MLK Commission, HHOMA honor life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Ecumenical service

Ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. on January 12, 2025, at First Baptist Church.

CHARLESTON, WV – The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA), in conjunction with the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission, will host a Commemoration and Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an Ecumenical Service and light refreshments at First Baptist Church on Sunday, January 12, 2025. 

"This annual celebration of the life of Dr. King is a longstanding statewide favorite, and we invite West Virginians to join us," HHOMA Executive Director and Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission Chair Jill Upson said. "This year's theme: 'Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365."

This year, Reverend Paul Anthony Dunn will provide the keynote address. Rev. Dunn is a native of Midland, Texas, and the third child of Rev. and Mrs. Boley G. Dunn. He has been a preacher of the Gospel since he was 15 years old. Formally educated at Fisk University, University of Detroit Mercy, and Trinity Theological Seminary, he has served as the Pastor of First Baptist Church for 25 years. 

The ceremony will be held at the First Baptist Church, located at 432 Shrewsbury Street in Charleston. The ceremony can be viewed on West Virginia Public Broadcast on dates to be announced and on the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs Facebook Page. 

Light refreshments will be served before the Ecumenical Service at 2 p.m., with the service beginning at 3 p.m. The event is open to the public and free of charge.