#Glide #Church & #civilrights movement leader, longtime advocate for disadvantaged who sheltered & fed the hungry daily for decades in San Francisco's #Tenderloin , the Rev. Cecil Williams has died at age 94.
In an unusual move in the late 60's, the TX raised Williams removed #theCross from his SF #UnitedMethodistChurch which he said was a depressing symbol of death, and while attracting an ever diverse congregation, earned the consternation and ire of many #Christian critics. His congregation grew from a dwindling 35 members upon his arrival, to encompass eventually more than 10,000 in his faith community ranging from drunks attempting to dry out , to society doyennes like Sharon Stone who had Cecil Williams preside over her marriage to the editor of San Francisco's largest daily newspaper.
Since 1983, Williams himself was married to the city's late official Poet Laureate Janice Mirkitani whom he met as a single parent attendee to his services, and who joined forces with him co-running the operations, until she passed in 2021. They wrote an autobiography of their life's work entitled Beyond The Possible that was released in 2013.
With their passing, ends an era of late 20th century activism and "liberated gospel" that sprang from the pulpit of an urban Methodist Church that welcomed hippies, hookers, transexuals, bankers, Black Panthers, drug addicts alike without judgement, and delivered sermons defending people like Angela Davis, and even fellow #unorthodox SF #preacher Rev. Jim Jones, whom Cecil presented the #Humanitarian of the Year award in 1977, a yr before he was linked to the deaths of approx 900 parishioners and a US Congressman.
His #GlideFoundation evolved to become an ever vital part of the city's non-profit sector services, serving 2,000 meals a day, providing housing units, and operating on a budget of over $12 million dollars, a large portion of which were #government #subsidies. His celebrity friends included Robin Williams, Sammy Davis Jr, and Jane Fonda, and his politically connected contacts included major Democratic party figures such as Bill Clinton as well as SF Mayor's Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom.
#ABC7 newsclip on life of #CecilWilliams linked below (122mb)
https://vcl.abcotv.net/video/kgo/042224-kgo-11p-cecil-williams-vid.mp4
