SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After nearly 50 years as a pastor, Dr. Ephraim Williams is retiring. He was the pastor at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church since 1971.
Williams is the longest-serving pastor in the Sacramento region, according to the church. On Sunday, July 26, the church honored Williams with a ceremony to honor his service to St. Paul as well as remember what he did for the community.
As pastor, Williams led St. Paul in multiple community service and outreach programs to help the homeless, youth initiatives and helped those dealing with addiction.
According to St. Paul's website, he also helped grow the membership of the church from around 100 members to over 5,000 and oversaw the building of the Dr. Ephraim Williams Family Life Center, which is used as a multipurpose facility for the community.
Among his numerous achievements, Williams was invited by President Bill Clinton to participate in conversations about issues impacting the Black community in the United States.
Williams delivered his final sermon last Sunday.
You can watch the full retirement ceremony on St. Paul's YouTube page.
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