Our Pastor


Dr. C. Dennis Williams

Rev. Dr. C. Dennis Williams is the Senior Pastor of Smith Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Dallas Texas, and Associate Professor of Religious Studies & Dean of Chapel at Paul Quinn College in Dallas Texas. As such, he is a member of the General Board of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Dr. Williams is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and was licensed to preach in 1976, by the Quarterly conference at Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Church Santa Ana California, he was ordained as an Itinerant Deacon in 1981 in the Central Texas Conference of the 10th Episcopal District, while a student at Paul Quinn College by the late Bishop Henry Wendell Murph, and was ordained as an Itinerant Elder in 1985 in Los Angeles California in the Southern California Conference of the 5th Episcopal District again by the late Bishop Henry Wendell Murph. Dr. Williams has been preaching for 45 years and has served as a Pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church for 36 years, serving in the 5th district for 27 of those years and in the 10th district for 9 of those years.

Dr. Williams has served as Senior Pastor to the following churches:

  • Bethel A.M.E Church Yakima Washington 1985-1987
  • Walker Chapel A.M.E. Church Seattle Washington 1987-1990
  • St. John A.M.E. Church St. Louis Missouri 1990-1996
  • Bethel Memorial A.M.E. Church San Diego Ca 1996-2006
  • Ward A.M.E. Church 2006-2010 Los Angeles Ca
  • Brookins Community A.M.E. Church 2010-2012 Los Angeles Ca
  • Smith Chapel A.M.E. Church 2012-2019 Dallas Texas

Dr. William’s has held academic positions at the following institutions:

  • Dean of Chapel Richard Allen Chapel on the campus of Paul Quinn College
  • Associate Professor of Religious Studies Paul Quinn College Dallas Texas
  • Adjunct professor of preaching at Bethel Theological Seminary San Diego Ca.
  • Adjunct Professor of Preaching at San Francisco Theological Seminary
    Los Angeles Ca,
  • Adjunct Professor of Preaching United Theological Seminary Dayton Ohio, in
    the Doctoral program.
  • Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Preaching La Verne University &
    Ecumenical Center for Black Church Studies Los Angeles Ca.:
    He has made scholarly contributions in the areas of homiletics, church
    administration, and Christian Education and has preached and lectured at
    several colleges, seminaries, and churches.

He has earned the following degrees:

  • Bachelor of Science degree in History & Religion from Paul Quinn College,
    Dallas, Texas
  • Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Bethany Divinity College and Seminary,
    Dothan, Alabama
  • Master of Divinity Equivalency United Theological Seminary Dayton Ohio
  • Doctor of Ministry in Preaching and Leadership from United Theological Seminary,
    Dayton, Ohio. His doctoral thesis was entitled “An HIV/Aids Ministry for the Local

Dr. Williams has served the A.M.E. Church both at the local and Connectional level having served several times as a delegate to General Conferences, a Member of the General Board, for three quadrennials, and has led several of local churches in Debt relief, mortgage liquidation, increase in memberships, protection from church foreclosures, and legal challenges, protection from law suits, in addition he has served as the Chairman of two Non Profit organizations, and currently serves as the Dean of the North Texas Annual Conference Board of Examiners of the 10th Episcopal District and Chair of the Ministerial Efficiency Committee.

In 2014 the President of Paul Quinn College Dr. Michael Sorrell asked
Dr. Williams to start a Religious Studies program from grass roots that would lead to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Religious Studies. Dr. Williams completed that task and in 2016, the Religious Studies program was started and Dr. Williams was asked to teach in the program full time as an Associate Professor, since then there have been two graduating classes with Bachelor Degrees in Religious Studies in 2017 & 2018.

Dr. Williams serves as the President and Founder of C.D. Ministries a ministry dedicated to education, community involvement, and the proclaiming of the Gospel. He serves on the Advisory Panel of the Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence at Southern Methodist University, and serves as a writer for Worship Leader Magazine. He is a published author with his first book entitled “An Ecclesiastical Model for HIV/Aids (Doctoral Project)”. His second book is entitled “A Guide to a Man’s Spiritual Health” and was published by West Bow Press in 2015 and has been inducted into the Library of Congress and is working on his third book entitled “Indispensable Women of Faith”. That will be published and released by Trilogy & T.B.N. Publishing in the Spring of 2020.

He and his wife Yvette have three children and a Grandson and reside in Dallas, Texas.