Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church will install its newly-appointed senior pastor, Reverend Carlos D. Williams, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. The Installation service will begin at 3:30 p.m. and be held at the church, located at 1819 N. Washington Ave. in Dallas. Ministers from across the country and local community leaders will be in attendance.
The installation celebration will kick off Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. with a DFW service featuring Pastor William T. Glynn of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Worth as the guest speaker. There will be two services on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. The 10 a.m. worship service will feature Pastor Marcus Davidson from New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Dr. A. B. Sutton, Jr. with Living Stones Temple in Birmingham, AL will speak at the 3:30 p.m. installation service.
Dr. Williams will serve as the fourth senior pastor of Pilgrim Rest. He was preceded by founder and inaugural pastor Rev. S. G. Gooden, Rev. G. B. Prince, Jr., and Pastor Emeritus Dr. Curtis W. Wallace.
The 86-year-old church has been a beacon of hope and a mainstay in the community, once known as “Short North Dallas.”
Dr. Williams, a native of Shelby County, AL, comes to Pilgrim Rest from The Historic Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN, where he served as senior pastor for eight years. He was selected to serve as senior pastor of Pilgrim Rest earlier this year and began leading the church in August.
Dr. Williams attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA but completed his Bachelor’s degree in Theology and Pastoral Ministry from the Birmingham-Easonian Baptist Bible College in Birmingham, AL. He also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Faith International University and Seminary in Tacoma, WA. Pastor Williams enrolled as a Doctoral Student at Virginia University of Lynchburg, Virginia (HBCU) in 2018 and completed his Doctor of Ministry degree in 2021. Pastor Williams’ dissertation was “Equipping Informally Trained Christian Educators with the Principles of Biblical Exposition.”Rev. Dr. Williams is married to the former Joannie Dionne Holiday and they have two sons.
