BISHOP DR.
ALVIN ALEXANDER PORTER

Bishop Alvin Alexander Porter was born on October 22nd, 1934 to parents, Theresa and Festus Porter of Royal Flat, Manchester, Jamaica West Indies. He started his early education at McIntosh Primary School. He learned the masonry trade and worked in the construction industry.

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Bishop Porter moved to Kingston where he met his life partner, Dorothy Francis. They were united in Holy matrimony on October 1, 1960. Bishop and Mother Porter may not have had biological children but they were/are spiritual parents to many.

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Bishop Porter accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at Life Tabernacle, Kingston, Jamaica in February 1963. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost that same year. 

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Bishop Porter was tremendously active in the youth group - as he had a special love for them, the choir ministry, men's ministry, prayer meetings, and Bible Study. With a quest for knowledge in the Word of God, Bishop Porter enrolled in the Foursquare Bible School in Kingston where he earned a degree in religious studies.

He migrated to the Grand Bahamas in September of 1967. While in the Bahamas, he started Bible studies in homes - expounding the Word of God to others. In 1969, Bishop Porter migrated to Brooklyn, New York, and fellowshipped with the Calvary Evangelistic Assembly. He attended the Manhattan Bible Institute and Graduated in June 1973. Bishop went on to further his knowledge at the American Bible College where he did his post-graduate studies.

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In 1975, Bishop was called by the Lord to relocate to the Bronx. He answered the call; hence, the Calvary Gospel Assembly was established.

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He was consecrated to the office of Bishop in the year 1982. He remained humble continuing to do God's work to the best of his ability. Bishop Porter was determined; he signed loans when others said no, he helped countless numbers of people when others said no & he opened churches when others said no. As the years rolled by, four churches were established under his auspices: two in Jamaica, one in the North Bronx, and another in New Jersey. Thus Calvary Gospel Assembly Incorporated was born.

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He officially started the Calvary Bible Institute in 1990, offering courses in Personal Worker, Evangelism, Christian Worker, Homiletics, General Bible, Theology, and Eschatology.

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The passion of his life was to teach the Word of God to anyone he would meet. He was willing to teach one to one hundred with the same zeal. He desired that every member of the congregation be knowledgeable in the Word of God.

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As a great testament to his work, many are now serving in various areas of ministry around the world. Bishop Porter's favorite subject to teach was Eschatology (doctrine of the last things).

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Bishop Alvin A. Porter walked with and amongst kings, yet never lost his common touch. He was an ardent Kingdom builder and an avid Bible scholar. He went to great lengths to win souls for the Lord.

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Deuteronomy 33:27 "The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, destroy them" was one of Bishop's favorite scripture verses. All who knew Bishop Porter can truly say he was second to none.

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Bishop Porter was a multifaceted man of unwavering faith.

He was the Presiding Bishop, a Son, a Loyal Friend, a Faithful Husband, a Father, a Pastor, a Preacher, a Teacher, a Musician, a Paramedic, a Businessman, but more so a humble servant of God.

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Bishop Porter was a member of the United States Chaplain Association, Bronx Coalition of Clergy, and the Council of Pentecostal Bishops.

On Thursday, November 3, 2011, he peacefully slept in the arms of the Lord.

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Calvary Gospel Assembly, INC. continues to thank God, for the life and legacy of The Late Bishop Alvin Alexander Porter.