Pastor Chris Williams

My life purpose is to lead, develop, and equip the people that intersect my life (especially church leaders) so leaders thrive, the missional effectiveness of the church is maximized, and the world becomes different and better.

 In my current role as Assistant District Superintendent in the Crossroads District of The Wesleyan Church, I have the opportunity to spend most of my time engaged in tasks and activities that are directly related to my life purpose. I consistently work with pastors and lay leaders to help them experience spiritual growth and development, while at the same time helping them increase the health and impact of their local church.

 This combined emphasis on the spiritual health of church leaders and the missional effectiveness of the local church is something that was formed in me through my time in the M.Div program at Wesley Seminary. As I was taking practical ministry courses geared to increase my competency as a leader, I was also engaged in spiritual formation experiences designed to shape my heart as a minister. This dual focus on spiritual vitality and ministry effectiveness reflect the call of Jesus for each church leader to “be with him so he can send us out.” It is this call that I want to live out each and every day and Wesley Seminary helped prepare me to do just that.

 In addition to the way Wesley Seminary prepared and shaped me for my current role, the rigor of the program also prepared me for further academic pursuits beyond seminary. I am currently enrolled as a doctoral student at Columbia International University pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership with an expected graduation date of August 2021.