Our Pastor

The Reverend Kenneth LaTron Padgett Jr., the only child of Kenneth Sr. and Mary Washington, serves as Senior Pastor of Reedy Branch Baptist Church in Ward, South Carolina. Reverend Padgett is a proud native of Columbia, South Carolina.

Reverend Padgett earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Religion from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia (2017), an Associate of Applied Science in Hospitality and Fitness Management from the Community College of the Air Force (2018), and a Master of Divinity from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia (2021). He served as an adjunct professor in the Religion and Philosophy Department at Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina.

Reverend Padgett was licensed and ordained at Trinity Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, where he served faithfully as an Associate Minister. He also served as the Online Campus Pastor at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Elgin, South Carolina. During COVID-19, Oak Grove was able to connect with multiple generations and continued to grow through technology.

Reverend Padgett served in the South Carolina Air National Guard for twelve years, achieving the rank of Technical Sergeant. Throughout his military career, he traveled to numerous countries and was deployed in 2016. As of February 2023, Reverend Padgett commissioned in the Air Force Reserves, where he currently holds the rank of Captain.

Reverend Padgett believes that spirituality and social justice are intertwined, making the Gospel a message of liberation. He stands firmly on Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In addition to his many roles and accomplishments, Reverend Padgett is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, the International Honor Society of Theta Phi, and the Trinity Leadership Fellows program. He enjoys playing basketball, spending time with friends and family, and mentoring young men.

Reverend Padgett believes, “Ain’t no woman like the one I got!” In September 2015, he married the beautiful and compassionate former Angelica C. Brown. Together, their motto for life and ministry is “Faithing it!” They are also the proud parents of a baby boy, affectionately known as “Tre,” who fills their lives with joy and purpose.