Dr. Mike Williams - 30 Years of Faithful Service at DBU

This year marks Dr. Mike Williams' 30th anniversary at Dallas Baptist University, a milestone in a career dedicated to faith, education, and mentorship.

Dr. Michael (Mike) Edwards Williams, Sr. grew up in Mobile, Alabama, before moving to his family's farm in Georgiana, where faith and tradition shaped his upbringing. At age eight, he committed his life to Christ under his mother's guidance. Attending Troy State University on a scholarship, Mike initially pursued pre-law and accounting before switching to history and secondary education. His faith deepened in college, leading to his baptism by immersion and active involvement in the Baptist Student Union. He also held leadership roles as Vice President of Phi Alpha Delta history honor society and President of Kappa Delta Phi education honor society and the Mortar Board senior class honor society.

After earning a master's degree in history from Auburn University in 1982, Dr. Williams felt called to ministry, serving as minister of youth at Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama. He then continued his theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning the degree Master of Divinity in 1987 while serving as a youth minister in Texas. Dr. Williams became the founding pastor of Trinity Hills Baptist Church in Benbrook, Texas (1987-1995), while he completed his Ph.D. in church history with an ethics minor at Southwestern. During this time at seminary, he also served as a teaching fellow and adjunct professor.

Dr. Williams first served as an adjunct professor at DBU from June 1991 until December 1994 before joining the faculty full-time in 1995. "Accepting the opportunity to become a member of the faculty in January of 1995 was one of the true highlights of my life. I never would have imagined all that has followed in the past thirty years." In his first full year of teaching at DBU as a faculty member, the Student Government Association recognized him as the 1995-1996 professor of the year.

Dr. Williams quickly made an impact through his leadership as a faculty member, so much so that Dr. Gary Cook, then President of DBU, asked him to serve as dean of the college. "Being named by Dr. Cook to serve as the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences starting in 1996 was a life-shaping moment in my career and life." "Dean" is a title that Dr. Williams held for 15 years, one he found to be an incredible honor that opened many doors for him. "It was also very challenging. I could not have done it, especially during some really trying times, had it not been for the great faculty department chairs and the fabulous office teams led by my various administrative assistants; Kit Montgomery and Lee Tincher, for five years total, and Wanda Allen, for ten years. Love, support, and patience were essential from my wife and my three sons."

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Williams has received several honors reflecting his dedication to Christ-centered higher education. Among the accolades are having been named an Honorary Decatur Baptist College Alumnus, highlighting his impact on DBU and Decatur Baptist College (DBU's forerunner, established in 1898 as the first junior college in Texas); receiving the Meritorious Service Award twice in 2008 and 2013 and W.O. Carver Distinguished Service Award in 2013 by the Baptist History and Heritage Society; twice being named the DBU Piper Outstanding Professor of the Year (1999-2000, 2012-2013); and in 2013, Educator of the Year in Higher Education awarded by the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce.

A memorable moment of his career, and one he holds dear, is having been commissioned in 1996 by DBU Chancellor and former President Dr. Gary Cook to research and write a special edition historical account of DBU in honor of the institution's upcoming centenary. In April of 1998, To God Be the Glory: The Centennial History of Dallas Baptist University, 1898-1998, was born. A comprehensive account of DBU's first century, the book traces the institution's storied heritage through its humble beginnings in Decatur to its relocation atop a hill in southwest Dallas. From the book's introduction:

One day in 1966, about a year after Decatur Baptist College had relocated to Dallas, Clara Clay was working at the front desk of the library, then housed in what is now known as the Strickland Building.

A well-dressed gentleman came up to the desk and commented that he was visiting the campus. He said that thirty years earlier he and a friend were climbing the hills in southwest Dallas when they came to a place overlooking Mountain Creek Lake. One of them mentioned at the time that it "would be a wonderful location for a Christian college some day." The two men then "knelt on that spot and prayed that God would establish a Christian college" on what is now known as University Hill. The man told Mrs. Clay that he just "had to come to see the school that was the answer to their prayers."

Mrs. Clay does not recall the man's name nor where he was from and has not seen him since. But she vividly remembers the event and the impression it made on her.

Amazingly, however, the story actually begins on another windswept hill miles to the northwest of Dallas, in the town of Decatur, Texas, with the dream of another Christian gentleman, Jesse Lawrence Ward.¹

Dr. Williams recalls early in the process becoming enamored with the stories of God's hand on DBU. "In the relatively brief time that I had been associated with Dallas Baptist University, I became acutely aware of the institution's rich heritage," he said. "It wasn't until I began writing the centennial history, however, that I realized how truly captivating this story is. All that I learned about our university was incredibly inspiring and has greatly influenced my time here."

Dr. Williams is the author of multiple articles and author or editor of four books: I.T. Tichenor and the Creation of a Baptist New South (2005); To God Be the Glory: The Centennial History of Dallas Baptist University, 1898-1998 (1998); Witnesses to the Baptist Heritage: Thirty Baptists Every Christian Should Know (2016); More Witnesses to the Baptist Heritage: Twenty-Four Additional Baptists Every Christian Should Know (2021) and Victory Through Faith: A History of the Rosen Heights Baptist Church (1996). He also served as co-author of Presidential Praise: Our Presidents and Their Hymns (2008) with Dr. C. Edward Spann, former dean of DBU's College of Fine Arts and co-editor of Turning Points in Baptist History (2008).

In 2017, Dr. Williams stepped down as editor of Texas Baptist History, the journal of the Texas Baptist Historical Society, a position he held for ten years. He also left the position as the book review editor for Baptist History & Heritage, the journal of the Baptist History and Heritage Society.  He recalls that his time serving with both historical societies gave him "great opportunities to work with some of the best Texas Baptist and Baptist historians who have ever lived. I developed some incredible friendships. These opportunities and friendships allowed me to learn and grow as a scholar and writer, including contributing many articles and book reviews to both journals."

Those who know Dr. Williams know he finds true joy in sharing stories of the accomplishments of former students who have passed through the doors of his classroom. "There are few things as thrilling for me as seeing them or hearing from them and what God is doing in their lives," he remarked. "As cheesy as it may sound, many significant moments have come in teaching, mentoring, and advising students through the years and the life-changing friendships I have developed at DBU."

He recalls many unforgettable moments from his time in the classroom, spanning across multiple courses through the years, including American Church History, the Civil War and Reconstruction. One remarkable experience in particular are the many times he has had the opportunity to lead a group of Ph.D. and Ed.D. students on a battlefield tour and reciting Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on the grounds of Gettysburg National Cemetery for the past twenty years. "There's something about standing on those hallowed grounds, where so much sacrifice occurred and connecting with students in that setting. It's a deeply moving experience." It is no secret that Dr. Williams has left an indelible mark on the lives of countless students through his service at DBU and has instilled in them a deeper understanding of the world in which they live. "I look at where my students are now, and it fills me with pride to know that, in some small way, I was a part of their journey."

Dr. Williams gives all thanks to God for his experiences at DBU. "I believe I have tried to make God the center of everything I have been a part of at DBU. I am so thankful that He has been with me during my time here. Ultimately, I believe that God is the one who has provided every great opportunity for anything good I have accomplished," he shared. "God has surrounded me with love and guarded my heart ‘with a peace that surpasses all understanding' at many difficult times."

Dr. Williams has also had the incredible blessing of seeing all three sons and two of his daughters-in-law attend and graduate from DBU, having read scripture at the commencement services for two of his sons.

Dr. Williams currently serves as the Senior Professor of History in DBU's College of Humanities and Social Sciences appointed to this position in 2021 by Dr. Wright. He and his wife, Robbie, are members of Cross Timbers Baptist Church, formerly known as the First Baptist Church of Willow Park. 

¹To God Be the Glory: The Centennial History of Dallas Baptist University, 1898-1998 by Michael E. Williams – Copyright © 1998 by Dallas Baptist University