Rev. Cecil Williams was the pastor of Glide Church in San Francisco for 60 years, turning it from a small congregation to San Francisco’s largest social services provider, one years ahead of its time in welcoming LGBTQ members.
- Died: April 22, 2024 (Who else died on April 22?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 94.
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Rev. Cecil Williams’ legacy
Cecil Williams was born in San Angelo, Texas, one of six children. He got the nickname “Rev” at an early age, and from the time he was young, his mother told him he would be a preacher. He took that to heart, earning a degree from Huston-Tillotson University, then going on to the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, where, in 1955, he became one of the first five Black students to graduate from the school. Eight years later, in 1963, he became the pastor of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, and his life – and the city’s – would soon be changed forever.
Williams embraced a desire to reach all people, including those often ignored by the church. He invited the homeless to services. In 1964, he created the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, which brought religious leaders and LGBTQ activists together. The progressive church leader hosted rallies that featured speakers like civil rights activist Angela Davis. Four decades before same sex marriage was made legal in California, Williams was performing marriage ceremonies for gay couples.
Though he sometimes drew controversy with his norm-breaking approach, Williams was embraced by Frisco, and he embraced the city in return. Glide grew to a congregation that was 10,000 strong, one including people from all walks of life. It also became San Francisco’s largest provider of social services, offering health screenings and services for the abused, providing more than 3,000 meals a day and much more.
Williams retired in 2000 at the mandated age of 70, but the church and its affiliated nonprofit created a new position for him so he could continue his work. For another 23 years, he continued working as Minister of Liberation and CEO of the Glide Foundation, finally retiring in 2023 at the age of 93. Williams is the author of the books “I’m Alive: An Autobiography” and “Beyond the Possible: 50 Years of Creating Radical Change in a Community Called Glide.”
On what the Bible taught him:
“If you really understand, it seems to me, the liberated gospel, the liberated acts of Jesus – it would mean that we would take any hatred out of our hearts. We would take any misgivings out of our lives. Take judgment out of your acts and put love there. That’s what needs to be there.”— Interview with NPR, 2013
Tributes to Rev. Cecil Williams
Full obituary: San Francisco Chronicle
