Author
Marc Antoine Lavarin
Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Marc Antoine Lavarin, Sr. serves as the eighth pastor of the First Calvary Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to his call to First Calvary, he served as an assistant minister at the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley. He completed his doctor of ministry degree in educational leadership at Virginia Theological Seminary concentrating on the influence of the Black church on K-12 education.
Apply for a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching GrantÂ
Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship are designed for worshiping communities. These grants allow a wide range of Christian worshiping communities to focus on projects that connect public worship with Christian discipleship and faith formation. Funding awards range from $8,000 to $25,000.
The grants support year-long projects that show promise in fostering renewed or strengthened worship practices within worshiping communities in the United States or Canada. Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for teacher-scholars are also available. Applications for the October 15 deadline will open on July 15, 2026.
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