Pastor Bryan Williams Sr.’s Journey of Faith, Loss, and Perseverance
For over three decades, Pastor Bryan Williams Sr. has faithfully led the Church of the Messiah in South Nashville, helping turn a small mission congregation into a thriving neighborhood church dedicated to serving its community. Throughout this time, he has experienced significant growth, heartbreaking loss, and countless reminders of God’s sustaining grace.
Today, Church of the Messiah stands as a beacon of hope in South Nashville—a predominantly African American congregation deeply rooted in community ministry, outreach, and the proclamation of the gospel. But the church’s story, much like Pastor Williams’ own journey, began with humble beginnings.
“I Didn’t Realize We Were the Mission”
When Williams first arrived at Church of the Messiah, he wasn’t looking to become a long-term pastor. In fact, he laughs when he recalls how little he understood about the church’s unique history.
“One of my greatest blessings as a new pastor was my ignorance,” Williams said with a smile.
Originally sent to help start a Bible study and worship service, he assumed the church’s “mission” designation meant it supported missionaries. He soon learned that the Church of the Messiah itself was a mission congregation sponsored by First Baptist Nashville.
At the time, the church consisted of only a handful of members. There was no checking account, little organizational structure, and limited resources. Yet Williams sensed God had something bigger in store.
“I put together a five-year plan,” he said. “I believed that when we reached 100 members, we’d be able to stand on our own.”
What happened next surprised everyone. Within a year, the congregation grew enough to become a fully autonomous church. In October 1999—exactly 40 years after the congregation’s founding in 1959—Church of the Messiah officially transitioned from mission status to a full church.
“We’ve never looked back since.”
Over the years, Church of the Messiah became known not only for faithful preaching but also for its commitment to serving the surrounding neighborhood.
Attendance grew steadily, reaching several hundred worshipers at its peak. Even after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the church continues to gather and minister to families throughout South Nashville while launching new outreach efforts aimed at meeting practical and spiritual needs in the community.
Williams believes churches must remain deeply engaged where God has planted them. “We need to be about the work because the work never ceases.” That commitment has shaped Church of the Messiah’s ministry for decades—feeding those in need, sharing Christ with neighbors, and serving as a trusted presence in the community.
So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family that I can show the kindness of God to?”
2 Samuel 9:3-5 (CSB)
Ziba said to the king, “There is still Jonathan’s son who was injured in both feet.”
The king asked him, “Where is he?”
Ziba answered the king, “You’ll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel.”
So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.
From Lodebar to Destiny
One of the most personal expressions of Williams’ ministry is his book, From Lodebar to Destiny, which explores themes of brokenness, grace, and restoration through the biblical story of Mephibosheth.
The book grew out of a sermon series that resonated deeply with members of his congregation. Williams describes “Lodebar” as a place where people find themselves after life’s hardest blows—a place of grief, disappointment, depression, and shattered dreams.
“It’s where people go when they’ve given up,” he explained. “When they’ve been dropped by life.” Drawing from Mephibosheth’s story in 2 Samuel, Williams points to the reality that many people become known not by their name but by their wounds.
“The world often identifies people by their condition,” he said. “Not by who they are.” But the heart of the story is grace Mephibosheth never sought out the king. Instead, King David sought him. “Grace will find you in your Lodebar spaces and bring you out,” Williams said. The message has become a defining theme of his ministry: no matter how broken a person’s story may seem, God is still writing it.
“In 1994, I answered my call to preach after denying or, as they say, “running” from it for many years, but then, a year later, I was diagnosed with leukemia. It felt like I stepped into my assignment, and it was suffering who met me at the door. Leukemia was the diagnosis. Bone marrow transplant, and a year of isolation was the prognosis.”
- From Lodebar to Destiny: A Journey of Grace
Walking Through His Own Lodebar
For Williams, the message is more than theology—it is personal testimony.
In 2005, his wife passed away after a battle with aggressive breast cancer. She was only 42 years old. Their sons were still teenagers. “It was a very dark part of my life,” Williams recalled.
Even while grieving, he continued pastoring and raising his children. Looking back, he admits he made a mistake that many pastors and leaders make. “I didn’t grieve like I should have,” he said. “I was more concerned about everyone else’s grief than my own.” Yet through the pain, God remained faithful. “The Lord was faithful,” Williams said. “He is faithful.”
That season eventually became a central chapter in From Lodebar to Destiny, allowing Williams to share not just biblical truth but personal experience with those walking through loss.
Investing in the Next Generation
One of the joys of Williams’ ministry has been seeing others answer God’s call. Throughout his years at Church of the Messiah, he has helped mentor and develop future ministry leaders, including pastors and church leaders now serving in other congregations and denominations. As Nashville continues to grow, Williams believes raising up the next generation of pastors and church leaders is more important than ever. The city is larger than it was when he first arrived, and the spiritual needs are just as significant.
“We need to keep growing these churches,” he said.
A Shared Mission
During a recent conversation with Nashville Baptists, Williams reflected on the importance of relationships among churches and pastors. Like many pastors serving busy congregations, he admitted that ministry responsibilities can sometimes lead to isolation. Yet he welcomed opportunities for deeper connection and partnership.
For Nashville Baptists, Church of the Messiah represents exactly the kind of faithful neighborhood ministry that strengthens the Kingdom across Middle Tennessee. As Pastor Williams looks toward the future and the eventual transition of leadership to the next generation, his prayer remains simple: that Church of the Messiah would continue shining the light of Christ in South Nashville.
And if his story teaches us anything, it’s that God specializes in bringing people from Lodebar to destiny. The same grace that sustained a young pastor with a five-year vision, carried him through unimaginable loss, and transformed a small mission church into a thriving community presence is still at work today. And Church of the Messiah continues to be living proof of that grace.
If you wish to contact pastor Williams or visit the Church of the Messiah:
