Bill Wilson (pastor)
Encyclopedia
Bill Wilson is the founder and Sr Pastor of Metro Ministries, America’s largest ministry to children with branches in various nations. He is a well-known speaker, author, pastor
and advocate for poor, inner city
children all over the world.
, at age 12. She said, "I can't do this anymore. You wait here." Bill stayed on that street corner for three days, but his mother never came back. Dave Rudenis, a local mechanic
and committed Christian
, found him there and took him to his home. Rudenis offered to pay this young man's way to a Christian summer camp
. It was during this camp that the 12-year old Wilson committed his life to God. While he was a teenager, young Bill Wilson was given a job at his local congregation. After his high school graduation, Wilson was encouraged to attend a seminary
.
After graduating with a degree in Bible
and Theology
from Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
, Bill Wilson returned to his home church and pioneered one of the first bus ministries in the United States. Each week, Wilson and his team picked up thousands of children from the projects of St. Petersburg, Florida
and presented a weekly program that included games, music, puppets and a weekly message. After years of success in Florida
, Bill Wilson was invited by Tommy Barnett to replicate this ministry in Davenport
, Iowa
. Within four years, Barnett and Wilson helped create one of the largest Protestant churches in America.
, New York
– Bushwick with his wife Kyle. Their son, Bill Wilson, Jr. was born in 1983. Armed with a bull horn, a station wagon and Yogi Bear
costumes, Bill and Kyle Wilson created Metro Ministries. Once again, Wilson’s concept of a bus ministry became extremely successful. Even with multiple weekend services, his congregation outgrew the former brewery that serves as his church in Bushwick. With no more room to house any new visitors to his Church, Wilson decided to take his Church to the streets. He created the idea of a Sidewalk Sunday School, in which he converted trucks to serve as portable stages from whence his team of ministers could share their message. This concept became highly successful and these collective congregations now number more than 20,000 in attendance each week.
Word of Bill Wilson’s success in New York spread to other Churches and inner city ministries. The concept of a bus ministry and Sidewalk Sunday School has now been replicated in cities and towns all over the world. In an attempt to remain in touch with the people attending his congregation, Bill Wilson still lives in a building adjacent to his Church although he has been removed from the Assemblies of God and no longer serves as Senior Pastor of the church due to his infidelities and divorce. He continues to walk through the often dangerous neighborhoods of Bushwick in an effort to carry on his work. Over the years, Wilson has been shot, stabbed, beaten and hospitalized numerous times and is adept at raising millions of dollars telling stories of hardship. Yet he remains committed to the work. Bill Wilsonstill drives one of the hundreds of buses utilized by his ministry each week, when he is in town.
Metro Ministries in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Brooklyn
) is the largest Sunday school
program in America, reaching an average of more than 20,000 children aged 12 and under each week. The curriculum that Wilson and his ex-wife designed is used in over 1,000 cities around the world. In 1992, Wilson was the only ghetto
resident appointed to President George H. W. Bush
's National Commission on America's Urban Families. On Sunday, December 16, 2007, television pastor Joel Osteen
of Lakewood Church
in Houston, Texas
talked about Bill Wilson's story in his nationally televised program.
Wilson is the author of several books, including Jesus Doesn’t Live in Brooklyn, The Blind Guide Chronicles, Christianity in the Crosshairs, and his bestselling autobiography, Whose Child is This? His newest book, entitled "One Eyed Kings" is due out in March 2009. In addition, Wilson is a popular speaker who travels extensively around the world in an effort to raise funds for his Church and mission in Brooklyn, New York. He has been a featured guest at numerous conferences, television talk shows and news programs and in Churches around the world.
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
and advocate for poor, inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
children all over the world.
Childhood
Wilson's mother abandoned him on a streetcorner in Pinellas Park, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, at age 12. She said, "I can't do this anymore. You wait here." Bill stayed on that street corner for three days, but his mother never came back. Dave Rudenis, a local mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
and committed Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, found him there and took him to his home. Rudenis offered to pay this young man's way to a Christian summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
. It was during this camp that the 12-year old Wilson committed his life to God. While he was a teenager, young Bill Wilson was given a job at his local congregation. After his high school graduation, Wilson was encouraged to attend a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
.
After graduating with a degree in Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God
Southeastern University is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Lakeland, Florida, USA. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama as a Bible college, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became a liberal arts college in 1970. The school has four colleges and is the largest...
, Bill Wilson returned to his home church and pioneered one of the first bus ministries in the United States. Each week, Wilson and his team picked up thousands of children from the projects of St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
and presented a weekly program that included games, music, puppets and a weekly message. After years of success in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Bill Wilson was invited by Tommy Barnett to replicate this ministry in Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Within four years, Barnett and Wilson helped create one of the largest Protestant churches in America.
New York
In 1979, Bill Wilson moved to one of the roughest areas of BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– Bushwick with his wife Kyle. Their son, Bill Wilson, Jr. was born in 1983. Armed with a bull horn, a station wagon and Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
costumes, Bill and Kyle Wilson created Metro Ministries. Once again, Wilson’s concept of a bus ministry became extremely successful. Even with multiple weekend services, his congregation outgrew the former brewery that serves as his church in Bushwick. With no more room to house any new visitors to his Church, Wilson decided to take his Church to the streets. He created the idea of a Sidewalk Sunday School, in which he converted trucks to serve as portable stages from whence his team of ministers could share their message. This concept became highly successful and these collective congregations now number more than 20,000 in attendance each week.
Word of Bill Wilson’s success in New York spread to other Churches and inner city ministries. The concept of a bus ministry and Sidewalk Sunday School has now been replicated in cities and towns all over the world. In an attempt to remain in touch with the people attending his congregation, Bill Wilson still lives in a building adjacent to his Church although he has been removed from the Assemblies of God and no longer serves as Senior Pastor of the church due to his infidelities and divorce. He continues to walk through the often dangerous neighborhoods of Bushwick in an effort to carry on his work. Over the years, Wilson has been shot, stabbed, beaten and hospitalized numerous times and is adept at raising millions of dollars telling stories of hardship. Yet he remains committed to the work. Bill Wilsonstill drives one of the hundreds of buses utilized by his ministry each week, when he is in town.
Metro Ministries in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
) is the largest Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
program in America, reaching an average of more than 20,000 children aged 12 and under each week. The curriculum that Wilson and his ex-wife designed is used in over 1,000 cities around the world. In 1992, Wilson was the only ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
resident appointed to President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
's National Commission on America's Urban Families. On Sunday, December 16, 2007, television pastor Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen
Joel Scott Osteen is an American author, televangelist, and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world.-Biography:...
of Lakewood Church
Lakewood Church
Lakewood Church is a non-denominational Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is the largest congregation in the United States, averaging more than 43,500 in attendance per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church Central Campus, home to four English language services and two Spanish...
in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
talked about Bill Wilson's story in his nationally televised program.
Wilson is the author of several books, including Jesus Doesn’t Live in Brooklyn, The Blind Guide Chronicles, Christianity in the Crosshairs, and his bestselling autobiography, Whose Child is This? His newest book, entitled "One Eyed Kings" is due out in March 2009. In addition, Wilson is a popular speaker who travels extensively around the world in an effort to raise funds for his Church and mission in Brooklyn, New York. He has been a featured guest at numerous conferences, television talk shows and news programs and in Churches around the world.
External links
- About Bill Wilson Metro Ministries website
- Review of Bill Wilson's Book "Whose Child is This?