OUR FOUNDER

THE LATE BISHOP RICKEY T. WASHINGTON

Founder

Bishop Rickey T. Washington was a mighty man of valor. He is the man that God has set aside for the day and time to preach a relevant Word to all who seek God’s face. He was a “chosen vessel” of God.

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He worked in the ministry for over 40 years. He committed his life to Christ at the age of 12 and later was baptized with water, the Holy Ghost and fire. With a heart of servitude, he possesses an impressive list of accomplishments as he committed himself to laboring for God through his local church. In his youth and young adult years, he was a leader in numerous capacities at Interdenominational Faith Assembly in Baton Rouge, LA.

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Realizing the call on his life and his mission to preach the Gospel, he became a licensed and ordained minister by Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship. In 1999, he was licensed and ordained as the Pastor and Founder of Higher Ground Outreach Church (Baton Rouge, LA) under the Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship and Bishop Paul S. Morton. He had the privilege of serving with his wife, Pastor Lesia Washington, as co-founder. Together they focused on building a generation of leaders, leading by example, and living by faith. As the visionary of Higher Ground, Bishop Washington set the foundation of excellence in ministry. Because of his vision and dedication to kingdom work, Higher Ground has a long history of saving souls, changing lives, developing leaders, restoring families, and serving the community. His legacy and ultimate vision for Higher Ground is Faith City, a 12-acre multi-use development that includes a worship facility, daycare, commercial retail space, an elderly facility, and a Christian performing arts school.

In addition to pastoring at Higher Ground, Bishop Washington he has traveled extensively throughout his ministerial career across the country and throughout the world building God’s kingdom and restoring lives. His clear, relevant, and powerful teachings of faith, tithing, and leadership have inspired thousands. Consecrated as a Bishop, a "Pastor’s Pastor", he was a constant support to hundreds of pastors and provided wisdom and spiritual guidance as they navigated the trials of being a kingdom builder and ambassador. In 2018, he received his Honor Doctorate from Midwest College of Theology.