Roy Tilman Williams (1883-1946) was a minister and general superintendent in the

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism during the late 19th century. The denomination has its headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas. and it ...

Biography

Roy Williams was born in

Milam, Texas Milam is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sabine County, Texas, United States. It is located along the Sabine River at the junction of Highway 87 and Highway 21. The population was 1,355 at the 2020 census. Milam is the largest city in Sabi ...

on February 14, 1883. His family moved to

Many, Louisiana Many () is a town in, and the parish seat of Sabine Parish in western Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,853 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 36 or 1.246% from 2000. History The site where Many currently sits was originally a Belg ...

when he was five years old. Williams was not exposed to religion during his childhood; however, at the age of 16 he attended a

revival Revival most often refers to: *Resuscitation of a person *Language revival of an extinct language *Revival (sports team) of a defunct team *Revival (television) of a former television series *Revival (theatre), a new production of a previously pro ...

at a

Methodist church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

. It was then that he began practicing Methodism, and although he was originally ridiculed by his family for his decision, they eventually converted to Methodism themselves. In 1908, Williams attended the second General Assembly of the

at Pilot Point Texas with his wife Eunice Harvey Williams and was ordained a minister by Nazarene general superintendent Hiram F. Reynolds. Among the first graduates at Texas Holiness University, Williams became the president of the university in 1911 at the age of 28. As president, he changed the name to Peniel University, and it was renamed Peniel College by a later president. Williams resigned in 1913 to become an evangelist, which he continued until 1916 when he was named the General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene after the deaths of the two current superintendents. At 33 years old, he was the youngest person to hold that position, and a later General Assembly set the age limit to 35. He served from 1916 until the end of his life in 1946, the longest time that anyone had ever served. Williams was to give a speech in

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...

on October 21, 1945; however, he woke up that morning feeling ill and unable to talk, so the pastor of the church, Rev. Joseph Bierce, took him to the hospital. When he was fit to travel again, he was taken to his cabin in

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. He died on March 25, 1946, days after his arrival at his cabin. The library on the campus of

Southern Nazarene University Southern Nazarene University (SNU) is a Private university, private Church of the Nazarene, Nazarene university in Bethany, Oklahoma. History The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions ...

is named after him.

External links

Biography of Dr. Roy T. Williams
1883 births 1946 deaths American Nazarene ministers Converts to Methodism Nazarene general superintendents Peniel College {{US-Christian-clergy-stub