On a leafy block of upper Northwest Washington, just south of the Carter Barron Amphitheatre between Crittenden and Buchanan Streets, stands a stately building that has carried the name Nineteenth Street Baptist Church for more than a century and a half. Although it has not stood on Nineteenth Street since 1975, the congregation that bears that name is the oldest African American Baptist church in the city of Washington, with roots that reach back to 1839, to the first generation of Black Baptist worshipers in the District, and to a long lineage of pastors who shaped Black civic and spiritual life in the nation's capital. Today the church draws a congregation of devoted members and visitors who gather for worship each Sunday at 10 a.m., for prayer calls through the week, and for an unusually deep network of ministries that stretches from the fellowship hall to Burkina Faso.
A Founding Rooted in Freedom
Nineteenth Street Baptist Church was established on August 29, 1839, as First Colored Baptist Church of Washington. Its earliest beginnings were inside The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C., a congregation organized in 1802 where Black members had originally worshiped alongside white ones. After First Baptist and other congregations of the time began to segregate their membership in 1833, Black members began to gather in a building that had previously housed First Baptist on the southwest corner of 19th and I Streets NW. Six years later, the group united with a worshiping community led by Rev. Sampson White and formed a separate congregation, with White as its first pastor.
The church that grew from that small body purchased the 19th and I Streets property, was incorporated on May 5, 1870, and received its charter as Nineteenth Street Baptist Church of Washington, District of Columbia, on November 16, 1870. A new edifice was erected in 1871 and served as the congregation's home for over a century.
The pastoral history of Nineteenth Street is unusually long. In its 186-year history, only 15 pastors have served at Nineteenth Street, and the tenure of four of them covered nearly 140 years combined. The most formative of those pastors was Rev. Dr. Walter Henderson Brooks, installed on November 12, 1882. Under his 63-year pastorate the church grew to more than 3,500 members, attracted leaders of the African American community, and became one of the nation's leading Baptist congregations. Among the landmark moments under his leadership was a 1915 meeting of Black Civil War veterans of the Union Army in the church, where a "colored citizens' committee" organized to build a monument to Black achievement, a meeting that became the catalyst for what would eventually become the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.
On January 26, 1975, Rev. Dr. Jerry A. Moore Jr., who had served as Brooks's pastoral assistant and was his student at Howard University's School of Divinity, led the congregation to its present home at 4606 16th St. NW. Many of the parishioners had by then moved from the 19th and I neighborhood, and the church purchased what had been the B'nai Israel Jewish Synagogue on 16th Street. Moore created programs that remain at the center of the church's life today, including Youth Church, Vacation Bible School, and Noonday Lenten Services. He served for more than 50 years, retiring in 1996, and died in 2017.
Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins became pastor on July 25, 1997, expanding the church's outreach into missionary work in Burkina Faso and Jamaica and advocating for immigration reform. While in that role he also served as National Director of Faith Outreach for the Democratic National Committee, and during his pastorate the church twice hosted a family whose visits became part of its story: Barack Obama and his family attended Sunday service on the eve of his inauguration and on Easter Sunday 2014. Rev. Darryl D. Roberts, Ph.D., served from February 19, 2017 to August 22, 2023, having previously been senior pastor of Mount Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, and associate minister and assistant pastor of the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Under his leadership the church secured a full-time youth pastor, expanded Youth Church, deepened its social justice activity, and navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current pastor is Rev. Kevin Lamar Peterman, elected in May 2025 and formally installed in November 2025 after a series of inaugural events that culminated in a service led by Rev. Lawrence E. Aker III of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn.
Worship on 16th Street
The rhythm of the week at Nineteenth Street begins before Sunday and continues through Friday. Sunday Adult Church School meets at 9 a.m., in person in the Moore Conference Room and on Zoom; study guides have included works such as Melissa Spoelstra's "Romans: Good News that Changes Everything." Youth classes meet at 10:30 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, in person and on Zoom; primary-age children also have a virtual class at 1 p.m.
Sunday worship begins at 10 a.m. and runs about 90 minutes. The order of worship combines devotional reading, congregational hymn, choir anthems from the Mass Choir in a range of styles, prayer, the collection of tithes and offerings, and the sermon. Ushers and greeters welcome visitors at the door. Visitors are not asked to introduce themselves during the service, but during a "Words of Welcome" period first-time guests are asked to stand and be acknowledged, and a Visitor Information Form is available to complete during or after the visit. At the end of the service, "the doors of the church" are opened and anyone who wishes to accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior, or to join the church by baptism, Christian experience, letter, or watch care, is invited forward.
Worship is also fully virtual. The service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel and carried on a conference call line (605-472-5349, Access Code 348952#). A photographer may take photographs during services and events, and the church posts its policy on photography and video on signs at the entrance.
The Tuesday evening Bible Study, led by the senior pastor, meets from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Zoom. Wednesday evenings add "The CONNECTION" Bible Study at 7 p.m., accessible by audio only or Zoom. Friday mornings begin at 6:45 a.m. with "Precious Moments with Him," a half-hour of meditation and prayer on the same conference number.
Three weekly intercessory prayer calls bracket the week: Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. led by the ordained clergy, Wednesday at noon led by the Deaconess Board, and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. led by the Deacon Board, each on conference call 605-472-5349, Access Code 348952#.
What to Wear and How to Find It
The congregation's attire for worship is whatever makes a visitor feel comfortable. Some members wear suits, some wear jeans; some wear dresses, others wear pantsuits. The building itself sits a few blocks south of the Carter Barron Amphitheatre on 16th Street NW. Parking is in the church lot at the rear and side of the building, which can be entered from 16th, 17th, or Crittenden Streets NW; the lot includes three wheelchair-accessible spaces and holds about 30 cars. There is also ample street parking around the church.
The sanctuary is accessible by wheelchair from the Crittenden Street side of the church, where wheelchair-access signs are posted. The nearest bus stop is on 16th Street at Buchanan Street, served by Metrobus lines D60 and D6X. The closest Metrorail station is Petworth, 1.3 miles away; Takoma and Silver Spring stations are 2.5 and 3.4 miles away, respectively.
The church follows a mask-optional policy and no longer requires COVID-19 vaccinations to attend in-person services. Virtual worship, study, prayer, and ministry opportunities remain available for those who prefer them.
Music at the Heart of the Sanctuary
The Music Ministry of Nineteenth Street Baptist Church has been part of the church's worship for more than 150 years, dating to 1870. Its repertoire weaves together gospel harmonies, traditional hymns, soulful spirituals, contemporary praise songs, liturgical dance, and influences from jazz and classical music. The Mass Choir, the primary ensemble, leads music during the 10 a.m. Sunday worship service and rehearses Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 8:30 a.m. The Male Chorus leads worship on fifth Sundays under Trustee Charles Gordon. The Pediatrician Choir (the Kandlelite Choir) introduces children to congregational singing under Deacon Deborah Crain-Kemp. The Praise and Worship Team bridges traditional and contemporary styles.
The Liturgical Dance Ministry includes a Women's unit coordinated by Sister Jaleya Leonard and a Youth and Young Adult unit coordinated by Sister Taylor Weldon and Sister Milan Wolfe. The Music Ministry is led by Minister of Music Kenneth Peagler, who coordinates the choirs and ensembles and oversees the Comfort and Care Choir as well.
The Media Ministry, made up of volunteers such as Deacon Gerald Young, Brother Roman Holton, and Deacon Deborah Crain-Kemp, livestreams each Sunday's service on YouTube, manages the sound and recording equipment in the sanctuary and fellowship hall, and has overseen the addition of wide-area network antennas, professional soundboards, and additional microphones for the choir over the years.
Education from Nursery Through Adult
Children's programming at Nineteenth Street starts in the nursery, which is open during the 10 a.m. worship service for children ages 6 months to 5 years. Every member of the nursery team is CPR trained and has passed a background check; the nursery doors open at 9:45 a.m.
Church School classes meet Sundays for all ages, with adult classes at 9 a.m. and youth classes at 10:30 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Youth Church meets at 10:30 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, in person and on Zoom, and is led by Youth and Young Adult Pastor Rev. James L. Harris Jr., who also serves as Church School Superintendent. Vacation Bible School takes place each summer, with a 2026 program scheduled for June 22-26.
God's Hope Chest Ministry partners with the Family & Youth Initiative of Washington, D.C. to host an annual birthday celebration for adolescent youth in foster care, drawing 22 to 25 children and 40 to 55 adults each year from across the District of Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. The Progressive Adults Ministry runs the Love Pal Program, a mentoring and quarterly-stipend partnership that supports young adults attending college, now in its 33rd year and financed by a robust theatergoers fundraiser program.
Care in the Eighteenth Street Neighborhood
In the spirit of Matthew 25, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat... I needed clothes and you clothed me," Nineteenth Street operates two long-running direct service ministries out of its fellowship hall. The Food Pantry Ministry, founded in 1982, distributes free bags and boxes of groceries on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Capital Area Food Bank provides canned goods, packaged goods, and frozen meats at discounted or no cost, and church members supply additional financial support, donated goods, and volunteer labor. The Clothes Closet, launched in July 2022 by the Jarvis Memorial Club, distributes free, gently used clothing during the same Thursday windows. Co-chairs Angela Griffin and Cynthia Thompson lead the pantry; Deacon Sandra Keaton Brown, president of the Jarvis Memorial Club, oversees the closet.
The Health Ministry, founded in the 1970s by Dr. Mamie C. Montague and currently chaired by Dr. Reginald Cole, focuses on health education and the connection between body, mind, and spirit. Recent programs have included diagnostic screenings, vaccinations, a speaker series, walking groups, and exercise classes.
GriefShare, a Christ-centered, biblically based grief support program, meets at the church and is open to anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. Each session includes video seminars, group discussion, and a personal workbook; registration is $20 to cover the workbook. Ministry co-chairs Deacon Yvonne Dickson and Sister Ferlandia Townsend lead the team, with Rev. James A. Crosson Jr., Rev. Reginald Townsend, Deacon Vialetta Graham, and Sister Ferlandia Townsend among the facilitators.
Justice and the Reach of the Congregation
The Social Justice Ministry grounds its work in Psalm 82:3, "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute." Among the projects the ministry sponsors or supports: community vigils, including a September 8 vigil on 16th Street at which nearly 75 church members, family, and friends gathered; the History and Reconciliation Project, a joint journey with First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C., to examine the congregations' shared past and cast a future of reconciliation; support for the Black Lives Matter movement through rallies, marches, and hosted discussions; and the Congregation Action Network, a coalition of D.C. faith communities that accompany and accompany immigrants at risk of detention, deportation, or profiling. Deacon Sandra LeSesne and Deacon Deborah Crain-Kemp lead the ministry.
Global Missions Ministry, founded on the Great Commission of Matthew 28, has been sending teams abroad since 2003 and currently maintains partnerships in Burkina Faso, Jamaica, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Haiti. In Burkina Faso the church supports Orphans and Vulnerable Children; in Jamaica, the partnership works with Rev. Vanya Grant as he establishes a new church; in Nicaragua, a young seminary student and his church family receive support; in Kenya, the church joined Ark of Hope Community Center's Kenya Well Project in 2021, and Rev. Dr. Cheryl Coleman Hall preached and led workshops with Maasai women. Haiti has been a special focus, with the church's fifth and final Haiti Walk 5K completed in 2021 to support VillageMED in building a pediatric clinic in Layaye. Global Missions Ministry Sunday is held each September, and the ministry is led by Phyllis Ellis Cooke.
The Board of Deaconesses
The Board of Deaconesses was officially established on June 5, 1905, growing from a late-19th-century group of "Mothers of the Church" who assisted the deacons in caring for sick and elderly members. The 2026 theme is "Serving With Excellence - Reflecting Christ." Deaconesses provide physical and spiritual support, prayer, visits, calls, cards, and gifts; comfort families in bereavement; support youth and young adult programs; award scholarships for higher education; host fellowship events; and lead outreach to homeless shelters, children's centers, and resource programs for abused women and their children.
Maureen A. Young chairs the board, with Jean Jackson as vice chair, Monique Wiley-Crawford as recording secretary, Dena Bowen as corresponding secretary, Barbara Young Johnson as chaplain, Cathy Nunn as treasurer, Patricia Kilby-Robb as assistant treasurer, Margarette Blakemore as financial secretary, Kyra Mitchell Wooden as parliamentarian, Sharon Tucker as sergeant-at-arms, and Anika Cooper as historian. The 2026 Deaconess Family Dinner will be held on Sunday, October 18, the 34th annual event and the sixth Grab & Go edition, honoring five Deaconesses Emeritae.
Men, Women, Seniors, and Young Adults
The Men's Ministry has roots in the Men's Club organized on March 4, 1910, when church brothers made themselves available for care of the church grounds. It grew into a fellowship later formalized as a ministry by Rev. Jerry C. Cheatham Jr. during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Derrick Harkins; Trustee Charles Hall presided over the adoption of its mission; Deacon Howard Smith unified the Men's Club and the Men's Ministry. The ministry hosts fellowship breakfasts, social outings, church cleanups, and an annual Men's Weekend in the summer, led by Deacon Mario Ashby.
The Women's Ministry, "Sisters of the YAM: You Are Mine!" (Isaiah 43:1-7), encourages service, fellowship, and spiritual growth among women of all ages and is led by Women's Ministry Pastor Rev. Dr. Cheryl Coleman Hall.
The Senior Adult Ministry serves adults age 60 and older, creating connections that promote fellowship and well-being.
The Young Adult Ministry, for those ages 18-40, hosts young adult Bible study and "R3" social gatherings focused on Relax, Relate, and Release. It is led by Youth and Young Adult Pastor Rev. James L. Harris Jr.
The Missionary Society, organized in 1839 by Mr. Henry Butler, develops members' Christian experience through Bible study and the Mission Quarterly Study Guide and sponsors Women's Day on the fourth Sunday in April. The idea, purpose, and plan for Women's Day was presented to the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., in 1906 by Nineteenth Street member Nannie Helen Burroughs as a way to raise funds to support mission obligations. The society also spearheads the church's annual Homecoming Fellowship Dinner and a church-wide Women's Retreat, and supports mission obligations including the Stoddard Baptist Home Foundation, the National Center for Children & Families, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, Toys for Tots, and gifts to Nineteenth Street high school graduates entering college.
The New Pastor, the New Season
Rev. Kevin Lamar Peterman was elected senior pastor in May 2025 and preached his inaugural sermon on June 29, 2025. A native of Newark, N.J., he was baptized and licensed to preach at the First Baptist Church of Vauxhall, served as a pastoral intern at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, was ordained at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn where he served as Young Adult & Social Justice Minister, and most recently served for nearly seven years as an associate pastor at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Howard University (B.A. in Political Science), Princeton Theological Seminary (M.A. in Theological Studies), and the University of Pennsylvania (M.S. in Higher Education), and holds certificates in Black Church Studies and Clergy Ministerial Ethics from Princeton. In 2024 he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers and Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, among the highest honors conferred upon Black clergy. A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Prince Hall Masonic Order, he is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading millennial voices in ministry and civic life. His previous career has included service as Assistant Vice President and Chief of Staff at the United Negro College Fund, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Howard University School of Divinity, Chief of Staff for the Next Step Adult Public Charter School, fellowships with the NAACP Washington Bureau, the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, and DC Public Schools, and work as an Executive Leadership & Search Consultant at Isaacson, Miller.
Installation events in November 2025 opened with a Day of Service on November 1 hosted by the Youth and Young Adult Ministries, in partnership with Bread for the City and the Durant Family Foundation, which collected coats for children and adults. A Revival Service on November 11 featured Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Senior Pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, and the Alfred Street choir. The Legacy Gala at the historic Howard Theatre on November 14 celebrated the church's 186 years of faith and fellowship, with performances by the Howard University Gospel Choir and jazz musician Marcus Johnson. Rev. Lawrence E. Aker III of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn led the Installation Service on November 15, and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago delivered the closing sermon on November 16.
Intercessory Prayer and Spiritual Formation
Beyond the three weekly prayer calls, the Intercessory Prayer Ministry hosts the Kairos Clinic, a summer workshop on employing Scripture in daily life; virtual and in-person prayer vigils tied to Holy Season and national or local events; prayer breakfasts; prayer walks, including around the White House compound; Bibles and Christian books for spiritual growth; corporate fasts with supplemental resources; and housewarmings, dedications, and visitations. The Young Adult Prayer Team, a recent addition, prays in the sanctuary before worship services. The ministry is led by Rev. Ed Turner, Rev. Lorise White Wolfe, and Rev. Robin Turner in partnership with Deaconess Pearl Sudduth and Deacon Deborah Crain Kemp.
The New Members Ministry fosters connection and active involvement for those who join. Each new member is assigned a Deacon Board spiritual advisor and attends a New Members Orientation class on the fourth Saturday of each month, an engaging 2-hour introduction to the church's history, mission, vision, organization, ministries, programs, and activities. Orientation for children and teens is a personalized program managed by the youth pastor. Upon completion, new members are extended the "Right Hand of Fellowship" on the first Sunday of the month and receive a Completion of Orientation Certificate and a personal Bible. Deacon Vialetta Graham directs the ministry.
Giving, the Building, and the Church's Reach
The church accepts gifts online through Givelify, PayPal, and Cash App ($NineteenthStreet), and by mail at 4606 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011. On the first Sunday of each month, the Board of Deacons collects a benevolence offering to support members in need. The Board of Trustees, chaired by Karen E. Williamson, has launched the 2026 "ALL IN: Sowing into God's House" program, inviting pledges of tithes and offerings.
The 4606 16th Street building includes a balconied 1,000-seat sanctuary, a newly renovated chapel that seats 90, a fellowship hall with a professional kitchen and stage, two board rooms, and a 30-car parking lot. The sanctuary is available for weddings, vow renewals, family observances, meetings, training sessions, workshops, bazaars, breakfasts, luncheons, banquets, performances, concerts, and recitals. Cheryl Johnson, a member of the church, has served as clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Storee Denson, the church's organist, has been featured for his role in inspiring young musicians.
The Communications Ministry, reactivated by Pastor Darryl Roberts in July 2018 and now chaired by Karen Williamson, manages branding, messaging, graphics, social media, newsletters, mass communications, the digital sign, and church-wide publications. The Epistle, the church's newsletter, was first published as The Church News from 1962 to 1966 during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Jerry A. Moore Jr.; revived in 1977 by I. Benni Singleton as The Epistle; and relaunched in 2016 as a monthly e-newsletter under editor Karen E. Williamson. The newsletter went on hiatus in January 2023, and its archive remains available, stretching back to January 2016.
Today, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Kevin Lamar Peterman; a Board of Deacons chaired by Shawn Davis-Wilensky; a Board of Deaconesses chaired by Maureen A. Young; a Board of Trustees chaired by Karen E. Williamson; a Board of Christian Education directed by Patricia Kilby-Robb; Minister of Music Kenneth Peagler; and a roster of associate ministers that includes Rev. Jerry C. Cheatham Jr., Rev. Christopher O. Crawford, Rev. James A. Crosson Jr., Rev. Dr. Cheryl Coleman Hall, Min. Donna S. Miller, Rev. Reginald Townsend, Rev. Edward Turner, Rev. Robin L. Turner, Rev. Leslie Wiley, and Rev. Lorise White Wolfe. The Education is directed by Patricia Kilby-Robb; Minister of Music Kenneth Peagler; and a roster of associate ministers that includes Rev. Jerry C. Cheatham Jr., Rev. Christopher O. Crawford, Rev. James A. Crosson Jr., Rev. Dr. Cheryl Coleman Hall, Min. Donna S. Miller, Rev. Reginald Townsend, Rev. Edward Turner, Rev. Robin L. Turner, Rev. Leslie Wiley, and Rev. Lorise White Wolfe.