Dear Vanguard Community,
Dr. William C. Williams, Old Testament historian, and longtime Vanguard professor, passed into the arms of Jesus on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. Dr. Williams had an enormous impact on our community as he was a professor at Vanguard for 40 years. He also taught at other colleges throughout the country and abroad, specializing in Old Testament studies.
Beginning his education at Central Bible College, Dr. Williams subsequently earned his B.A. in Biblical Studies and M.A. in Religion. He earned his Ph.D. in Hebrew Language and Literature from New York University while also teaching at Vanguard. In addition to Dr. Williams continuing his post-doctoral studies in Semitic Languages in Jerusalem, he served as a translation and revision consultant for various versions of the Bible, including the New International Version and the New Living Translation.
A longtime friend and colleague, Roger Heuser, Ph.D., School of Theology and Ministry said, “Professor Bill Williams was committed to the highest standards of scholarship in his contribution to Bible translations. He championed fairness and justice in the public square and in institutional integrity. His deep Christian faith was shown in his friendship, commitment to the local church, and his open-door hospitality to students and colleagues on campus and in his home.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Williams has taught a wide variety of courses related to the Old Testament and Hebrew and Semitic languages in both graduate and undergraduate programs. He also authored several books including his most recent, “They Spoke from God: A Survey of the Old Testament” which is an introduction to the Old Testament and currently used in our courses.
Dr. Williams’ love for biblical Hebrew made the Old Testament come alive when he taught, allowing his students to experience the Old Testament in a new and engaging way. Dr. Williams was also committed to excellence and expected nothing less from his students, allowing him to push them to new heights and explore their spiritual gifts. Several generations of students have been advised and counseled by Dr. Williams over the years and many have successfully achieved graduate and postgraduate degrees.
April Westbrook perfectly said, “He challenged his students greatly and he believed in the abilities of and opportunities for his students to succeed—and this was contagious. He often said that the greatest success of a teacher is to see one’s students excel beyond the accomplishments of the teacher.”
Dr. Williams was a beloved member of our faculty, and his legacy will not be easily forgotten. We were blessed to have known him and be part of the Vanguard community.
Please join me in lifting the Williams family up in our prayers.
Grace and Peace,
Dr. Michael Beals