Ministry, church become Christ Temple C.M.E.
Photos by Timothy Ramsey
Bishop Melvin Wilkins congratulates Pastor Nathaniel P.J. Williams Jr. as co-pastor Wanda J. H. Williams looks on during their anniversary celebration. The Williamses have merged their church and ministry into Christ Temple C.M.E. Church.
By Timothy Ramsey
For The Chronicle
Pastoral anniversaries are a time when churches get to celebrate their pastor and show appreciation for the time they have spent and the lives they have touched.
For the newly christened Christ Temple C.M.E. Church, members are not only celebrating the anniversary of their pastor, Nathaniel P.J. Williams Jr., and co-pastor, Wanda J. H. Williams. They are enjoying the merger of Christ Community Outreach Ministry and Reynolds Temple C.M.E. Church, which have come together to form Christ Temple.
According to the Williamses, who are husband and wife as well as partners in Christ in the pulpit, they started in the C.M.E. Church, but the Lord called them away from the C.M.E. Church for almost a decade, and then the Lord called them back in.
During their time away, they started the Christ Community Outreach Ministry. With the membership of Reynolds Temple diminishing and the Williamses getting the call to return to the C.M.E Church, as well as wanting a permanent place to worship, the timing was perfect for the two churches to come together and become one.
Williams also said he did not have plans to return to the C.M.E Church, but he was saved in the C.M.E Church, spoke in tongues in the C.M.E. Church, was baptized with the Holy Ghost, and shouted for the first time in the C.M.E. Church. After several phone calls, he and his wife prayed about it and received a call that simply told them, “I got a place” and named Reynolds Temple as the place for them to go.
“Tonight we had an anniversary for our pastor and co-pastor. They do a lot for us and we just wanted to show our appreciation for them by first giving God all the glory and showing our love for them being here, and just showing how much we care for them. And I just want everyone to be blessed and stay in Christ and help one another in the name of Jesus,” said Minister Branden Clark, a young man who found Christ at the age of 18 and looks to spread the word to other young people.
The evening’s events were filled with soulful hymns and wonderful words by members of the congregation. Christ Temple was joined by members of New Generation Praise and Worship International Ministries and the pastor, Bishop Melvin Wilkins Jr.
The bishop delivered the sermon for the anniversary. The members of Christ Temple presented the Williamses with a wonderful card, along with a three-day vacation to the beach.
When speaking of why he chose to deliver the evening’s message, Wilkins said: “Pastor Williams is one of my spiritual sons, and is an awesome man, and I love him and his wife. The Lord gave me the word to let him know that this is his time for favor. He has been through a lot of transition in his ministry and we wanted to encourage him, and God is going to continue to open doors for him.”
Pastor Williams said they will have the official merger celebration on the second Sunday in February, which coincidentally falls on Valentine’s Day. Pastor Omar L. Dykes and St. John C.M.E Church in Winston Salem will join Christ Temple to celebrate the occasion.
Pastor Williams went on to say that with the new church, he wants to merge the traditional ways of the church with what the new millennial generation has to bring to the table because in a few years they will be the ones who will be leading the church.
The two churches have embraced the change and look forward to bringing in new members.
Co-pastor Williams said what sealed the decision for her was that God spoke to her and said “One faith, one baptism, and one God.”
