The departing pastor of Calloway United Methodist Church was honored Sunday for her work with the congregation and in the broader community.
The Rev. DeLishia Davis, who is also president of the Arlington NAACP, is leaving “an indelible mark on the lives of Arlingtonians,” County Board Chair Takis Karantonis said during a ceremony at the church, located at 5000 Langston Blvd.
Davis, who is departing for another church posting, served as a “beacon of empathy, of wisdom” during her eight-year tenure, Karantonis said.
At the ceremony, Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti noted deep personal connections with the minister. She said Davis could be counted on to provide “a lifeline that helped me through so many difficult moments.”
“She had looked into my heart and saw exactly what I needed [in order] to heal,” Dehghani-Tafti said.
In remarks to the Calloway congregation earlier that day, Davis said her efforts at the church have been in partnership with the congregation.
“My soul has been nourished by the work we have done together,” she said. “The seeds we have planted together will continue to bear fruit in due season.”
The church traces its roots to a congregation that began meeting in a home in 1866. The first church building, constructed near the current site, was built around 1870.
The church took its permanent name from one of its first ministers, the Rev. Winston Calloway.
Alan-Michael Hill, worship leader at the church, said Davis had been “such a dedicated pastor” who gave 100% to both the congregation and the broader community.
“She does a lot of other things and wears a lot of other hats,” Hill said. “In each of these, she shows up fully.”
Davis has served as a leader of Arlington’s Coalition of Black Clergy and currently is president of the Arlington NAACP. She will serve out the remainder of her term in the latter organization.
In the United Methodist Church, pastors are assigned to churches by their local bishop. While Davis’s tenure at Calloway has been about twice as long as is typical in the denomination, there were those who wished it would be longer.
“I thought she was always going to be a part of Calloway and a part of Arlington,” Dehghani-Tafti said.
In remarks to the congregation, Davis said she would always remain connected.
“I will carry you in my heart wherever I go, and I will lift your names and ministries before God daily,” she said.
The Rev. Dr. James Victor of Mount Olive Baptist Church delivered remarks at the ceremony. Other local clergy participating included the Rev. Toney Curtis of Mount Salvation Baptist Church, the Rev. Kathy Dwyer of Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ, the Rev. Nilse Furtado-Gilliam of Clarendon United Methodist Church and the Rev. Dr. Adrian Nelson II of Lomax A.M.E. Zion Church.
Wilma Jones of the John M. Langston Citizens Association added words of praise during the ceremony, as did a number of other elected officials.
Calloway’s new pastor, the Rev. Donovan Archie, will be welcomed at a ceremony following the worship service on Sunday, July 6. Archie currently is part of the worship team at Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Stafford County.
