degree at the Commencement and Service of Consecration held on December 3, 2014 at the Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel on the campus of Samford University.
The Doctoral Graduation Reception was held at seven o’clock in the evening in the Family Life Center of New Jerusalem Baptist Church. Joining Dr. Calvert and the New Jerusalem Church Family in celebrating this milestone achievement were Rev. Dr. Wilson Fallin, President of the Birmingham Easonian Baptist Bible College and Pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church of Brighton, who gave words of encouragement. Also present and speaking on the value of Christian education were Rev. Dr. Jonathan McPherson, Former Regional Coordinator for the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education’s Sunday School Publishing Board and Pastor of the St. John Baptist Church of Edgewater. Among those giving congratulatory expressions were Alabama State Senator, Priscilla Dunn; Bessemer City Councilor, Chester Porter; Bessemer Chamber of Commerce President, LaTasha Cook; Bessemer City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Fred Primm; and Dr. Calvert’s brother, Rev. Jerome Calvert, from Atlanta, Ga. Rev. Dr. Michael Reese, Pastor of the New Zion Baptist Church of Bessemer, served as the Toastmaster. Many congregants, friends, and family members also were present to share in the momentous occasion.
In 2005, Calvert received the Master of Divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School, where prior to graduating he was selected by the Beeson faculty as the recipient of the James Earl Massey Outstanding Student Preacher Award. Since then, he has been chosen by the Dean and faculty of Beeson for the M.Div. Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has served as a guest lecturer for courses at Beeson, has preached in the Beeson Pastor’s School, and currently serves as a Preaching Peer Group Facilitator for Beeson’s Lilly Endowment Grant for Preaching Enrichment. Additionally, he has lectured and preached in a myriad of venues, including conferences of the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., and the New Era Progressive Baptist State Convention of Alabama.
Dr. Calvert, the son of Mrs. Maggie Calvert and the late Deacon James Howard Calvert of Brighton, is married to Attorney Karla McPherson Calvert and has two lovely daughters, Courtney and Kaylin Calvert. He has served as Pastor of the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church for fifteen years.
