Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Williams
Rev. Dr. Jeffrey R. Williams, 71
Dr. Williams is both a teacher and a preacher. Currently serving as the Senior Pastor at Saint Andrew United Methodist Church, he began his ministry career after teaching literature at various institutions, including the University of Missouri, and the University of Central Missouri. At MU, he developed initiatives to broaden access to higher education, wrote and managed grant projects, and built a statewide college access project. As Vice President of Higher Education at Kauffman Scholars, he created structures and fostered partnerships to help students from underserved communities. In his pastoral role, he developed the Reading Nook, a literacy program which served newcomers on the northeast side of Kansas City. Dr. Williams received a PhD in literature from MU, and an MDiv from Saint Paul School of Theology.
