Raynarldo Maurice Henderson began serving as Commissioner on January 1, 2021, and was elected to his third term in November 2024. Commissioner Henderson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 28, 1962, where he was educated, licensed, and ordained to preach the Gospel. He studied at Judson College (now Judson University) where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. Commissioner Henderson also received a M.Div. (Master of Divinity) degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
Pastor, as he is affectionately called, has been serving as the senior servant of the “historic” Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church for twenty-eight years. Washington Street, organized in 1855, is the oldest Black congregation in Paducah and one of the oldest congregations in Western Kentucky. Raynarldo Henderson is the seventeenth pastor. He is also the founder and president of the Washington Street Community Development Corporation, a 501©(3) organization.
Since arriving in Paducah in 1992, Pastor Henderson has been actively involved in community and state affairs. He served on the Paducah Housing Authority board for seventeen years, sixteen of those years as Chairman. In 2011, in honor of his dedicated service, the community center in Blackburn Court was renamed the Raynarldo M. Henderson Community Center. Pastor Henderson was also appointed by Governor Ernie Fletcher to a Blue-Ribbon Panel to study the viability of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights.
In 2007, Pastor Henderson’s sermon, “When God Puts You on Hold,” was published in the Fall Edition of the African American Pulpit, a quarterly journal that serves as a repository for the very best of African American preaching and provides practical and creative resources for persons in ministry.
Commissioner Henderson has been married for 36 years to the former Cheri Adams. They have three adult children and one granddaughter. While community is Pastor Henderson’s passion, it is his commitment to the growth of the body of Christ that remains his first passion.
In serving as City Commissioner, he serves on the Municipal Housing Commission.
Contact
Email Commissioner Raynarldo Henderson
Leave message at 270-444-8504
Invitation to Serve on Citizen Boards and Commissions
Paducah has several boards and commissions that provide guidance on a variety of topics. To be considered as a board or commission appointee, review the Boards and Commissions overview document and submit an application form. Your willingness to serve Paducah is appreciated.
