BALTIMORE — At the historic Trinity Baptist Church in West Baltimore, a chapter more than half a century in the making has come to a close. Rev. William Calhoun Sr. has delivered his final sermon as the pastor, leaving behind a legacy that reaches far beyond the sanctuary.
There are many titles one could use to describe him during his dedicated run to the the city of Baltimore. Some would call him a "gentleman" others and "inspiration."
However, Rev. Calhoun prefers just one title: "I’m a servant,” he said. “I’m here to help people.”
Founded in 1888, Trinity Baptist Church has long been a cornerstone of Baltimore’s Black faith community. Rev. Calhoun became the church’s seventh pastor in 1974, guiding the congregation through decades of change in the city and the country.
Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, he grew up with a life experience that shaped both his worldview and his calling.
“I was born in Frankfort, Kentucky. I came up in segregation as a kid, as a youngster,” he said. “And I think that as I grew older, that I found myself.”
He credits leaders of the Civil Rights Movement — including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Ralph David Abernathy, Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker and Dr. Gardner Taylor — as influences on his ministry.
“By presence. By compassion for the community. And a love for God’s people in the church,” he said, describing the foundation of his leadership.
Though proud of his tenure, Rev. Calhoun says he knows it’s time to step aside.
“I know when it’s my time. One of the mistakes that some have made is that they [almost] want to die in their pulpits.”
A Pastor Beyond the Pulpit
For those who know him best, Rev. Calhoun represents a generation of pastors whose ministry extended into every corner of life.
“You’re talking half a century in one place,” said Marco Merrick, founder of the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brother to Calhoun. “I can’t even imagine the number of lives, the number of services."
Merrick described an era of pastoral care that included hospital visits, baptisms, weddings, funerals and graveside services.
“To do that for half a century is to influence generations,” he said.
Rev. Calhoun’s reach has extended beyond his church members. For years, he was a familiar presence in living rooms across Baltimore through the Sunday morning telecast 'Lift Every Voice' which hit the airwaves on WMAR in 1980.
“He was a fixture in our homes on Sunday mornings,” Merrick said.
“It wasn’t just a show,” said church member and friend Debbie Larkins. “It was more of a ministry.”
During the program, Rev. Calhoun introduced viewers to churches across the region, highlighting, not only their ministries, but their community work as well.
“What were they doing to revitalize the community?” he recalled asking. “How did you help people in their faith?”
The broadcast also showcased the diversity of worship in Black churches and challenged stereotypes.
“There are assumptions that all we ever do is just clap our hands and shout and run,” he said. “But we have been known to educate.”
He said people from various faith traditions — including Judaism and Islam — would write to say how much they appreciated the program.
Building More Than a Congregation
Rev. Calhoun’s work also included community organizing and neighborhood development.
“It was all about community organizing,” he said. “And we started so many things.”
He was involved from its early days with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), a community organization focused on housing and neighborhood revitalization.
Over the years, he said, those efforts helped lead to the construction of hundreds of homes in Baltimore and ongoing campaigns to eliminate neighborhood blight.
Inside Trinity Baptist, ministries expanded to meet practical needs, including a food pantry that continues to serve the community.
“He was always about the common man and woman and how he could help,” said Bishop Kevin Daniels, a mentee of Rev. Calhoun.
Merrick added, “knowing brother Calhoun is to know somebody of generosity.”
Leadership in the Faith Community
Beyond Trinity Baptist, Rev. Calhoun held leadership roles across Maryland. He served twice as president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and twice as president of the Progressive Baptist Churches Convention of Maryland.
During an interview with WMAR, Calhoun was asked if it feels like he's spent a lifetime of serving these communities.
“When you’re involved, you really lose your concept of time,” he said.
But through every role, he says his guiding principle remained the same: faith in action.
“We believe that the church should speak truth to power and not be quiet,” he said. “We’re here to do and be about just causes.”
Leaving Behind a Legacy of Love and Unity
After more than five decades of preaching, teaching and serving, Rev. Calhoun says Trinity remains what it has always been — a loving church.
“I’ve seen many come, and I’ve seen many go,” he said. “This is a good church. It’s a loving church.”
For those closest to him, his legacy is as personal as it is public.
“He’s a very strong intellectual, but he’s comical and will keep you laughing the whole time,” Daniels said.
“I love him as my pastor and as a friend,” Larkins added.
Merrick said he is grateful to be able to express his appreciation while Rev. Calhoun can hear it.
“It is wonderful to have the opportunity to express my pure gratitude and appreciation to someone while he can hear it, while he can see me, I can look in his eyes and say thank you,” he said. “And I say it with abundant, heartfelt gratitude.”
Rev. Calhoun believes no one builds a legacy alone.
“No one has a legacy unless they know how to stand on the shoulders of others that preceded them,” he said. “And I would like to be known for not only that, but for making a dent in history.”
As he steps away from the pulpit, he does so without division in his church or in his family — something he considers one of his greatest blessings.
“With no schism in this church, no schism in my family, no schism in my marriage,” he said.
After 51 years, Rev. William Calhoun Sr. is laying down the robe — but the impact of his service will continue to echo through Baltimore for generations to come.
