REV. GARY BERNARD WILLIAMS
Pastor Gary was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is the pastor of Saint Mark UMC in the heart of South Los Angeles. He’s passionate about for congregational revitalization, spiritual transformation, community engagement and children and youth mentorship.
Pastor Gary completed his undergraduate studies first at Los Angeles City College, AA Degree in Liberal Arts, California State University Los Angeles, BA Degree in Pan-African Studies, Los Angeles Southwest Community College, completing the Chemical Dependency Certificate Program, and Claremont School of Theology, with a Masters of Divinity Degree.
Pastor Gary is an Elder in the California-Pacific Annual Conference. He currently serves on the General Board of Church and Society Advisory Team for a 2019, Ministry with the Poor Gathering, Chair of the Cal-Pac Taskforce, Justice Not Jails, Chair Strengthening the Black Church Conference Committee. He is the founder of the Full Circle Recovery Ministry, a Christian based 12 Step group, and Faith in Action, a group working to end Gun and Gang violence in South L.A. He is a mentor to at-risk young men. In his current appointment, Pastor Gary is helping to create Manna House, an afterschool program for the children of South Central L.A. to have a safe space to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually.
Pastor Gary has a prophetic, progressive, and transformative vision of what South Los Angeles can be. He is married to Myrna Larue Jefferson-Williams, a gifted teacher and church leader who is a passionate advocate for all people.