Pastor Delwynn G. Williams
A native of Apopka, Florida, Delwynn Gerard Williams was called to the pastorate of St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Panama City, Florida, Wednesday, May 2, 2001 and assumed his duties as the 13th pastor of the then 77-year-old church.
He is married to the former Miss Susan C. Edwards, and they have two grown (and gone) children, Brandon Darnell and Britni Cherrell.
Surviving the divorce of his parents at an early age, Pastor Williams left his home in Jacksonville, Florida and returned to, grew up and attended elementary school in Apopka, Florida and Jr. High and High School in the city of his birth, Orlando, Florida; graduating from Edgewater High School in 1984, after spending the 1st few years of his life in Jacksonville, Florida. Following his high school graduation, he continued his formal education at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, majoring in Religion and Philosophy. He then entered the Springfield Christian Bible Seminary in Springfield, Massachusetts where he received the Bachelor of Theology and Doctor of Divinity degrees.
Preaching an initial sermon Sunday, August 31, 1986 at the Greater Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church of Tangerine, Florida under the tutelage of the late Pastor Solomon Neal and being ordained to the Gospel Ministry Sunday, April 30, 1989 at the Greater Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church of Tallahassee, Florida by the late Pastor T. T. Jackson; Pastor Williams’ ministerial career now spans over 30 years with his most recent previous pastoral experience being that of serving as Senior Pastor of Higher Heights Christian Baptist Fellowship in Tallahassee, FL (May 3, 1998 – May 2, 2001) and Mt. Moriah First Baptist Church in Quincy, Florida (April 7, 1989 – May 3, 1998). He has served in the leadership capacity for several Christian and civic organizations and conducted countless crusades, revivals, workshops and conferences across the United States.
Pastor Williams is a member of the National Baptist Convention of America, Progressive M & E Baptist Convention of Florida (where he serves as Minister of Music & Organist), Progressive Missionary Baptist Association of West Florida (where he serves as Moderator), NAACP and SCLC (where he served as the 1st Bay County Chapter President). In July 2015, Pastor Williams was appointed by then Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, to the Board of Directors for One Church One Child of Florida (OCOCFL). He is currently serving a 2nd 2-year term to be completed in December 2019. After approximately 5 months on the OCOCFL Board, Pastor Williams was appointed to the Executive Committee of the organization. Pastor Williams is also listed in the 1996 Edition of Strathmore’s Who’s Who Among Business Leaders and the 1987 Edition of Outstanding Young Men of America.