St. James CME Church gets first female pastor in its 159-year history

The Rev. Lavisha Williams, a native of Chicago, is the new pastor of St. James CME Church.

As the first woman to hold the position, she represents a new era for the 159-year-old congregation.

Williams is an ordained elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, according to a news release issued by the congregation. She recently served on the Ministerial Examination Committee for the Carolina Region and was the Carolina Region’s Liaison to the Pan-Methodist Campaign for Children in Poverty in the 7th Episcopal District. Currently, she serves on the Committee for Ministerial Examination for the South Columbus-Cordele District of the West Georgia Region.

Williams planted the Room At The Cross CME Church in Chicago, Ill., which celebrated its 16th anniversary in 2016. She also served at New Hope CME Church, Evanston, Ill.; Wesley CME Church, Beloit, Wis., and St. Joseph CME Church, Chapel Hill, N.C.

She is a doctoral student at Duke University’s School of Divinity, Durham, N.C., pursuing a Doctor of Ministry Degree. She received her Master’s of Divinity Degree from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Ill.; and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in organizational behavior from Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 11:36 AM with the headline "St. James CME Church gets first female pastor in its 159-year history."