Pastor Lawrence Williams is a native of Queens, New York and the son of Delores and the late Stephen E. Williams, Sr. He accepted Christ and became heavily involved in youth and adult ministry at an early age.

In 2003, he was ordained as a licensed minister in the Church of God In Christ (COGIC) at the Word of Faith Church in Elmira, New York where he faithfully served as the Director of Finance and Minister of Music. In 2004, Pastor Lawrence and his family relocated to Mooresville, North Carolina, where they attended Christian Outreach of the Piedmont Church in Statesville, North Carolina. In December 2005, under the oversight of Glen J. Usry, Pastor of Christian Outreach Church, Pastor Lawrence founded and established Lake Norman Christian Outreach Church. In 2014 Pastor Lawrence was credentialed as an ordained minister with the General Council of the Assemblies of God. In 2015 the ministry transitioned into Higher Purpose.

Pastor Lawrence holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University and a Masters’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Wake Forest University.

As a gifted teacher of the Word and a strong believer in empowerment through education, Pastor Lawrence uses a practical style of preaching to bring biblically-based, life-changing principles to everyday living. His comedic style and dynamic presentations serve not only to inform, but to motivate others toward life changes.

It is his firm belief that ministry begins at home. Pastor Lawrence lives this belief with his wife, Dr. TanYa Gwathmey Williams, and two daughters, Victoria and Arianna.