The Rev. Bettye Holland Williams, the first woman to lead the influential Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, has died.
Her death Monday was announced on the faith-based organization’s social media accounts.
Details were unavailable and her family could not be reached for comment.
Williams was the 10th president of the organization, which is comprised mostly of African American ministers and laity. The organization has focused on helping the homeless and others in need, along with voter registration efforts and issues including mass incarceration and health.
“President Williams had a deep appreciation for doing the right thing the right way,” said the Rev. Shanan E. Jones, vice president of administration for CBC. “She was quick to set a person, place or a thing in proper order while simultaneously exhibiting great decorum. Following protocol was her way of leading and one would see this in CBC meetings and public forums, as well as in our countless outreach initiatives.”
Williams was also the CEO and founder of the B.J. Holland Institute of Ministry, which was established in 2002, according to the institute’s web site.
She earned a bachelor of arts degree in communication from Oral Roberts University , according to the CBC and Institute’s web sites.
Williams previously served as the vice president of the CBC’s women’s division.
The Rev. Gloria Ward Wright, a member of the organization’s board, has known Williams for about a decade.
“She was a classy, effective leader who had the public interest at heart, especially the hurt, the hungry and the homeless,” said Wright.
She also called her a “dynamic preacher. We were on a program about 10 months ago and she was the main speaker. I never knew she could preach so hard.”
She said Williams, by becoming the first female president of the CBC, “leaves a giant legacy. She was the first. That is her position forever.”
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