November 5, 2002
SPRINGFIELD — Jerry Williams, a veteran of 38 years in the ministry, has been selected as the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Director of Missions for 2002.
Nominated for the honor by Missouri Baptist bivocational pastors, Williams has served as Director of Missions (DOM) in Barry County Association the last four years. He previously pastored Southern Baptist churches in Missouri and Louisiana, most recently the Arnhart Baptist Church at Purdy, Mo.
"My years as a Director of Missions have been the happiest time of my life," Williams told The Pathway. "I enjoy being a pastor’s pastor … doing such things as planning missions trips."
Williams was involved in coordinating a mission trip to Nicaragua last year. Plans are complete for Barry County Baptists to travel to Vera Cruz, Mexico in March, 2003. He also has coordinated a Bible school/revival mission effort to Nebraska.
"This has been a way for me to give back to the association," Williams said. "We (the association) pay half the cost for anybody who wants to go. I like for them to get hands-on mission experience."
According to Williams, 12 from MBC churches in Barry County are going to Mexico.
"It has always been my dream to be able to minister in this way," he said. "I love working in the association and going with pastors and lay people on the mission trips."
Williams’ hobby is owning and riding a motorcycle, and he has even discovered a way to combine mission work with his "bike."
"I’m trying to find if there any good conservative motorcycle riders out there," he said. "I rode this past summer to Santa Fe, N.M., and preached at a church in Tucumcari. And he’s already planning motorcycle/preaching trips to Lake Charles, La., and South Carolina.
Williams is a 1972 graduate of Southwest Baptist University at Bolivar. His first pastorate was at Harwood, Mo.
The Williams family has three grown children – two daughters and a son – and five grandchildren.