This year the annual service is on Sunday, February 18th
We can all agree that everywhere around the world, people are looking for a beacon of light to guide their way. A voice of hope and inspiration to comfort and guide them.
As the only godchild of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt
Hennessee has devoted his life to service and continuing the legacy of Dr. King. He is
known in our community to uplift the human spirit and bring a unique perspective to
themes of unity, truth, justice, peace, and love regardless of faith.
As the senior servant of The Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt
Hennessee is also a peacemaker and bridge builder.
Dr. King spoke at the historic church in November 1961 as part of his trip to the Pacific
Northwest . It was the only church in Oregon where he addressed the “Beloved
Community.” Each year Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee and the Vancouver Avenue First
Baptist Church, host an annual service to honor MLK Jr.
This year the annual service is on Sunday, February 18th, and is titled “2024 Drum
Major Empower the Dream''. The service will celebrate the community and spread a
message of hope and resilience in honor of MLK Jr. There will be choirs, guest
speakers, scholarship recipients, award winners, and more.
Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the church held a special MLK service each year.
This year, it was originally scheduled to honor MLK day but was rescheduled due to the
ice storm. The service will be in-person at the Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church, as
well as live-streamed on their Facebook ( www.facebook.com/vafbc ) for more people to
enjoy.
This year, the Keynote Speaker is Dr. Jessica Taylor. Taylor is the first Black female
president of Multnomah University in Portland and of the entire Council for Christian
Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
Dr. Taylor will be joined by many other influential politicians and city leaders, including
Mayor Ted Wheeler Chair and Multnomah County Chair, Jessica Vega Pederson. Rev.
Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee will lead the service, and there will be speakers representing
various faiths and government officials.
Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee is very passionate about this event stating, “In times like
these, it is imperative that we embody the spirit, character, and courage of Dr. King.
Now more than ever we must lift each other up. We must shine a bright light on the
qualities that can heal the world, and on the women and men who embody these
qualities. Together, we will keep the dream alive.”
Mrs. King believes Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee joins a small group of men who
continue MLK’s important work: standing for peace, inter-faith unity, and interpersonal
ability to love everyone, listen to others, and work together for human and civil rights.
Rev. Dr. J.W. Matt Hennessee has spent a lot of time over the years with Mrs. King and
the entire family. He was one of the speakers who gave a eulogy at Coretta Scott King's
celebration of life on February 6, 2006.
The purpose of the special service is to keep MLK’s dream alive. The community truly
comes together for this event and celebrates each other's accomplishments as well as
acknowledging what still needs to be done.