She is the daughter of the late Dr. P. Dawson, who was the Founder of Grace Tabernacle church in Fayetteville, N.C., as well as the visionary of Greater Grace Tabernacle in North Charleston, SC, and the Voice of God Ministries, which is the media outreach of the church.
Dr. Dawnay accepted the Lord Jesus Christ at the age of six and was baptized in the Holy Spirit at the age of twelve. She served in the Grace Tabernacle choir and Helps ministry. As a teenager, she began a deep pursuit of fellowship with the Holy Spirit, involving saturating herself in hours of prayer and speaking in tongues. Her mother being a bible student at Carolina Bible College triggered an insatiable hunger for an understanding of the Word of God and a desire to share what she learned with others.
During her time at Oral Roberts University (ORU), she was a member of the campus Choir & Fine Arts club, “Souls of Fire,” which was led by the well-regarded director David B. Smith. This exceptional club performed concerts; led people to Christ, and also conducted mission work in nearby neighborhoods and local jails.
A graduate of Oral Roberts University, she also holds advanced degrees from the Citadel (The Military College of South Carolina) and a doctorate from the University of South Carolina. She was principal for over 20 years at Grace Junior Academy and was the co-author of “Tongue Talking: What’s it Really About?”
She began working in full-time ministry in 1996, alongside Dr. P., building a PreK through 12th grade Christian school program, writing and producing Christian plays, creating ministry training manuals, winning souls, and encouraging the saints to pursue God fully with a lifestyle of prayer. In January 2011, she accepted the call to preach and in 2017 became Pastor of Greater Grace Tabernacle church. Under the leadership of Dr. P., she has become an exemplary charismatic preacher and profound teacher of the Gospel message to benefit the Body of Christ in their spiritual growth.
As the Pastor of Greater Grace Tabernacle, Dr. Dawnay continues the mission of winning souls and compassionately training disciples for the Kingdom of God. She delivers Holy Ghost-inspired and engaging sermons that answer how the Bible relates to our present-day world. She specializes in interpreting the scriptures and applying biblical principles to our daily lives. In addition, she leads the congregation in Prophetic Praise & Worship, oversees weekly prayer services, broadcasts a weekly radio program, and conducts small group prayer and healing visits for the sick. Serving the Lord with gladness, having an excellent spirit, and seeing people healed and delivered are her heart’s passions. Through her continuous prayers for everyone, she has witnessed the transformation of souls as they allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in their hearts and minds through the Word of God. This remains the catalyst of the ministry’s outreach. Pastor Dr. Dawnay consistently lives by Mark 16:17b, which states, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” This is the ministry’s landmark battle cry.