Dr. Banks is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He began his early childhood there until moving to the State of Maryland. He is the husband of Henri Boyd Banks, father of Raymond E. Banks Jr., and the son of Dorothy Banks-Kennedy and the late Coach Earl C. Banks, historical football coach and athletic director for Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Banks attended junior and senior high school in the Baltimore City Public School System where he excelled in student affairs and athletics. He was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame for football and the school’s Hall of Fame for personal accomplishments at his high school, Baltimore City College of Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Banks matriculated at Maryland State College (now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore) where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Arts. He also received a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. While there, he was in the final class of Proctor Fellows, under the tutelage of the late Dr. Samuel D. Proctor.
Dr. Banks has also studied at the Community College of Baltimore, now Baltimore City Community College, Morgan State University, University of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University in Columbia, Maryland and the Community College of Baltimore County in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
While serving as an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), Dr. Banks pastored the following churches:
● Tyree AME Church, Berlin, Maryland
● Bethel AME Church, Easton, Maryland
● Adams Chapel AME Church, Baltimore, Maryland
● Bethel AME Church, Port Deposit, Maryland
In addition to his ministry, Dr. Banks has had several noteworthy work experiences:
● Teacher of Engineering Drawing, Baltimore City Public Schools
● Supervisor, Business Management Division, Baltimore City Public Schools
● Director, Labor Relations and Legal Affairs, Baltimore City Public Schools
● Director, Office of the Ombudsman, Baltimore City Public Schools
● Football Coach, Baltimore City College and Morgan State University
● Police Agent, Baltimore City Police Department
● IBM Systems Marketing Representative, Baltimore Branch Office
In September of 2013, Dr. Banks retired as a Personnel Officer from the Department of Human Resources in the Office of Personnel for the Baltimore County Public School System. He now serves as founding pastor of Open Door Church Ministries, Inc. in Baltimore County.
Lady Henri hails from LaGrange, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. She was an active member of St. Paul CME Church, in Chicago-proper, where she served as a youth leader, choir member, liturgical dancer, and a member of the usher board. She attended Lyons Township High School in LaGrange and Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas where, like in her church, she sang in the choir and performed in other areas of the arts. At Bethany, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of education with concentrations in special education, art, and English.
After teaching elementary school for several years, Lady Henri continued her pursuit in the performing arts and soon became a professional actress with extensive experience in theater, on-camera, and voice-over work. She held memberships in the American Federation of Television/Radio Artists & Screen Actors’ Guild and the Actors’ Equity Association and continues to use and share her talents in the church.
In LaGrange, Lady Henri co-founded the CommUNITY-Diversity Group, a grass-roots organization that focused on equitable treatment for all people. She served as president and eventually directed its after-school study program. Her efforts resulted in receiving honors from her local area NAACP and being inducted into the Lyons Township High School Hall of Fame as the first female as well as the first person of color to ever receive this honor.
Lady Henri spent 23 years in public affairs and fund development at the Johns Hopkins University and Morgan State University, both in Baltimore, Maryland.
In January of 2021, she retired from serving as the Director of Development at Morgan State University. She lives in Owings Mills, Maryland with her husband, Rev. Dr. Raymond E. Banks Sr. The pair now work diligently in this ministry of which God has called them. Lady Henri is grateful to the Lord for their son, Raymond Jr. (Marketta), and grandson, Raymond III. Lady Henri is the daughter of Cleo May and the late Cleaveland & late Esther Boyd.
