Kenneth Darryl Ray Clayton is the Senior Pastor of the St. Luke Baptist Church of Paterson, NJ. A native of Paterson, he is the oldest of three children born to Vivian Clayton and the late George Clayton and is a product of schools of this city.
At an early age, he confessed Christ as his personal savior, was baptized and became a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church of Paterson, NJ under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Alfred Blakely. In April of 1988, he acknowledged his call to the preaching ministry, and was subsequently given license to preach by the Shiloh Church after having preached his first sermon September 18, 1988.
In 1990, he united with the Calvary Baptist Church of Garfield, NJ, under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Dr. Calvin McKinney. In 1991, he was added to the church staff in a full time position as the Minister of Christian Education and the Assistant to the Pastor. In this role he was responsible for the development and maintenance of the educational ministries of the Calvary Church, which at that time included an active Children’s and Youth Ministry, an annual Bible Institute, a Tutorial Ministry and many other educational endeavors. In addition he assisted Pastor McKinney in all of the pastoral responsibilities of the Calvary Church including regular preaching and teaching opportunities.
Rev. Clayton is a graduate of Upsala College of East Orange, NJ where he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He graduated from New York Theological Seminary where he earned the Master of Divinity degree, in 1997. He is presently pursuing the Doctor of Ministry degree from New Brunswick Theological Seminary.
He is active within the ranks of the Baptist denomination having served in a variety of capacities within the national, state, and local levels of the Baptist family.
He has served as the President of both the Youth Departments of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Association, and the North Jersey District Missionary Baptist Association of New Jersey. He is a member of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity, the Baptist Ministers Conference of Newark and Vicinity, and the Paterson Pastors Workshop. He is also a life member of the NAACP.
In 1994, he was selected to serve as the Special Assistant to the Editor of the National Baptist Voice, the official organ of the 8 million members National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and in 1995, he served as the Assistant Editor of the Voice, for one year. In addition to writing for the National Baptist Voice, Rev. Clayton has also written for the New York Beacon, and the New Jersey Christian Chronicles.
He is a former Instructor in the Youth Division of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education (NBC, USA, Inc) and is the Second Vice-President of the General Baptist Convention of NJ, Inc. He is also the Moderator of the Shiloh Baptist Association of NJ. He is the youngest person to serve in either of these latter offices.
In 1996 Rev. Clayton was called to serve as the Assistant Pastor of the St. Luke Baptist Church of Paterson, NJ then under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. A. M. Tyler. He began service to St. Luke on Easter Sunday of 1997. On Saturday, April 26, 1997 at the age of 94, God called Rev. A. M. Tyler from labor to reward after 62 years of fruitful and productive pastoral ministry at St. Luke. At Rev. Tyler’s death, Rev. Clayton was named Acting Pastor and on Wednesday, October 22, 1997 the St. Luke Church officially extended the call to
Rev. Clayton to serve as the sixth (and youngest) pastor in their history.
Under his leadership, St. Luke has and continues to experience tremendous growth. The membership of the church has tripled, the operating budget has quadrupled as the St. Luke Church emphasizes worship, discipleship, fellowship, outreach, and service as its primary purposes.
In addition to developing a full time staff to accommodate the needs of this growing congregation, Pastor Clayton has postured the congregation to begin serving through ministries that extend beyond the walls of the church building into the Paterson community. The church gives significantly to home and foreign missions, and provides financial assistance to students, and a wide-range of institutions and organizations. They sponsor a Girl Scout and the site for weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings. In addition, they sponsor a Christian Recovery/Support Group, and a church supported food and clothing pantry (CHRISTHOUSE). The church is seen weekly in the Paterson area through a church sponsored television broadcast, “Determined”, featuring the preaching/teaching ministry of Pastor Clayton, and a radio ministry heard in the New Jersey/New York Metropolitan area. Several local partnerships allow the church to sponsor an After School Program, Summer Camp, and a meaningful partnership with an adjacent Public School. The creation of the St. Luke Community Development Center (CDC) has resulted in housing development, rehabilitative programs, and other vital community renewal programs.
Widely traveled, Rev. Clayton has preached extensively throughout the country.
Realizing that he is a servant of God and God’s people, Rev. Clayton is an advocate for human rights and social justice. He has served as a Board Member of the Paterson Branch NAACP, the Bergen County Urban League and was the first African-American male to be appointed a Commissioner on the Board of the Passaic County Technical and Vocational High School, where he served as Vice-President. He also formerly served as member of the Board of Commissioners for the Passaic County Board of Social Services.
In addition to a broad preaching ministry, he is also a frequent teacher and lecturer.
He has served as an Adjunct Professor for Eastern Baptist Seminary’s Certificate in Christian Ministry Program. He is the recipient of numerous awards and citations too numerous to mention. Among his many notable honors, was his 2006 induction to the prestigious Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College of Atlanta, Georgia.
As he engages in the work of the Lord, Rev. Clayton is supported by his wife Lisa, and their children Alesha, Justin, and twins Kenneth and Kendrick. Pastor Clayton prides himself as a pastor, “Determined to Know Christ and Make Him Known.”
At an early age, he confessed Christ as his personal savior, was baptized and became a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church of Paterson, NJ under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Alfred Blakely. In April of 1988, he acknowledged his call to the preaching ministry, and was subsequently given license to preach by the Shiloh Church after having preached his first sermon September 18, 1988.
In 1990, he united with the Calvary Baptist Church of Garfield, NJ, under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Dr. Calvin McKinney. In 1991, he was added to the church staff in a full time position as the Minister of Christian Education and the Assistant to the Pastor. In this role he was responsible for the development and maintenance of the educational ministries of the Calvary Church, which at that time included an active Children’s and Youth Ministry, an annual Bible Institute, a Tutorial Ministry and many other educational endeavors. In addition he assisted Pastor McKinney in all of the pastoral responsibilities of the Calvary Church including regular preaching and teaching opportunities.
Rev. Clayton is a graduate of Upsala College of East Orange, NJ where he earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He graduated from New York Theological Seminary where he earned the Master of Divinity degree, in 1997. He is presently pursuing the Doctor of Ministry degree from New Brunswick Theological Seminary.
He is active within the ranks of the Baptist denomination having served in a variety of capacities within the national, state, and local levels of the Baptist family.
He has served as the President of both the Youth Departments of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Association, and the North Jersey District Missionary Baptist Association of New Jersey. He is a member of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity, the Baptist Ministers Conference of Newark and Vicinity, and the Paterson Pastors Workshop. He is also a life member of the NAACP.
In 1994, he was selected to serve as the Special Assistant to the Editor of the National Baptist Voice, the official organ of the 8 million members National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and in 1995, he served as the Assistant Editor of the Voice, for one year. In addition to writing for the National Baptist Voice, Rev. Clayton has also written for the New York Beacon, and the New Jersey Christian Chronicles.
He is a former Instructor in the Youth Division of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education (NBC, USA, Inc) and is the Second Vice-President of the General Baptist Convention of NJ, Inc. He is also the Moderator of the Shiloh Baptist Association of NJ. He is the youngest person to serve in either of these latter offices.
In 1996 Rev. Clayton was called to serve as the Assistant Pastor of the St. Luke Baptist Church of Paterson, NJ then under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. A. M. Tyler. He began service to St. Luke on Easter Sunday of 1997. On Saturday, April 26, 1997 at the age of 94, God called Rev. A. M. Tyler from labor to reward after 62 years of fruitful and productive pastoral ministry at St. Luke. At Rev. Tyler’s death, Rev. Clayton was named Acting Pastor and on Wednesday, October 22, 1997 the St. Luke Church officially extended the call to
Rev. Clayton to serve as the sixth (and youngest) pastor in their history.
Under his leadership, St. Luke has and continues to experience tremendous growth. The membership of the church has tripled, the operating budget has quadrupled as the St. Luke Church emphasizes worship, discipleship, fellowship, outreach, and service as its primary purposes.
In addition to developing a full time staff to accommodate the needs of this growing congregation, Pastor Clayton has postured the congregation to begin serving through ministries that extend beyond the walls of the church building into the Paterson community. The church gives significantly to home and foreign missions, and provides financial assistance to students, and a wide-range of institutions and organizations. They sponsor a Girl Scout and the site for weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings. In addition, they sponsor a Christian Recovery/Support Group, and a church supported food and clothing pantry (CHRISTHOUSE). The church is seen weekly in the Paterson area through a church sponsored television broadcast, “Determined”, featuring the preaching/teaching ministry of Pastor Clayton, and a radio ministry heard in the New Jersey/New York Metropolitan area. Several local partnerships allow the church to sponsor an After School Program, Summer Camp, and a meaningful partnership with an adjacent Public School. The creation of the St. Luke Community Development Center (CDC) has resulted in housing development, rehabilitative programs, and other vital community renewal programs.
Widely traveled, Rev. Clayton has preached extensively throughout the country.
Realizing that he is a servant of God and God’s people, Rev. Clayton is an advocate for human rights and social justice. He has served as a Board Member of the Paterson Branch NAACP, the Bergen County Urban League and was the first African-American male to be appointed a Commissioner on the Board of the Passaic County Technical and Vocational High School, where he served as Vice-President. He also formerly served as member of the Board of Commissioners for the Passaic County Board of Social Services.
In addition to a broad preaching ministry, he is also a frequent teacher and lecturer.
He has served as an Adjunct Professor for Eastern Baptist Seminary’s Certificate in Christian Ministry Program. He is the recipient of numerous awards and citations too numerous to mention. Among his many notable honors, was his 2006 induction to the prestigious Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College of Atlanta, Georgia.
As he engages in the work of the Lord, Rev. Clayton is supported by his wife Lisa, and their children Alesha, Justin, and twins Kenneth and Kendrick. Pastor Clayton prides himself as a pastor, “Determined to Know Christ and Make Him Known.”
