Our Leadership Team
James Williams
Senior Pastor
jameswilliams (at) bethelmbctatum.org
I am a: husband, father, bi-vocational pastor, graduate with a Bible Languages diploma from and former faculty member of Texas Baptist Institute-Seminary, and graduate with a BS in Electrical Engineering degree from Texas A&M University. I love teaching God’s Word and helping people utilize their gifts and talents for God’s Kingdom.
I was saved at the age of 7 in our pastor’s study at Enterprise Missionary Baptist Church in Gary, Texas, while my Dad and I were installing a window air conditioner. We should have been working on the baptistry heater for when I was baptized shortly thereafter the heater was broken and several of us became prunes for the cause of Christ!
Because of my Godly parents and faithful members of the Lord’s churches, I was taught the truths of God’s Word from a young age. These truths prepared me for serving the Lord in various capacities in His churches over the years. Liberty Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, licensed me to the Gospel ministry in December 1989. Corinth Missionary Baptist Church in Timpson, Texas, called me as Pastor and ordained me in April 1998. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church called me as Pastor in August 2007. I have been bi-vocational throughout my ministry, currently working at First State Bank & Trust Company in Carthage, Texas, as Information Technology Director.
Roy Culley
Missions Pastor
royculley (at) bethelmbctatum.org
I grew up in a small farm town in Kentucky blessed by love and wisdom of my Baptist and public school teacher mother and her hunter, fisherman and jack of all trades husband. After High School graduation in 1950 I enrolled in the University of Kentucky, graduated with a BA in Education in m1955, and entered the U.S. Army officer service in Korea and Japan for two years. At my request the Army released me in Japan, the next day I married the precious Japanese lady the Lord provided, then the next day began a 10 year career in US Civil Service.
After two years more in Japan we moved to another job in Washington DC for three years, then to Honolulu for three years. There both Emi and I came to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, and were baptized to begin lives of Christian service in the Lord’s Missionary Baptist Churches. With a new burden to share the gospel with Emi’s family we transferred to Japan for another three year hitch. The Lord was making me begin to realize the importance of evangelism, and by the time we next moved back to Washington D.C. it was clear to me God had called me to preach. God lead me to the Texas Baptist Institute -Seminary, Henderson, Texas to prepare for the Baptist Ministry.
My pastoral ministry began with the folks of Memorial Missionary Baptist Church, Rusk, Texas and student teaching at TBI.. On graduating from TBI I accepted serving as Assistant Dean and Instructor of the Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute-Seminary, Minden, La. Having completed the school year, we were happy to return to Minden, Texas as Pastor of Maple Grove MBC. By this time I knew God wanted me to teaching young ministers in the Seminary. I served as Instructor and afterwards, Dean of TBI. It continues to be a labor of love and will so long as my health holds.
August 1974 until August 2004 I served as Pastor of Bethel MBC, Tatum enjoying many rich blessings as well as accompanying trials. We gladly stay with Bethel Church after Brother James Williams became pastor with the dear Bethel people who are closer than family to us. It is a privilege to serving as mission pastor. God has richly blessed the Missionary ministry of Bethel, using her to plant churches in McAllen, Texas, Crockett, Texas,, Trinity, Texas, Derby, Maine, West Jordon, Utah, Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden and especially in the Philippines. There the last 30 years over 50,000 souls have been brought to Christ, over 12,000 baptized, 65 churches planted besides numerous missions points, five Bible Institutes opened in various places for several years until they were turned over to other churches or merged with other schools, and from 15 to 150 students enrolled/ year for ministerial training. During most of those years the gospel has been broadcast to millions from 1 to 3 of the major cities. It has been a blessed privilege to visit and minister with these brethren several times, and experience first hand their love and zeal for the Lord.
