Organizational Development > Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1957)


 

Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World-Wide Inc.

1957 ~ present

Bible Way was born out of a National Pentecostal Ministerial Conference held September 25-29, 1957 at the Bible Way Church 1100 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

This Conference was led by Dr's. Smallwood E. Williams, John S. Beane, McKinley Williams, Winfield Showell, James I. Clarke, Elder Joseph Moore and others, some of which were former officers of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith. This conference was convened to consider some mal-administrative practices which were found to be out of line with the New Testament collective leadership as practiced by the Apostles, and the authoritarianism which could no longer be tolerated.

From this Conference, Dr. S.E. Williams was consecrated as Bishop and Presiding Bishop of the newly formed organization and four outstanding Pastors were consecrated to the Bishopric, namely, Dr. John S. Bean of Petersburg, VA, Dr. McKinley Williams of Philadelphia, PA, Dr. Winfield A. Showell, Baltimore, MD, and Elder Joseph Moore of Brooklyn, NY. Bisop John S. Holly of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World was the officint at the ceremonies. 

The authenticity and orthodoxy of the Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World-Wide can be attested as to its validity historically, expermentally and doctrinally.  Historically, its spiritual roots go back to the 1st century 30 A.D. in the upper room at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church.

Bishop Smallwood Williams was revere by this august body as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. He was a modern day Apostle without equal. He  was a preacher and an orator of the first magnitude. He was a man before his time, at the vanguard and on the cutting edge of the civil rights movement of the sixties and seventies. He was known as a bridge builder and a role model for men of all ages in Christian ministry. During the 34 years of his presidership he almost single-handedly put Bible Way World-Wide on the map of all Christendom. This brief paragraph cannot contain al of the wonderful works done by this mighty man of God. However, it must be stated that each of the first five Bishops mentioned in this history made their unique contributions to the success of the Bible Way Churches World-Wide.

Return to Organizational Development

Organizational Development