Hope for Hurting People (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781548923488)

Dr. Edward (Eddie) L. Williams, born in Elk Valley, Tennessee, February 21, 1928, to the Reverend and Mrs. H. D. Williams, is a fourth generation Pentecostal through his great-grandmother, his grandmother, and his mother. At age nine, he received Christ as his Saviour in the Church of God parsonage in Baldwin Park, California, with his parents praying with him, one on the left and the other on the right, a symbol of the spiritual support that would follow him on his journey. About the same time, the Lord moved on a faithful church member, Sister Holbrook, to buy an accordion for Eddie and to pay for his music lessons. It was evident that God had gifted him with the ability to play music for soon he was playing the accordion and the piano in the churches. Music would be a vital part of his ministry. Eddie graduated Lee College with Associate of Arts in1950, and graduated Birmingham-Southernin1952 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He then acknowledged his call to ministry, and went to his father for counsel. His father said, "Then, son, the thing to do is preach." Eddie was licensed as a Church of God evangelist in1952 and ordained in 1958. In 1954, Dr. R. Leonard Carroll, President of Lee College, recruited Eddie to be Head of the Music Department. There he met Irma Billette from Zellwood, Florida, with a strong Christian Pentecostal heritage. Irma B. became Eddie's bride July 27, 1955 in her church in Zellwood. Eddie received three graduate degrees: Bachelor of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Master of Arts in Evangelism from Scarritt College in Nashville; Doctor of Ministry from the School of Divinity, Vanderbilt University. His studies opened doors of ministry to serve in appointed general leadership positions: President of Northwest Bible College in Minot, North Dakota; President of European Bible Seminary in Rudersberg, Germany; member of the Pentecostal Theology Seminary Board of Trustees; member of Forward in Faith Radio and Television Board; member of the Song Writers Committee for 30 years. During Eddie and Irma's 61 years plus of ministry together, they served as pastors, educators, missionaries, song writers and musicians.