Thankful Tuesdays with Deacon Laverne S. Williams, CSW

During this time of crisis and uncertainty many rely on faith for support and stability. The community is invited to join Laverne S. Williams, CSW, a Deacon at the Union Baptist Church in Montclair, for a free Zoom.us session, entitled "Thankful Tuesdays." During these sessions, Deacon Williams and her special guests explore important topics centered around faith and spirituality. The program is offered at 2 p.m. every Tuesday: individuals may participate online through the Zoom link https://zoom.us/j/424719863?pw... or by visiting Zoom.us, Meeting ID number 424 719 863, Password 469922 or by calling 646-558-8656. The program may also be viewed on Facebook Live @MentalHealthAssociationinNewJerseyInc.

Please join Deacon Williams on Tuesday, January 18th, at 2pm as she welcomes special guest, Rev. Melvin E. Wilson who will present the topic, "We thought we'd be done by now: Dealing with this extended Pandemic." He answered God's call to Christian ministry on May 15, 1981 while in college. After graduation from college, he entered Boston University School of Theology, Boston, MA and graduated with a Master of Divinity (M. Div.) degree in May,1987, majoring in New Testament and Pastoral Counseling. Rev. Wilson is presently a candidate in the Doctor of Ministry degree program at New York Theological Seminary, New York, NY, and has done post-graduate work at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University in Oxford, England. Rev. Wilson is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and has served as Pastor of five churches in the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

Wilson is regularly consulted on issues related to church growth and evangelism and is often invited by churches of all denominations to preach revivals and lead workshops on various topics. His preaching and teaching assignments have taken him across the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and to South and West Africa.

Wilson is married to the former Rev. Leslie Watson Malachi, National Director of African American Religious Affairs for People for the American Way Foundation. They share three adult daughters. In his leisure time, Rev. Wilson enjoys buying books, traveling, listening to smooth jazz and gospel music, and spending time with close friends. He loves to teach and believes strongly in the words of the Old Testament minor prophet Hosea who wrote in Hosea 4:6a, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge..."

Laverne Williams, CSW is the Director of the PEWS (Promoting Emotional Wellness and Spirituality) Program for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. Ms. Williams is a New Jersey Certified Social Worker, WRAP (Wellness & Recovery Action Plan) Facilitator, Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and Certified Grief Recovery Specialist. With over 35+ years of experience in mental health service, Ms. Williams is a highly sought-after conference keynote and workshop facilitator. Her workshops have been presented to numerous statewide and local agencies, consumer organizations and family member groups. As an advocate on behalf of persons with mental illness, and a Deacon at her church, Ms. Williams diligently develops partnerships between faith-based communities and behavioral health institutions by bridging the gap between theology and mental health.

Ms. Williams was quoted in the #1 best-selling book, Option B – Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Gant.

To contact Deacon Williams please email: lwilliams@mhanj.org