Reverend Gaston was born June 19, 1950, in Chester, S.C. He is the eldest of six children born to the union of Henry and Loretta Gaston of Chester, S.C. After the death of his great-grandmother, Amanda Wise, in 1955, his family moved to Washington, D.C. He attended public school and graduated from Anacostia Senior High School in Southeast in 1968.
Reverend Gaston accepted Christ in 1969 after a soul-stirring message by Dr. Clarence Long, the Pastor of the Mount Airy Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. and was baptized by Reverend John Wellington, the Assistant Pastor. In 1972, he joined Burrell Memorial Baptist Church (renamed Johnson Memorial Baptist Church) on his Christian Experience. Immediately upon taking the right hand of fellowship, he began teaching in the Sunday Church School.
Reverend Gaston was remarried to Duann Baker Smith on Sunday, March 25, 2001. They have four children, Calvin, Ernest, Crystal, and Christopher and two daughters-in-law, Rasshahn and Deven. They are also blessed with four granddaughters, Keviona Pettis, Anonia Hart, Azariah Baker, and Dakota H. Gaston and two grandsons Drew Baker and James M. Stephens, III.
Reverend Gaston was ordained a Deacon on November 21, 1976. He entered the Washington Baptist Seminary in September 1977. While there, he served on a host of different committees and in his senior year was elected President of the Student Council. Reverend Gaston delivered his trial sermon on Wednesday, March 7, 1979 and was licensed in the Gospel Ministry on April 22, 1979. He graduated from the Seminary in June 1981and was ordained into the Gospel Ministry by Reverend Rodney Young at the Johnson Memorial Baptist Church on September 19, 1981.
October 1, 1982, the Pastorate position in Johnson Memorial became vacant. After much prayer and deliberation, the officers approached Reverend Gaston and asked if he would serve as interim Pastor until the church was ready to elect a permanent Pastor. On May 6, 1983, Reverend Henry A. Gaston was called and became the Pastor elect of Johnson Memorial Baptist Church. He was installed Sunday, September 4, 1983.
He is actively serving in the following positions:
â–ª Trustee of the Washington Baptist Seminary in October 1994;
â–ª Board of Directors of the Stoddard Baptist Nursing Home;
â–ª President of the Baptist Educational Congress of DC and Vicinity from May 2006;
â–ª Member of the Executive Committee of The Baptist Convention of Washington, DC and Vicinity and is an active member of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.;
â–ª Member of the DC affiliate of the National Black Leadership Commission on HIV and AIDS;
▪ President of The Missionary Baptist Minister’s Conference of Washington, DC and Vicinity;
▪ Member of the Board of Director’s of the Educational Congress of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc.
Chairman of the Board of Director for the East of the River Clergy, Police, and Community Partnership (ERCPCP).
He has also served in the following positions:
â–ª President of the Washington Baptist Seminary Alumni Association from October 1990 until June 1993;
Trustee of the Interdenominational Church Ushers Association (ICUA)l
Reverend Gaston was conferred upon the Honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities from Maple Springs Baptist Bible College and Seminary May 2, 2009; Honorary degree of Doctorate of Divinity from Richmond Virginia Seminary March 16, 2009; Honorary degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theology (honoris causa) from the Washington Baptist Seminary May 15, 2006 and has been recognized as “Pastor of the Week†by radio station Radio Station WYCB five times during the following years: 1986, 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2004.
Reverend Gaston retired September 30, 2005, as a Management Program Analyst from the United States Federal Government after 38 years services (4 years at the Pentagon and 34 years the Department of Commerce).
Johnson Memorial Baptist Church
800 Ridge Road,
S.E. Washington, D.C. 20019
(202)-581-4481
