Dr. Nilous M. Avery Awards Presented

Honoree Dr. Gregory K. Moss (center) of Charlotte, N.C., pictured with Rev. Dr. Nilous Avery (left), and Rev. Dr. Keith Ogden, Pastor Hill Street Baptist Church.  Photo: Ray Loggins Photography

Hill Street Baptist Church last month awarded the third annual Dr. Nilous M. Avery Achievement awards for 2008.

by Johnnie Grant

The honorees were Dr. Gregory K. Moss, Sr., Senior Pastor of Saint Paul Baptist Church in Charlotte, and Mr. W. LaVonne Griffin, Director of W.C. Reid Center of Creative Arts in Asheville.

Dr. Moss, a native of Statesville and the son of the late Catherine Moss, earned a B. A. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1978, a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, and a Doctorate of Ministry in 1992 from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Moss is a champion of personal and spiritual empowerment, as
well as economic and social justice. He currently serves as Senior
Pastor of Saint Paul Baptist Church, President of General Baptist State
Convention of North Carolina, 2nd Vice President of Lott Carey Foreign
Missions Convention, and chairman of the Strategy Team for HELP
(Helping Empower Local People), a local extension of Industrial Area
Foundation (IAF), a national grassroots organization established for
the purpose of organizing for social justice.

Mr. Griffin holds three degrees in related fields: an M. A. in
theatre arts from Wayne State University, an MBA from Montreat College,
and a B. A. in drama from Evergreen State University. He is Director of
the W.C. Reid Center for Creative Arts, part of Asheville’s Department
of Parks and Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Mr. Griffin is
responsible for

Honoree W. LaVonne Griffin (center) is pictured with Rev. Dr. Nilous Avery (left) and Rev. Dr. Keith Ogden. Photo: Ray Loggins Photography

supervising all the center’s cultural arts programs and
engaging the more than 325 children who participate in them. He also
provides consultancy and assists on the W.C. Reid Center’s Impact
Project as well as the Diamond Event Fundraiser. In addition to his
professional work he supports several programs that benefit education.
In his spare time, Mr. Griffin enjoys reading, writing, and traveling.

Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy and Vice Mayor Jan Davis, and
David Gantt, Chair of the Buncombe County Commission, presented the
honorees with proclamations from the city and county. Also recognized
with proclamations were both Dr. Nilous M. and Lady Christine Avery.

Dr. Moss delivered an electrifying and spirit-filled sermon
entitled “The Measure of Worthiness.” His challenge to the community
was to re-examine their contributions to society and their fellow man.
What an anointment from God!