Harrison Street Missionary Baptist Church was born from a need of a Baptist Church for the people of color on the North side of Paducah. This need became apparent to the Rev. George Dupee, the Pastor of Washington Street Baptist Church in 1877. Rev. Dupee and other members of the Washington Street Baptist Church began conducting what they called the “Need More Mission” on the North side. When the mission had developed Rev. Dupee called Rev. Tyler for the first leader of the “Need More Mission”. Rev. Tyler was Pastor from 1887 -1889. From 1889 -1894 Rev. J.S. Candor led the flock.
From 1894-1907 Rev. W.F. Ward became the pastor of this now established flock, and in 1898 the group transformed a two room house into a church and changed the name from “Need More” to First Ward Church.
In 1907 the church was destroyed by fire. A call was extended to the Rev. J.O. Griffin and with the help of devoted christians a new structure was built.
Rev. J. O. Griffin
1907-1910
Rev. E. W. Hawthorne
1910-1913
Rev. G. Ivory
1913-1916
Rev. A. M. Samuels
1916-1923
Rev. P D. Dennis
1923-1932
Rev. J. M. Stevenson
1932-1950
Rev. L. F. Burton
1950-1961
Rev. W. G. Harvey
1961-1986
Rev. Edward Ballard
1987-1993
Rev. Marion Daniels
1994-2002
Pastor James Lee Hudson
2004-Present
