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Rev. Marion Brock, Jr. (Retired) - Ministerial Staff
LeKeedric Taylor - Ministerial Staff
Donna Johnson - Ministerial Staff
Rosenita (RC) Strayhand, Evangelist
Regina Manuel - Ministerial Staff
Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn L. Denson, Presiding Elder
Mrs. Deana Y. McAllister, Episcopal Supervisor
Bishop Julius H. McAllister, Presiding Prelate
Pastors Roosevelt & Shelia Williams
Our Pastors
Reverend Roosevelt Williams, III
& Reverend Shelia D. Williams, Pastors
St. John's AME Church | Montgomery, Alabama &
St. John's AME Church | Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Called together and commissioned together, Reverends Roosevelt and Shelia Williams serve St. John's AME Church in Montgomery, Alabama as a unified pastoral team. Both Birmingham natives, they answered the call to ministry in 1992 — and their lives have been intertwined in covenant and calling ever since. They are the parents of Dr. Christian Renée Williams Harper, son-in-love Malcolm E. Harper, and grandson Malachi William Harper.
A Shared Calling
Roosevelt entered pastoral ministry in 1996, and Shelia was ordained as Deacon in 1997 and Itinerant Elder in 2000 — later serving as Pastor of St. Mark AME Church in Dora, Alabama for over eight years before joining Roosevelt as Co-Pastor at St. John's. Together they have shepherded congregations across Alabama, and under their Spirit-led leadership, St. John's has experienced spiritual and numerical growth, strengthened ministries, the retirement of two church mortgages, and a growing international witness — including a sister congregation in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. To God be the glory.
Reverend Roosevelt Williams, III — Pastor, Educator & Creative Leader
A graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts and Savannah College of Art & Design, Reverend Williams furthered his theological training at Birmingham Theological Seminary and is also the founder and Creative Director of Williams Creative Group. His creative gifts and entrepreneurial spirit have earned him wide recognition, including an Addy Award from the Birmingham Advertising Club, Entrepreneur of the Year (Birmingham-Florence District, AME Church), and Businessman of the Year (Ninth Episcopal District, AME Church), among numerous other honors. His work and leadership have been featured in The Birmingham News, The Birmingham Times, Birmingham Magazine, Portico Magazine, and Journey Magazine, and he was highlighted in the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce's television campaign, "Live the Dream."
Since 2007, he has led the Graphic Art Communications Program at Lawson State Community College (Bessemer Campus), earning the Technical Instructor of the Year Award in 2012 and 2024. He has also pursued advanced certifications in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, and has served the broader AME Church in church growth, Christian education, technology, and public relations. At heart, Reverend Williams is a teacher and shepherd — committed to proclaiming God's Word with clarity and equipping others to grow in faith and purpose.
Reverend Shelia D. Williams — Pastor, Social Worker & Restorer
Reverend Shelia Williams holds a BSW and MSW in Social Work from the University of Alabama and brings decades of professional expertise to her ministry. Her career has included roles as a Psychiatric Social Worker, Director of Social Services, and Program Administrator at Hill Crest Psychiatric Hospital; a therapist in private practice with Alabama Psychiatric Services; Employee Assistance Program Coordinator at Birmingham City Schools for 25 years; and adjunct professor in the UAB School of Social Work for over a decade. She holds licensure and certification to practice social work in Alabama.
In ministry, Shelia has served as Director of Evangelism and Outreach for the Birmingham-Florence-Tuscaloosa District and Chairperson of the Prayer Ministry in the Alabama River Region. She is one of the founding members of Restoration Ministry, a Christian organization calling the Body of Christ to deeper intimacy with God. She is compelled by one conviction: God is returning for a Church without spot or blemish — and her life's work is to see believers fully surrendered, seeking Him above all else.
Two Voices. One Vision. One God.
Together, Reverend Roosevelt and Reverend Shelia Williams pour their gifts, their calling, and their shared life into the work of the Kingdom. St. John's is not merely a congregation they lead — it is the family they love, the ministry they share, and the field they joyfully tend until Jesus comes.