Nineteenth Street Baptist Church Welcomes Rev. Kevin Lamár Peterman as New Senior Pastor
Washington, DC – June 25, 2025 – Nineteenth Street Baptist Church will welcome Reverend Kevin Lamár Peterman on June 29, 2025, when he preaches his inaugural sermon as its new Senior Pastor. As the oldest African American Baptist church in the nation’s capital, founded in 1839, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church continues its legacy of faith, freedom, and leadership under Rev. Peterman’s dynamic spiritual guidance.
“I am humbled and honored to serve a church with such a rich history and prophetic witness,” said Rev. Peterman. “Together, we will continue to live out the Gospel, serve our community, and press forward toward the beloved community envisioned by our ancestors and entrusted to us by God.”
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 in Theological Studies from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Science degree in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned specialized 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.
A native of Newark, NJ, Rev. Peterman was baptized and licensed to preach at the First Baptist Church of Vauxhall, NJ. While pursuing his theological education, he served as a pastoral intern at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He was later ordained at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY, where he served as Young Adult & Social Justice Minister. Most recently, Rev. Peterman served for nearly seven years as an Associate Pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
In 2024, he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers and Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, one of the highest honors
conferred upon Black clergy in the United States.
Rev. Peterman’s education and nonprofit 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 in Newark. He has also held fellowships with the NAACP Washington Bureau, the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, District of Columbia Public Schools.
A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Prince Hall Masonic Order, Rev. Peterman is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading millennial voices in ministry and civic life.
The congregation will formally celebrate Rev. Peterman’s installation in a series of inaugural events in November. “The calling of a new pastor marks both a
continuation and a new beginning. We joyfully welcome Rev. Peterman’s spiritual leadership, his heart for God’s people, and his vision for ministry. We believe he will honor our rich traditions while guiding us forward in faith, unity, and a renewed purpose,” said Deacon Shawn Davis-Wilensky, chair of the Board of Deacons.
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About Nineteenth Street Baptist Church
Founded in 1839, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church is the oldest African American Baptist congregation in Washington, D.C. With a legacy rooted in faith, justice, and education, the church continues to serve as a beacon of hope and spiritual leadership in the nation’s capital and beyond. Initially located at 19th & I Streets NW, the church moved in 1975 to its current home at 4606 16th Street NW. For more information visit: https://19thstreetbc.org.
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Joanne Williams • 202.364.0024 • jlwilliams@barrington-associates.com
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