Saint John Baptist Church

    Dr. Carlon L. Lassiter is the Pastor-Elect of the historic Saint John Baptist Church of Williamsburg, Virginia. He is a native of Williamsburg. Dr. Lassiter is a proud alumnus of Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, and is a two-time graduate of the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, where he earned his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees. 
    Dr. Lassiter was called to the gospel ministry in 2015 after his employer (the Department of Defense) offered him an opportunity to attend an advanced leadership training seminar in Kansas City. Hesitantly, he accepted the opportunity with apprehension due to a suspicion that God would test his faith by allowing some ordeal. After about a week of the training, he started having trouble seeing clearly (physically). The following week, he noticed that his whole body was beginning to slow down and was experiencing continual cramping all over his body. By the time the third week rolled around, he was in a coma. 
    After a divine interaction with his family and he was taken to a hospital in a hurry, where doctors reportedly informed my family that there was nothing they could do to help him and that they should get in touch with relatives because it was unlikely that he would live to see another day. 
    But after divine interaction, he was taken to a larger hospital in southern Kansas City, thirty minutes away, where he was admitted to the cardio-critical unit. After being in a coma for five days, he regained consciousness with his father by his side. Doctors stated that he had a blood sugar of over 2500, that he still had blood clots everywhere in his body, that his kidneys had failed, that he was on dialysis, and that his brain hadn't functioned for a considerable time. However, the doctor said he couldn't believe he was talking to him and that he was a living miracle. 
    As he emerged from the comma, the rest of the family members were arriving. Dr. Lassiter was there for a month, and during that time, he witnessed the mighty healing power of the Lord up close and personal. He went from receiving horrible reports from five teams of doctors (because of the several organ concerns) to having a counselor work on his permanent dialysis therapy and disability paperwork. Complete illness was followed by complete and total healing. God has shown him his divine providence and assured him that he will never desert Dr. Lassiter. 
    Dr. Lassiter knew that God was preparing him for ministry both during and after the process, but he desired to hear him say it out loud. He moved on his heart thrice while at church, and Dr. Lassiter "knew that I knew" that he had been called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and care for his people.
    Since his youth, he has been a member of St. John Baptist Church and has served his church as a mentor, trustee, deacon, and now as Pastor. Saint John Baptist Church continues to grow under Dr. Lassiter's leadership. He has a purpose focused on ministry to youth and young adults. He seeks to minister to an intergenerational congregation by preaching and teaching God's Word with power, conviction, and simplicity.
    He also serves his community by spreading the liberating gospel at the local detention center, jail ministry, and wherever he has the opportunity to teach, lecture and preach. Dr. Lassiter's love and sense of compassion for others make him no stranger to service in the community. He is a member of the Tri-County Pastors' Council, and civically, he is the current Vice President of the Williamsburg Men's Club and a member of Maceo Consolidated Lodge #124 PHA. Above all, he adores God and the task of demonstrating His grace in the lives of others by testifying that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
    Pastor Lassiter believes that we were endowed with life and created in God's image in order to be with and for one another. Dr. Lassiter, therefore, endeavors to combat the influence of colonialism and postcolonialism on biblical interpretation and, consequently, the Black church and community.
    Dr. Lassiter is married to the Love of his Life, the former Tamecha Stacks, and together they have two beautiful daughters, Casey and Crystal (Crysee).