Lawrence H. Williams was born on September 14, 1943, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Louise F. Brown. Raised in Kentucky, he pursued a life shaped by faith, education, and service, moving between the pulpit and the classroom throughout his career.
Williams earned a bachelor’s degree from Kentucky State University in 1965. He completed a Master of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1971. Continuing his academic work, he received a Master of Arts in 1982 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1985 from the University of Iowa. In recognition of his religious and educational service, Simmons Bible College conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1993.
Williams began his professional life in education, teaching for the Louisville Board of Education from 1965 to 1974 and serving as a teacher and assistant president at Simmons Bible College during the same period. From 1974 to 1980, he ministered at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Earlington, Kentucky, while also teaching for the Hopkins County Board of Education in Madisonville.
In the early 1980s, he taught at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He later joined Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, as a professor beginning in 1985, contributing to theological and religious studies education. He also served as assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis. From 1986 onward, he ministered at First Baptist Church in West Union, Iowa, continuing his pastoral work alongside his academic responsibilities.
He has been a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Lawrence H. Williams married Queen Jackson on September 4, 1965. They have three children: Lawrence H. Williams Jr., Martin D. Williams, and Shari Louise Robinson.
