By: Jim Pyatt, WNCC Archivist & Historian

Rev. Dr. Earl Wilson, Jr. (September 16, 1946 - July 3, 2018)

The Rev. Dr. Earl Wilson, Jr. was a faithful servant of the Lord who provided significant leadership in the WNC Conference of the UMC. Perhaps his most significant contribution came in his years of ministry as Senior Pastor of large, predominantly white United Methodist churches (First UMC, Brevard and Mt. Tabor UMC, Winston-Salem), the first clergyperson in the WNC Conference to serve as Senior Pastor of a large membership church in a cross-racial appointment. With regard to his effectiveness in this capacity, Bishop Bevel Jones wrote the following in a letter to the Charlotte District on July 16, 1995: “It worked beautifully, and I met with strong resistance, indeed, opposition from his people [the congregation at First UMC, Brevard] to my taking him away from them, even for so important a position as he now holds [Charlotte District Superintendent]. Not once during his remarkable 4-year pastorate in that college town did I receive a negative comment about Earl Wilson, directly or indirectly.”

The Rev. Dr. Wilson was born in Bolton, NC, and was the son of a career military non-commissioned officer. He “lived in a half dozen states while growing up. Many of those years were spent on military bases where the only color that mattered was Army green.” (The News & Observer, Raleigh, NC July 28, 1991, C-8)

“Earl Jr. graduated from Berry O’Kelly High School in Raleigh, N.C., received his Radio Broadcasting License from Ohio State University while he was a student at Shaw University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shaw in 1969. In 1973, Earl earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University’s Divinity School after an internship at Union Theological School in Richmond, VA. Having already been ordained as a deacon in The AME Church in 1969 and as an elder in 1971, he was received, by transfer, into the Western North Carolina Conference in 1973. In 1996, he was awarded the Doctor of Divinity degree from Pfeiffer University.”

“His appointments were: Wesley Foundation (North Carolina A&T State University) and St. Paul (Kernersville), 1973-1975, and Wesley Foundation (A&T State) and Laughlin Memorial, 1975-1977. In June 1977, he transferred to the Tennessee Conference, where he served on the conference staff. During the next decade, Earl also served on the staffs of the General Board of Discipleship and the Memphis Conference. In late 1988, at the urging of Dr. James Ferree, Earl returned to the Western North Carolina Conference to join the conference program staff, where he served as Conference Director of Age-Level Ministries. Other appointments were First Brevard, 1991-1995; Charlotte District superintendent, 1995-2003; and Mt. Tabor (Winston-Salem), 2003-2012. Earl was elected to serve as a Western North Carolina Conference delegate to the 1996, 2000, and 2004 General and Jurisdictional conferences. He attended the World Methodist Conferences in Nairobi, Kenya, and Brighton, England.” (2019 Journal, 349) Dr. Wilson was also a delegate to Jurisdictional Conference in 2008.

As the Rev. Dr. Andrew Brown goes on to state in his memoir, “Earl had a winsome personality, and he endeared himself with his acquaintances and congregants. Of special note, worshippers came to expect two sermons when he came to the pulpit. He lifted his melodious voice in praise and delivered a message in song before the spoken word on Sunday mornings. Therefore, it was fitting for his family to surround him with songs of faith, as a means of comfort, in his final hours.” (2019 Journal, 350)

The Rev. Dr. Earl Wilson, Jr. was a blessing to the WNC Conference. He served admirably and ably in a variety of ministry settings, both in the WNC Conference and elsewhere. We were blessed to have him among us as a preacher, pastor, administrator, and leader.