senior pastor
The Reverend Kevin Lamár Peterman, a native of Newark, N.J., is an esteemed leader with an accomplished career in ministry, higher education, public service, and nonprofit leadership. He was elected Senior Pastor of Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in May 2025.
Called by God to preach, teach, and advocate for a better world, Rev. Peterman was baptized and licensed to preach at the First Baptist Church of Vauxhall, N.J. While pursuing his theological education, he served as a pastoral intern at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Ill. He was later ordained at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he served as Young Adult & Social Justice Minister. Most recently, Rev. Peterman served for nearly seven years as an Associate Pastor at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Peterman is a graduate of Howard University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Science degree in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned certificates in Black Church Studies and Clergy Ministerial Ethics from Princeton. In conjunction with his regular coursework, he has studied throughout China, Japan, Ghana, and South Africa.
In 2024, he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers and Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, which is among the highest honors bestowed upon African American clergy.
In addition to his ministerial duties, Rev. Peterman has a distinguished career in higher education and nonprofit leadership. His experience includes serving as Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Howard University School of Divinity, Chief of Staff for the Next Step Adult Public Charter School Network, and as an Executive Leadership & Search Consultant at Isaacson, Miller Executive Search Firm. He also has held fellowships with the NAACP Washington Bureau, the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, and District of Columbia Public Schools.
A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Prince Hall Masonic Order, Rev. Peterman is recognized as one of the nation’s leading millennial voices.