Meet our Pastor

Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry, Senior Pastor

The Reverend Doctor Kendrick E. Curry advances the cause of Jesus Christ within the church and community. During his 14-year tenure as the Senior Pastor of The Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, the congregation has spiritually transformed and developed a Kingdom-focused ministry that continues to thrive and be renewed. The church has 20 plus intentional ministries and activities designed to meet the needs of seniors, women, men, young adults, youth, and the community at-large. It also partners with over 10 civic, social, and professional groups including AARP, an Addiction Recovery Group, and Toastmasters to help bring about communal transformation. Specifically, through partnering with a mental-health day treatment program for DC residents, producing in cultural arts events, and convening family-oriented workshops, the church educates families and children, and it brings awareness to relevant issues affecting the larger community.

Pastor Curry values education and has been academically prepared for life and ministry. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, TX; an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI; and a M.Div. (Masters of Divinity) from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA. Pastor Curry has studied at The Shalem Institute of Spiritual Formation of Washington, DC and was trained as a community organizer at the renowned Midwest Academy for Social Organizing of Chicago. He has also done advanced studies at Wesley Theological Seminary in DC, Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, and Northern Seminary near Chicago.

In addition to pastoring, Pastor Curry worked in the corporate sector for Union Carbide Corporation (now Dow Chemical) and Eastman Kodak and in the government sector for Lawrence Livermore National Labs. Additionally, he also worked in the non-profit sector for the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation directing the prestigious NASA/Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Program. In academia, Pastor Curry was the Associate Research Director and an adjunct faculty member at West Virginia State University. As a small business owner, he leads teams and managed projects in chemical, materials and environmental engineering and in the development of educational programming for youth and adults.

Pastor Curry is a prophetic voice in the public square. As such, he is active on the Board of Directors for the DC Baptist Convention and the Marshall Heights Community Development Corporation. He is the Economic Development Committee Chair for the DC Ward 7 Democrats. As a member of Faith Strategies, he serves with collective of clerics who bring faith-based solutions to social injustices in the DC metropolitan region. He also actively serves on the Board of Directors of DC Jobs with Justice. Pastor Curry advocates for Senior’s rights via his position on the Executive Committee for the DC State office of AARP. Because of his passion for equity in education, Pastor Curry serves on the Chair of the Board of Directors for Education Forward DC, and he has served on the Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia. Pastor Curry is an alternate member of the Board of Directors of DC Water, and he frequently consults in engineering and for academic, interfaith, and community organizing groups.

Based on Pastor Curry’s service on behalf of the residents of the District of Columbia, he has received numerous awards including the Wilhelmina Rolark Outstanding Citizen Award by the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO, and the Community Service/Partnership Award by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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