This weekend, Pastor Byron Williams will come back to the place where he preached his first sermon 60 years ago: Longview.
The public is invited to attend a celebration of his six decades of ministry at 3 p.m. Sunday at Jerusalem Baptist Church, 1327 E. Cotton St.
Williams was raised in Longview and said he was 7 when he said he first felt an 性视界传媒渋nner tugging性视界传媒 to become a minister.
性视界传媒淚 want to say that I heard the voice of God speaking to me. Notice I say I want to say that, but I did hear clearly a message to me that I was being called to preach,性视界传媒 he said.
One day, he was playing outside with his brothers and saw a strange light appear over the top of some pine trees. It appeared to be a person, which Williams believed to be an angel, 性视界传媒減ointing in the direction of the Northeast, telling me to go and preach God性视界传媒檚 gospel,性视界传媒 he said.
After talking with his church性视界传媒檚 pastor, Williams preached his first sermon at the age of 9 in 1964 at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Longview. He stood on wooden Coca Cola crates so that the congregation could see him over the pulpit.
He was already well acquainted with the Bible.
性视界传媒淚n the 性视界传媒50s and the 60s in the South, for an African American who had religious parents, church was not an option. It was a requirement,性视界传媒 he said. 性视界传媒淲e had to go, whether we wanted to or not. I guess that性视界传媒檚 the unique thing about me was that I wanted to, but that性视界传媒檚 because my mother read Bible stories to me before I ever really got involved in church.
性视界传媒淪o, my foundation for my faith was laid in my home, not in the church. When I got to church, I already knew the God that they were talking about.性视界传媒
Williams served as pastor at three Longview churches, including Jerusalem Baptist, before moving to Galveston, where he was active in the community. He moved to New York in 2003, where he still resides. He serves as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, New York, and is an interfaith chaplain at St. Peter性视界传媒檚 Health Partners in Albany, New York.
Williams received a bachelor性视界传媒檚 degree in religion from East Texas Baptist University in Marshall and a master性视界传媒檚 degree in theological studies from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
性视界传媒淟ongview was my foundation for really understanding ministry and how to do it properly,性视界传媒 Williams said. 性视界传媒淚t was the idea of strong family and community commitment and church life that was put in me during my early formative years, into my teenage years, and it has carried me since.性视界传媒
