Rev. Monica William

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I am excited to be coming to  Birmingham and being a part of all that God is doing through you!    After ten years in Illinois, I almost feel as if I am coming home to be in ministry among you. As a child, I grew up attending Nardin Park UMC in Farmington Hills. I participated in the Appalachia Service Project with the youth group and eventually joined the staff that organized and ran the home repair project in Central Appalachia for three wonderful summers.

I attended college at University of Michigan where I studied physics and participated in the ministries of the Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry there. At Wesley, I was a Peer Minister, reaching out to new students and supporting others with a listening ear and prayer when needed. Michigan was also a great place to sing in Women’s Glee Club, play in the band, and be part of a Christian a capella group called “Good News” that shared the gospel through music. 

After moving to Chicago, I worked with newly-arriving refugees to help them rebuild their lives in the U.S. through job placement and workplace language training. I also worked with an advocacy group that focused on bringing voices of faith to the table of labor relations disputes.

Once I discovered that I truly wanted to serve God with my life, I entered seminary at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and began discerning the details of God’s call upon my life. Three years later, I had earned my Master of Divinity and began my ministry with Ashton United Methodist Church in Ashton, Illinois, where I have been their pastor for the last five years. 

While in Ashton, I have enjoyed preaching and leading worship and developing spiritual leaders for ministries in hospitality, visitation, financial stewardship, and worship leadership. But I have my most fun in small group settings where I can lead Bible studies and spiritual formation groups. It has also been my great privilege to walk with people on their journeys of faith through times of loss and doubt, difficult transitions, and battles with sin and evil and help them to discern God’s voice and presence through it all.

God has been part of my life in many ways and in many places, but it has been in answering my call as a pastor that I have learned what Paul meant when he talked about the joy and peace that passes all understanding. What a joy it is to be used by God in the ways that God has called you to serve!

Did I mention that I am married to your other new pastor? Brian and I have been married for eight joyful years and welcomed our son, Haven, into the world in February 2008. We are excited to be coming to Birmingham to be in ministry together with you.  Please come by my office or stop me in the hallway sometime to say “hi” and tell me about who you are!