Reverend Lydia Graves Kenlaw
The Reverend Lydia Graves Kenlaw was raised in Providence, Rhode Island and Evanston, Illinois. She is a graduate of Evanston Township High School and a 1990 cum laude graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC where she received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Rev. Kenlaw resides in Silver Spring, Maryland. She and her husband, the Reverend Will S. Kenlaw III, are the proud parents of four daughters and two sons-in-love: Kristin (Michael), Rachel, (Hengelh) Grace and Faith.
Rev. Kenlaw received her call to preach in 1996, was licensed to preach in 1997 and ordained an itinerant elder in 2009. She earned her Masters of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary on May of 2008. Rev. Kenlaw carries the mantle of ordained ministry within her family as she is the great granddaughter of the late Rev. John Henry May, a Baptist pastor, as well as the late Rev. Dr. Horace Stepney Graves, whose last pastorate was Ebenezer AME Church in Evanston, IL.
Rev. Kenlaw is an ordained preacher in the 2nd Episcopal District’s Baltimore Conference. Rev. Kenlaw spent 12 blessed years, as a stay-at-home mother, raising four daughters. She currently works for the Federal government as the Transit Subsidy Program Manager for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in Silver Spring, MD. Rev. Kenlaw has also worked at the National Institutes of Health. She formerly served on the ministerial staff of Allen Chapel AME Church located in Silver Spring, MD, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Baron D. Young and the late Rev. Karen L. Young.
While on ministerial staff at Allen she served in the following ministries: Healing Prayer Ministry, Church School Teacher, Church School Treasurer (four years), Co-Chair of Intercessory Prayer Warrior Ministry (six years) and as minister to Christian Education. She has also served as Associate Pastor of New Birth A.M.E. (2008 to 2012) and Galilee A.M.E. Church (2012 to 2013). Rev. Lydia also began the Health and Wellness Ministry at Galilee AME Church. For seven years Rev. Lydia has served at Agape AME Church (2013 to 2020) teaching Church School, serving as Chaplin of the WMS, leader of the Intercessory Prayer Ministry and Director of Youth Choir and 4th Sunday Youth Services. Rev. Lydia also founded the Ruah Dance Ministry at Agape AME Church.
In her free time Rev. Lydia enjoys studying and listening to the bible, spending time with her husband and her children, running, biking, exercising and doing genealogical research. She also loves studying about natural medicine and herbs and leaning new ways to make healthy foods for her family.
Rev. Lydia’s favorite Scripture is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” (NIV) For it is in God that we live and move and have our being.