Ed & Loretta Williamson
A native of Parkersburg, West Virginia, Dr. Ed Williamson knew he was called to ministry when he was only a teenager. He followed that vision to Teen Challenge, a ministry to drug addicts in New York City, where he met Loretta. She became his wife and loving partner in ministry for forty-two years until her passing in 2013.
An accomplished teacher, Loretta earned a BS in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education from Fitchburg State University (Massachusetts) and an MA in Early Education from West Virginia University. Ed earned his BA from Asbury University, his MRE from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary, and his DMin from Boston University School of Theology.
Together, Ed and Loretta planted Covenant Evangelical Methodist Church in Morgantown, WV, serving there for fourteen years. As forerunners of expanding daycare facilities into early childhood education schools on Fox Street, Bronx, NY, they utilized that experience to establish Covenant Christian School in 1991. Beginning as a preschool, under the leadership of Loretta, CCS became a thriving, fully functioning K-8 Christian school which continues to influence generations for Christ today. Through their initial church plant and ministry in Morgantown, new churches were planted throughout North Central West Virginia.
Ed served as the longest serving International General Superintendent and Bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church, EMC International Headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. Re-elected every four years, from 1998 to 2018, Ed worked expanding the EMC denomination throughout the USA and globally. During this time, Mexico EMC continued to grow while new international conferences were birthed in Canada-Europe-Africa (Congolese), Myanmar and the Philippines. In 2018 Ed accepted a position with One Mission Society (OMS), as VP-at-Large. He continues to serve in this capacity today serving as liaison with the Wesleyan Covenant Association and leads Every Community for Christ, (ECC/OMS), as Church Multiplication Facilitator for Myanmar.
God brought a second soulmate into Ed’s life in June 2015. Like Ed, Gilda Day Williamson lost her first love to cancer. Currently they both serve as special assignment missionaries. Gilda serves as the Myanmar Director for Dynamic Women, a division of One Mission Society (OMS). Ed serves OMS and is, once again, back on staff at Covenant Church. The Williamsons divide their time between their homes states: West Virginia and Alabama.
