Dr. Claybon Lea, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfield and Suisun City, CA where he has served for 26 years.

A widely known and highly sought after preacher, teacher, lecturer, and leader, Dr. Lea has been blessed to travel the world sharing his gifts to the glory of God. A believer that “a call to preach is a call to preparation”, Dr. Lea has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Morehouse College (where he was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers), a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biblical Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary where he graduated with highest honors having written his dissertation on The Hermeneutics of Desmond Tutu.

Dr. Lea is the author of “Lessons from a Dying Savior”, “Giant Lessons From David: Managing the Journey of Success”, and a contributing author to the “Handbook for Contemporary Preaching, 2nd edition”, as well as other publications. In addition, Dr. Lea is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, and a life member of the NAACP.

Dr. Lea had the honor of offering the prayer of evocation at the 140th Commencement at his alma mater, Morehouse College, standing alongside the 46th President of the United States. Thereafter, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. recognized Dr. Lea as a recipient of the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to building a stronger nation though volunteer service and sacrifice.

Most recently, Dr. Lea was appointed as a member of the Commission on Human Rights, Peacebuilding, and Reconciliation for the Baptist World Alliance. His global work will be an extension of his ongoing commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through social justice and service.

Dr. Lea is the father of four remarkable children: Claybon III, Jillian, Christopher, and Jessica; and a new, proud grandfather to Claybon IV.