The Reverend Jawanza Karriem Lightfoot Colvin serves as the sixth Pastor of the Olivet Instiutional Baptist Church. He was called to the pastorate in January 2009. He became Pastor in April 2009. He is a pastor, community builder and scholar-practitioner.
Reverend Colvin is a graduate of Morehouse College, receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and History. He earned a Master of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City and is currently pursuing a doctorate of education at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, specializing in adult leadership and education.
From 1997 to 2000, Reverend Colvin served on the ministerial staff of the Grace Baptist Church of Mt. Vernon, New York. While at Grace, Reverend Colvin received the rites of ordination in 2000. For two years, he served as the Assistant to the Senior Minister for Children and Youth at the Metropolitan Baptist Church of Washington, DC. In 2001, Rev. Colvin received the pastoral call from the East Friendship Baptist Church. He served as pastor for eight years at the faith community where he was baptized, nurtured and licensed to preach the gospel.
Throughout his ministry Reverend Colvin has received other honors and citations noting his commitment to Christian ministry, scholarship and service. In addition, Reverend Colvin has distinguished himself as a preacher of the gospel. He has been published in the African-American Pulpit, preached in major pulpits across this country and in 2003 was inducted in the Morehouse College Board of Preachers.
Reverend Colvin is married to the lovely Allison Jaynes Colvin, a native of Philadelphia, PA. They are proud parents of two sons, Asher and Philip