Dr. Gary L. Williams, Sr. accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of nine. He is a native of Jacksonville, Florida, and the younger of two sons born to Alfreda Williams and the late Rev. Roosevelt Williams. Pastor Gary Williams is no stranger to the ministry.

In 1990, Dr. Williams accepted the call to become the pastor of First Baptist Church of Mandarin. He has the longest tenure as Pastor of the First Church. He seeks to transform the lives of many through the simplicity of the gospel. The focus and aim of his ministry is church and family centered – to do what he can to support the nucleus (the fabric of the community).

Under his leadership at The First Church, membership has grown from under 100 to several thousand. There are more than 30 active ministries, and they continue to develop to meet the demands of the ministry.

Other accomplishments include the construction of a new sanctuary, a family life center and a collegiate gymnasium, totaling 80,000 square feet. In