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Reverend
Dr. Jesse T. Williams, Jr. is
the fourth, distinguished Senior Pastor of the
prominent Convent Avenue Baptist Church of Harlem
in New York City, N.Y. Dr. Williams was licensed
to preach the Gospel in June 1983 at the Mount
Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas
and was ordained to the Gospel Ministry in December
1990 at the West Side Baptist Church, St. Louis,
Missouri. Prior to accepting the call from Convent
Avenue, Dr. Williams served sixteen years as Pastor
of the historic Washington Tabernacle Baptist
Church of St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Williams has
adopted the words of Paul in II Corinthians 5:18
as his philosophy of ministry which states, “And
all things are of God, who has reconciled us to
Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation.” Dr. Williams’
ministry is guided by this spiritual principle
of reconciliation and is evidenced by the fruits
of his labor in preparation and service.
It is therefore not surprising and quite exciting
to acknowledge and highlight that under Dr. Williams’
pastoral leadership the Convent Avenue Church
Family has significantly increased in membership,
worship attendance, and tithes and offering commitments.
Pastor Williams has instituted the partaking of
Communion during the First Sunday 8:00 a.m. and
11:00 a.m. worship services as an addition to
the usual 5:00 p.m. Communion Celebration Service.
He ordained a minister, licensed three ministers
and ordained four deacons. He initiated the hiring
of an Executive Minister and an Executive Assistant
to the Senior Pastor, and facilitated the first
leadership retreat with the official boards. Pastor
Williams has developed a new church motto and
initiated the development of the church logo that
is part of the revitalized Convent church website.
Rev. Dr. Williams has also initiated the restructuring
of the New Members Training Classes and Curriculum.
As a visionary, who understands the plethora of
societal needs, Rev. Dr. Williams is constantly
seeking the face of God for wisdom, guidance,
direction and discernment in spiritually leading
and effecting holistic change not only for the
Convent Avenue Church family but the Harlem Community
at large.
Dr. Williams’ academic credentials include
a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Eden Theological
Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri (May, 1999);
a Master of Divinity degree from Eden Seminary
(May, 1991); a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical
Engineering from the University of Kansas (May,
1986); and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
from the University of Kansas (May, 1986). In
June of 2005 Dr. Williams received a Certificate
of Participation and gained special training at
Harvard University’s Divinity School Summer
Leadership Institute in Cambridge, MA.
Dr. Williams’ ministerial and community
highlights include speaking at the 2008 New York
Baptist Minister’s Conference King Day Celebration
and hosting the Third (2008) Realizing the Dream
King Holiday Commemoration. He was the keynote
speaker for the 2008 National Baptist Convention’s
Ushers Banquet in Cincinnati, Ohio and served
as a Workshop Panelist at the NAACP Leadership
500 Conference in Arizona (2008). He has served
as a delegate to the World Baptist Congress held
in Melbourne, Australia with a stop in Hong Kong
(2000), preaching at the Fort Buchanan Army Base
in Puerto Rico for the Martin Luther King Celebrations
(1996 and 1997), and being a member of the 12th
Preaching Team to Africa under the Foreign Mission
Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA,
Inc.; where he ministered throughout South Africa,
Swaziland, Zambia and Malawi (1993). For ten years,
Dr. Williams, was a member of the Eden Theological
Seminary Faculty in St. Louis, Missouri and currently
serves on their Board of Directors. He is a Faculty
Mentor for the Doctoral Studies Program at United
Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio and a Field
Education Supervisor at Union Theological Seminary
in New York, New York. One of his dynamic sermons
entitled, “How To Use The Silence,”
was published in the Winter 2002-2003 Edition
of The African American Pulpit. In 2005 Dr. Williams
completed a five year term as president of the
Missionary Baptist Minister’s Union of St.
Louis and Vicinity.
Dr. Williams is a strong community supporter
and is actively serving on the Board of Directors
of the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem, Inc.,
M.L. Wilson Boys & Girls Clubhouse. Prior
to leaving St. Louis, Dr. Williams received a
Proclamation and a Community Service Award from
the City of St. Louis in recognition of his community
efforts. He was also honored in the third edition
(2006-2007) of Who’s Who in Black St. Louis.
Reverend Dr. Williams was born in Akron, Ohio
and is happily married to the lovely Gelaine R.
Williams. They are the proud parents of one son,
Jesse T. Williams, III. |
