Pastor Richard T Williams II is the anointed, visionary leader whom God has sent to lead Metropolitan United Methodist Church – Montgomery AL. Pastor Williams is grateful to serve as the lead pastor. Prior to Metropolitan, Pastor Williams served as Associate Pastor at Aldergate UMC , Senior Pastor of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church – Thomasville, GA and St. Peter AME – Camilla, GA. Through his bold, principled leadership Aldersgate UMC, St Mark AME and St Peter AME grew spirituality and in membership.

Pastor Williams is guiding the church through a period of reconciliation and transformation by forward thinking and bridge building. Pastor Williams was born in Moncks Corner, South Carolina to the late Shirley Williams and Richard Williams. He was ordained as an Itinerant Elder in 2015 from the Atlanta North Georgia Annual Conference of the AME church. God has blessed him with an amazing combination of diverse life experiences, which prepared him for his appointment at Metropolitan UMC.

Pastor Williams is the First African American to be appointed to Aldersgate UMC in its 100+ year history. This opportunity has been a blessing to the community and the church at large. Pastor Williams can be found weekly volunteering in a local school and teaching at The Communities of Transformation. He is a pastor that cares for the community as his perish. Pastor Williams is a member of the Academy of Preachers and serves on the leadership council to empower other young preachers.

His God-directed developmental path prepared him to handle the spiritual side of the church as well as the administrative and business sides. From stints in the corporate world as a Operations Coordinator at Duke University, to a Site Director at YouthWorks, God’s invisible hand was gently guiding and preparing him. From serving others to missional priorities , serving as 7th Episcopal Young People’s Department President, and traveling with Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, God’s invisible hand again was constantly guiding this leader.
Educationally, Pastor Williams earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Morehouse College in 2012, with a Major in Psychology (Cum Laude). While at Morehouse, he was a Bonner Scholar and served as the Senior Bonner intern. He holds a Master of Divinity from Turner Theological Seminary at Interdenominational Theological Center. While at ITC he served as the Junior Class President and was a student member of the Board of Trustees.In spite of all of Pastor Williams accomplishments he believes that the gospel should be heard to all those who have ears and seen by those who are experiencing the hand of God.