Our Pastor
Rev. Dr. Todd C. Davidson is the son of Doris and the late Calvert Davidson, the youngest of three children, and a native of Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Davidson enthusiastically serves as the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hampton, Virginia. He is humbled, honored, and eager for what God is going to do in the life of the First Family! Prior to assuming the leadership of First Church, Dr. Davidson served for a total of 16 years as a Senior Pastor at Piney Grove Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and at Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to entering the pastorate, Dr. Davidson was a teacher, coach, and Dean of Students in Norfolk Public Schools. Since August 12th, 2000, he has been excitedly married to Mrs. Laia Elizabeth Davidson and the father of three beautiful daughters Cana Jonae Davidson, Reaiah Leigh Davidson, and Ajah Elizabeth Davidson. Laia is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology and Elementary Education from The College of William and Mary and a Master of Nursing Degree from Case Western Reserve University. She has been an elementary school teacher and grade-level chair in both Norfolk Public Schools and Chesapeake Public Schools. She is currently a Registered Nurse. Laia has unique experience facilitating collaboration between schools and health institutions, in underserved areas, to promote family health literacy.
Dr. Davidson was licensed to preach in 1997, at Antioch Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia, and was ordained in 1998. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, in Government and Elementary Education, from The College of William and Mary; a Master of Divinity Degree, in Theology, (Magna Cum Laude Graduate) from The Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, and an earned Doctoral Degree in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership, from The College of William and Mary. He regularly is invited to preach, speak, and lecture in churches, schools, and other venues as God graces him with those opportunities. In addition to his duties as Senior Pastor, Dr. Davidson holds an Adjunct Faculty appointment at Norfolk State University in the School of Education’s Department of Early, Elementary, and Special Education. He was the recipient of the John Lewis Award for Public Service from the Cleveland Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, Inc. Additionally, in 2018, he was named Pastor of the Year, by United Pastors in Mission, a Northeast Ohio Ecumenical Organization. He served faithfully on the Board of Trustees at Kent State University, where he was Chair of the Academic Excellence and Student Success Committee; the Board of Directors for Starting Point, Incorporated; the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Opportunity Corridor Inclusion Advisory Committee; and the Cleveland Baptist Association’s (American Baptist Churches) Board of Trustees.
He served from 2015 until 2017 as a member of the Shaker Heights Board of Education. In November 2014, Dr. Davidson was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to the State of Ohio’s Community Connectors Advisory Board which connects faith-based organizations. In May 2006, and November 2010, Dr. Davidson was elected by the citizens of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the providence of God, to the School Board of Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Currently, Dr. Davidson serves on the Advisory Board for Peninsula Catholic High School, the Advisory Board of Phoebus High School, and the Board of Directors for Smart Beginnings of the Virginia Peninsula. He has extensive experience on numerous Boards and Commissions in Virginia and Ohio.
Dr. Davidson has received numerous awards for his community service and commitment to social justice, which included, but were not limited to: The Virginia Beach Human Rights’ Commission Award; the ACT-SO Award for Oratory; The Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology Award for Academic Excellence, and the Urban League of Hampton Roads’ Young Professional of the Year Award. He has published both his dissertation research and an essay in a work entitled, The Power of Belief. He has been an active member of the NAACP and Kappa Delta Pi, Inc. (a national honor society for professional educators). Prior to moving to Cleveland, Dr. Davidson also held an appointment as an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education in the School of Education at Norfolk State University. Dr. Todd C. Davidson is deeply grateful for his mentors in ministry, Dr. John Kinney, Dr. Donald F. Taylor, Sr., Dr. I. Joseph Williams, Dr. Curtis Edmonds, and Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., who have helped nurture his faith and provide guiding lights for ministry. He enjoys spending time with his family, exercising and serving God’s people. His favorite Scripture is Philippians 4:13, which states, “For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”