$50K Community Investment Award Given To Morristown Pastor

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A beloved pastor has been named one of the recipients of the Locke Innovative Leader Award by Wesleyan Impact Partners, a Texas-based nonprofit that invests in local ministries.

Rev. Sidney Williams, the pastor of the Bethel Church of Morristown, was one of only four individuals nationwide to receive the dedication. According to the Wesleyan website, the award is given each year to "spiritual entrepreneurs who envision new ways to serve their mission field."

Each Locke Innovative Leader Award winner receives a $50,000 cash stipend as well as an invitation to join a facilitated cohort to nurture their spirit and ideas over the next several years.

Wesleyan Impact Partners has invested over $700,000 in Locke Innovative Leaders to date.

Williams and the three other award winners from New York, Texas, and Minnesota will be officially recognized at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 30, in a live-streamed event on the Wesleyan website.

"We are bringing investors, borrowers, and philanthropists together to create a better world," said Wesleyan President Lisa Greenwood. "Together, we are investing in leaders and congregations who are helping individuals thrive and communities flourish."

Williams works as the president and CEO of Crossing Capital Group, a New Jersey benefit corporation that seeks to address the structural inequities in underfinanced communities.

One of the main teachings of the corporation is the "Fishing Differently" model, a phrase that became the title for his book that works to help church leaders make a difference in their communities.

Williams received the nomination for his "Fishing Differently" model, which assists both congregations and nonprofits in reimagining physical assets and engaging with potential impact investors to construct or improve buildings and fund ministry programs.

The model also accelerates growth and development in underserved communities and addresses structural inequities, the nonprofit said.

The nomination came at a good time for Williams, after a house fire in October destroyed the parsonage where he and his family were living. The Williams family was able to rebuild another home thanks to donations from a GoFundMe page set up after the fire.

The family intends to fund the restoration of the destroyed parsonage as they pursue their vision of turning it into a recovery house for men recovering from addiction.

"This no-strings-attached award is a gift that we hope communicates our enthusiasm and gratitude for their innovative leadership and positive impact in their communities," said Wesleyan Impact Partners board chair Maggie Jackson. "By spotlighting these extraordinary individuals, we hope to learn from them and their stories."