Pastor Richard T. Williams II
Pastor | Community Leader | Author | Social Innovator
Pastor Richard T. Williams II is a pastor, author, nonprofit executive, and community leader whose ministry bridges faith, innovation, and transformational service.
He serves as Lead Pastor of Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where he is leading the congregation through a season of reconciliation, revitalization, and renewed community engagement. His ministry reflects a deeply held belief that the church must extend beyond its walls and that the community is our parish.
Pastor Williams previously made history as the first African American to serve as Associate Pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church. He has also served as Senior Pastor of St. Mark AME Church and St. Peter AME Church.
Beyond the pulpit, Pastor Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of The Beacon Center, a community-centered organization connecting individuals and families with healthcare, food assistance, counseling, education, workforce development, and other essential resources.
He also founded the Next Steps Program, an innovative alternative-sentencing and leadership development initiative designed to create pathways toward accountability, restoration, employment, and long-term success without allowing financial barriers to prevent participation.
His leadership extends nationally. Pastor Williams was selected for the 2025–2026 Obama Leaders USA program, joining a network of emerging leaders working to strengthen communities and create lasting social change.
He is also the author of CEO Pastor/CEO Preacher, a leadership resource that challenges pastors and ministry leaders to embrace both their spiritual calling and the organizational leadership necessary to build healthy, sustainable, and impactful ministries.
Pastor Williams earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude, from Morehouse College and his Master of Divinity from Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center. His leadership development has also been shaped by experiences in ministry, nonprofit service, and the corporate world, including serving as an Operations Coordinator at Duke University and Site Director with YouthWorks.
From the pulpit to the boardroom and from the church to the streets of the community, Pastor Williams remains committed to proclaiming a Gospel that is not only heard, but seen through service, opportunity, justice, and transformed lives.
