Preston Washington

Preston R. Washington (Aug 26, 1948 – Jun 25, 2003) was a prominent minister of Memorial Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. He was a co-founder of the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement and held leadership positions from 1986-2001, bringing millions of dollars in development projects for housing and retail to the neighborhood. He and his wife, Rev. Renee F. Washington, increased the congregation to 1500 members.

For the community in the United States, see Preston, Washington.

Early life and education

Preston Washington was born in Manhattan, New York, growing up in Spanish Harlem. He attended public schools and graduated from Williams College. While he was at Williams College he was a member of St. Anthony Hall ( AKA Delta Psi ). He earned a Master's degree in Divinity at Union Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in education from Columbia University.

Career

In 1976 Dr. Washington was called to Memorial Baptist Church in Harlem, which he served until his death in 2003 at age 54. He and his wife built up the congregation.

In 1989 with Canon Frederick B. Williams, Washington co-founded the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI), a consortium of 90 congregations that has developed housing and retail services. It helped Harlem start a revival during the difficult years of the 1980s and early 1990s. HCCI also supported programs for education and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

In 1989 Washington was among the early supporters of Pernessa C. Seele in her efforts to organize the Harlem Week of Prayer for Healing of AIDS.[1] In a few years she expanded this effort to improve public health through communities of faith to a non-profit, the Balm in Gilead, Inc. Participating congregations use revival, education and prevention to reduce HIV/AIDS, and to support families and patients.

Washington encouraged the congregation to welcome tourists.

"Dr. Washington opened his church to tourists who arrive by the busload to hear gospel music. He used part of the money they contributed to renovate his church. He also changed the church's order of service by starting the preaching during the service's second hour after the tourists, many of whom did not understand English, left.

In an interview with National Public Radio in 1996, he said members joked that the church was a European church on Sunday morning and a clandestine black church at nights during the week. He defended his encouragement of the tourist invasion by suggesting that visitors were probably experiencing their most intimate encounter with black culture."

[2]

Marriage and family

He married Renee Frances Washington, who also became a minister and assisted him at Memorial Baptist Church. They had five sons together, and adopted two more.

In 2004, Rev. Renee F. Washington was elected to succeed Dr. Preston Washington as senior minister of Memorial Baptist Church. She was the first woman to be called as senior pastor of an established Baptist church in Harlem.

Legacy and honors
  • Dr. Washington was recognized for his work to create housing and provide support to families and people with HIV/AIDS.
  • The city named W.115th Street, where the church is located, Bishop Preston R. Washington, Sr. Place in his honor.

Books
  • 1986 - From the Pew to the Pavement: Messages on Urban Outreach (Aaron Press), and
  • 1988 - God's Transforming Spirit: Black Church Renewal (Judson Press)

Citations
  1. Dorie J. Gilbert and Ednita M. Wright, African American Women and HIV/AIDS, Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Company, 2003, p. 154. Retrieved Jan 23, 2009
  2. Douglas Martin, "Preston R. Washington, 54, Minister in Harlem, Is Dead", New York Times, Jul 4, 2003. Retrieved Jan 25, 2009
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