Dr. Edward O. Williamson currently serves as the pastor-teacher of the Bethel
Baptist Church of White Plains, New York. He is a native of East St. Louis, Illinois. Dr.
Williamson has been married to Rev. Deborah A. Williamson for the last 38 years. They
have two daughters: Stefanie (Michael, Jr.) Powell and Jennifer (Oliver, Jr.) Vigille, and
they are the proud grandparents of two grandsons, Oliver III and Michael III.
Dr. Williamson was educated in the public school system of East St. Louis, IL.
He received his BA degree from Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL and his MA
Degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. He received the Doctor
of Ministry Degree with an emphasis in Christian Education from United Theological
Seminary in Dayton, OH.
Dr. Williamson was licensed and ordained by the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist
Church in East St. Louis, IL. Dr. Williamson served as the pastor of the Southern
Missionary Baptist Church in Madison, IL for 9 years. He served as the pastor of
Beautiful Plain Baptist Church in Binghamton, NY for 5 years.
Dr. Williamson’s greatest love is preaching and teaching in the church and
community. He is a certified instructor and a certified dean of Christian education for the
Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. He has
formerly served as the Dean of Christian Education, Congress President and Vice
Moderator for the Central Hudson Baptist Association. He also formerly served as the
Northeast Regional Coordinator for the Sunday School Publishing Board. He presently
serves as Moderator of the Central Hudson Baptist Association and the Dean and State
Director of Christian Education for the Empire Missionary Baptist State Convention of
New York. He is a workshop/seminar leader, lecturer, guest preacher/speaker and church
consultant.
Dr. Williamson has held several occupations including serving as a social worker,
a district executive for the Boy Scouts of America, an intensive drug abuse probation
officer, and a clinical interventionist in a mental health and chemical dependency
treatment center.
Dr. Williamson currently is a member of the Ministers Fellowship Council of
White Plains, Vice-Chairman of the board of directors for the Thomas H. Slater
Community Center, a member of the White Plains-Greenburgh Branch NAACP, chaplain
for the White Plains Public Safety Department, and a member of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his service to the
church and community. His motto for life, ministry, church, and community is: “We’re
all in this together, being the church God has called us to be.”