Bishop Jesse Eugene Williams
Bishop Jesse Eugene Williams is one such stalwart servant of the Lord who faithfully served as the Pastor of Campbell Chapel Missionary Baptist Church for five decades, and retired in 2020.
Bishop Williams was born to sharecropper parents, the late Mr. Monroe Williams and Mrs. Lucille Williams, on June 10, 1940, in Hardeman County, Tennessee; and his parents taught him the value of education as a child, and he attended the public schools of Hardeman County realizing the importance of a career, he decided to become a barber attending the Tyler Barber College (1957-58) and the Donahue Beauty College (1966-67)
Bishop Williams married Earlene Neely on August 20, 1962.The loving couple shared 41 years of marriage before God called her home; their union was blessed with three children: Santo, Varko (deceased), and Meko. Possessing a strong sense of civic responsibility, Bishop Williams enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1962-1964 before receiving an honorable discharge.
Bishop Williams has always possessed a burning desire to be a productive citizen, and he has more than succeeded: he became a licensed barber in 1964, served as Hardeman County's first ambulance driver from 1965-67, was a General Motors automobile salesman from1968-69 and owned a General Motors dealership from 1979-83, was one of the first African American City Councilmen in the nation, served with distinction as Assistant Executive Director of the Hardeman County Development Center from 1984-2000, and he has long been a Civil Rights Activist with the NAACP.
Jesse E. Williams has contributed significantly to both secular and religious affairs in his community as the Founder of the Hardeman County Ministerial Alliance, the Hardeman County Jail Ministry, the Bolivar General Hospital Chapel Ministry, Hardeman County Loaves and Fishes, the Black History Community Church Services (now called the Hardeman County Commission for Black History), and the Hardeman County Mentor Board.
Inspired by a divine calling, Bishop Williams was called into the ministry in January 1971, and he was elected Pastor of Campbell Chapel Missionary Baptist Church on the third Sunday in December 1972; he was also the Pastor of the Little Walnut Grove Missionary Baptist Church for a period of time; and realizing the importance of a comprehensive theological background, he enrolled in American Baptist Theological Seminary and graduated in 1978. Ordained a Bishop in January 2001, he served as Pastor at Campbell Chapel for 5 decades and retired in 2020.
Bishop Williams is an active personality in many community programs, rendering service as President of the Hardeman County Ministerial Alliance. Vice President of the Bolivar General Hospital Chapel Ministry, Vice President of the Hardeman County Commission for Black History, Vice President of the Bolivar Housing Authority, a member of the South West Human Resource Board, Chairman of the Hardeman Mentoring Board. Business Manager for the West Tennessee-Hardeman County District Association, West Tennessee Coordinator for the Tennessee BME Convention, Bishop of the Unified Churches. Coordinator of the Hardeman County Jail Ministry, and Leader of the Hardeman Felonies Group