March 30, 2015
For Immediate Release
By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - The Rev. Keith Marshall Williams Sr., pastor of the historic Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Penn., will speak at Campbellsville University's chapel Wednesday, April 8 in Ransdell Chapel, 401 N. Hoskins Ave., Campbellsville.
Everyone is invited to the service.
During his tenure, conversions, congregational ministries and community outreach endeavors have grown exponentially. Church membership has increased over 70 percent under his leadership.
Williams is universally recognized as a visionary, innovator and organizer with superior and uncommon leadership qualities. He is a nationally sought after preacher, lecturer and advisor.
He received his bachelor of arts degree from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn., in 1978 where he served as religious life co-commissioner and vice president of both the Augsburg Education Association and the Black Students Union.
He also starred in football and basketball and was named to the “All-American” Lutheran Collegiate Football Team. While at Augsburg, he was also selected as a missionary with Sports Ambassadors, a basketball evangelism ministry team, which toured the Philippines, Hong Kong, Tokyo and five countries in Africa.
He furthered his education and received his master's of divinity degree from the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1981. During his matriculation at Eastern, he commenced his pastoral ministry at The Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Glassboro, N.J., and served as an adjunct chaplain and Bible expositor for the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and 76ers.
In June 1984, Williams was called as the sixth pastor of the Nazarene Baptist Church. His leadership has produced a spiritual explosion evidenced by unprecedented membership growth and congregational ministries that meet the needs of members from ages 2 to 92.
He led Nazarene in its Capital Stewardship Campaign, which raised $1.2 million toward the church's building fund, culminating in the construction and completion of a $3.2 million church edifice in May of 1996.
Future plans include the development of Nazarene's 93-acre campground in Lahaska, Penn. into a multi-service Christian Camping and Conference Center. In November 2006 and again in2007, he was elected president of the 70,000-member Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey.
In January 2007, he was elected the first president of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey African American Fellowship. In March 2007 and again in 2008, he was elected president of the State Convention Presidents Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Among the many boards that he currently sits upon include: vice president of The Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music, Nazarene Community Development Corporation and No More Excuses Ministries.
He is also the chairman of the diversity committee of the Board of Trustees, director of community outreach for the Germantown Academy of Fort Washington, Penn., and a founding trustee of The Community Partnership School in North Philadelphia.
His love for Jesus Christ and the people of God have led him to speak and preach in churches, seminars and conferences throughout the country included: The MVM National Men's Conference, LifeWay Church Resources National Stand Firm Men's Conference, National Kingdom Growth Conference, The North American Mission Board, The Pennsylvania Baptist State Congress of Christian Education and The National Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
His ministry accomplishments have been highlighted in several publications including “The National Christian Athlete & Growing Churches” magazines and a columnist in the Penn Jersey Baptist Journal. He was 1992 Clergy of the Year presented by CMS.
Williams is the son of Doris E. Howard of Paoli, Penn. He is married to Constance L. Jones Williams of Riverton, N.J, a fourth grade teacher at Germantown Academy. They are the parents of three children, Keith Jr., a youth pastorat Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas;Courtney Lynee', a professional singer and actress(husband Steven T. Stotts, first grandchild, Laila) and Chierra Lindsay, a student at Baylor University.
Chapel is designed to provide opportunities for corporate worship and exposure through a variety of informative speakers and presentations.
All chapels are open to the public free of charge and are televised live on WLCU (Comcast Cable channel 10).
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.