Calvary Church Family and blessed us exceedingly and abundantly. As a man after God’s own heart, the Holy Spirit poured many visions into the mind of our founder the late Rev. Dr. Lonnie Dawson. In the year of 1961, the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the heart of Pastor Dawson, to go forth and establish a new field of labor so that the Word of God may be spread. For almost a year our Founder prayed
that God would give him a greater assurance of that which he was being led to do. God gave him that assurance as he was caught up in a vision in the summer of 1962. In this vision, the Lord revealed unto him a large church sitting high on the side of a mountain. This church was illuminated with the Spirit of God, but there were no roads that led to it. The mountainside was extremely thick with brush and timber and completely laced with thorns and thistles, yet the Word of the Lord came to him and said, “YOU MUST CLIMB THESE HILLS.” It seemed like an impossible task, but he began to climb, and after climbing a short distance, God dismissed the vision. From that day on Dr. Dawson was assured that God had called him to establish this work, and in September 1962, the climb began. From its humble beginnings, there were six persons who were willing to share his vision with him; his wife, Mrs. Mamie Dawson, his sister, Mrs. Mimmie Brooks, his brother, Mr. William Dawson, his Mother-in-law, the late Mrs. Mamie Pate, his sister-in-law, Mrs. Dollie Dawson, and a fellow lodge brother, Mr. Garland Johnson. As the weeks passed, there were others who united themselves with this group and for six months regular Worship Services were held at the home of Pastor and Sis. When God was ready to establish the Church in this location, He spoke plainly to Pastor Dawson to drive through El Segundo Boulevard en-route to work, and as he passed this location, he noticed a man placing a “For Sale” sign on the front lawn of a little pink house and the Spirit spoke within his heart that this is where God would have His church planted. In March 1963, the Mission Church was established on this location, and the Late Rev. William Cobbs and the Holy Chapel Baptist Church gave official birth to what is now known as New Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. Since its founding, the church has grown numerically and spiritually with several new facilities for effective ministry. Built on faithfulness and rooted in sound Christian doctrine, it is through the Word and our core foundational principles of Ministry, Evangelism, Discipleship, Worship, and Fellowship, that over twenty-five ministries/auxiliaries have been established and several international ministries supported to-date., the Church has one of the most thriving Sunday School Departments in Los Angeles and beyond, and communities have been strengthened, one family at a time. In November 2010, our Founder, Rev. Dr. Lonnie Dawson passed the pastoral mantle, and on January 23rd, 2011, the New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church celebrated the installation of our new pastor, Rev. Sonja R. Dawson Esq., a woman after God’s own heart. And on June 5, 2011, the Church and the community-at-large celebrated our Historical Mortgage Burning Celebration. Indeed. through the endowment of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual guidance of her Heavenly Father, training from her father, and her passion for teaching, preaching, discipleship, and service, Pastor Sonja Dawson and the New Mt. Calvary Church Family is poised to lead the church to reach new souls for Jesus Christ in this present day and age.
