Dr. Raleigh B. Washington

Raleigh B. Washington has served Promise Keepers as executive vice-president of Global Ministries since October 1999. Previously, Dr. Washington served as vice president for Reconciliation and was a member of the Promise Keepers board of directors.

Dr. Washington is the founder and pastor emeritus of Rock of our Salvation Evangelical Free Church in Chicago, Illinois, an urban church reaching across racial barriers within the inner city of Chicago. In 1993 he was voted “Pastor of the Year” by the Greater Chicago Sunday School Association.

Dr. Washington is a member of the Board of Directors for Circle Urban Ministries, a community development organization serving the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. He co-authored a book with Glen Kehrein (executive director of Circle Urban Ministries) entitled Breaking Down Walls: A Model of Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife, which received the 1994 Gold Medallion Award from the Christian Booksellers Association.

Dr. Washington is a Florida native, and received his bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M University. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, earning the Bronze Star for meritorious service in Vietnam. Responding to God’s call into full-time ministry, he entered Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1980 (now known as Trinity International University), where he received the Joy Cummings Award for Evangelism, the Kearney Afro-American Award for achievement and was selected for Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. In 1983 he earned a master of divinity degree. Also at Trinity, Raleigh developed the master of arts in Urban Ministries program, which he directed for six years. In 1994 he earned his doctor of divinity from Trinity International University. In 1997 he also received the Doctor of Peace-making degree from Westminster College with Glen Kehrein. In 1999, he received an honorary doctor of ministry for reconciliation from Azusa Pacific University.

Dr. Washington has been a featured speaker for Promise Keepers; Moody Bible Institute’s Founder’s Week and Pastors’ Conference; the National Religious Broadcasters’ Conference; the Evangelical Free Church of America Conference; college and seminary commencements; as well as missions, urban outreach and racial reconciliation conferences across the United States and globally.

Dr. Washington lives in Denver with his wife, Paulette, and attends Church in the City, a thriving multi-cultural, inner city church.

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