rev. dr. renee f. washington gardner

In 2004, the Rev. Dr. Renee F. Washington Gardner was elected Senior Pastor of the Memorial Baptist in Harlem, and in December 2024, she became the 16th Moderator of the United Missionary Baptist Association of New York City & Vicinity, the first woman elected to both posts. Pastor Renee, as she is lovingly known, is a trailblazing woman of many “firsts.”  In addition to being the first woman to lead Memorial in its then-69-year history, and UMBA in its 70-year history, Rev. Renee was the Baptist woman in NYC to succeed her husband as Pastor; the first woman to be elected as Senior Pastor of an established Baptist Church in Harlem, and the first woman to serve simultaneously as Pastor of one Harlem congregation and First Lady of another, as she is married to the Rev. Dr. Sean P. Gardner, Sr. of the East Ward Missionary Baptist Church.   

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Pastor Renee is a skilled preacher, teacher, counselor, and administrator. She was one of an elite group of 25 women pastors selected nationally for Lott Carey’s Striving and Thriving program.  Moderator Washington Gardner has held leadership positions with a number of community, faith-based and health-concerned groups. During the pandemic, she was a leader in creating access to COVID testing and vaccination for underserved communities. A credentialed chaplain, she has served both the Veterans Administration and the New York Transit Authority.

Organizations such as The National Action Network, the Balm in Gilead, and the NAACP, and civic leaders including President Joe Biden, Senators Hilary Clinton, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Chuck Shumer; former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the late Congressman Charlie Rangel have lauded her.

Pastor Renee is a graduate of the New York Theological Seminary/Eastern Baptist Extension Program in Urban Ministry and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the St. Thomas Christian College.

Rev. Dr. Renee F. Washington Gardner is the mother of five sons and 15 grandchildren. Her blessed assurance is heard frequently in her testimony, “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me, my soul cries out ‘Hallelujah!’ I thank God for saving me!”