My call to ministry put me on a path that completely altered the life that I had been leading. I started my journey to becoming a pastor at a non-denominational church located in Chantilly, VA. I loved being involved with as many aspects of Christian life that I could be. Every Monday I would call my pastor and ask what help he needed that week. There was no job that was below me. Anything in the church that needed to be done; I wanted to be part of making it happen. It wasn’t long before I started leading the Wednesday night men’s group and that opportunity had a profound impact on my life. It was through leading the men’s ministry that I began to see the calling that God had put on my life. One of the biggest blessings in my life was the discipleship relationships that I had in my life. There were two mature Christian leaders that took me under their tutelage. They helped to plant the seeds that God was calling me to the pastorate. They were able to see in me what God had planned for my life and through their mentoring my own faith in that call grew. I was able to go to Liberty University and graduate with a Master’s degree in Christian Ministries. Following my graduation from Liberty I began writing for two different websites which helped me fine tune my sermon preparation and connect with Christians across the globe.

I was very content to continue working my secular job and leading my former church’s men’s ministry. However I had this great pull on my heart to serve in the pastorate and after a significant amount of prayer I began my search for a pastorate position to serve in. The Lord lead me through this search as I spoke with a couple of different churches before finding my position at the Hollywood Church of the Brethren. While I had not been part of the Church of the Brethren prior to accepting the position; I could feel in my heart that this is where God wanted me to be. Since becoming a pastor my faith has grown in leaps and bounds as I have seen the working of the Lord here at Hollywood, and I’ve become connected with the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center which is helping me fulfill requirements needed for ordination within the Church of the Brethren.  God called me later in life but it was a call that put me on the path that God had intended for me as all of my past experiences have helped shape my ability to pastor to the people that God has entrusted me with.

-William Butt

William Butt is a pastor at Hollywood Church of the Brethren in Fredericksburg VA. He graduated in 2019 with a Master’s in Christian Ministries from Liberty University. He is currently doing course work through the Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center for ordination within the Church of the Brethren. Will is married and has a 7-year-old son named Rowan. He enjoys reading, the gym, baseball, and has a passion for encouraging others in the life of discipleship following Jesus.