About Our Church

Pastor Charlie Williams III was called to the ministry in 1994, after many years of service to God in a variety of roles. After accepting his call, Pastor Williams served faithfully under the leadership of Superintendent Ivanhoe Terry, pastor of Saints Memorial Church of God in Christ.

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After extensive prayer and consecration, Pastor Williams met with his leader in August 1997 and shared with him that God had inspired him to become the founder and overseer of a ministry that would be provided by Him.

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Pastor Williams informed his family of the vison that God had given him and in September 1997, he and his wife Lady Janise Williams, purchased the former Heritage Baptist Church located at 1535 Kirkman Street in the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana. It was at that time God birthed, Word of Hope Family Worship Center (WOHFWC).

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On Sunday, November 9, 1997, WOHFWC had its first official service, which included prayer and Sunday School. The membership increased during the succeeding months and years that followed, and the WOH family was able to obtain a van, two buses.  In the year 2000, the ministry acquired a 53-passenger MCI charter bus to accommodate the numerous travel commitments and 28 acres of land for the future sanctuary.

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It didn't take long for Pastor Williams to recognize that the Kirkman Street facility was no longer sufficient to house the expanding congregation as the ministry continued to gather a harvest of souls. The ministry began conducting services in the Lake Charles/Boston High School auditorium at 1509 Enterprise Boulevard in October 2003.

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Hurricane Rita devastated the city of Lake Charles and the LCB auditorium in 2005, forcing the ministry to return its services to their old home at 1535 Kirkman Street. Many residents from Lake Charles and the surrounding areas had to move to other states as a result of this natural disaster. This sudden departure had a profound impact on the church family, as many loved and cherished members moved away.

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Following this event, Pastor Williams led the congregation in prayer and dedication to God, never wavering in his commitment to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and to the vision that God had given him. Within a year, the ministry started to witness unheard-of spiritual growth and fresh membership growth.

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Finding a place to house God's people was an issue that Pastor Williams had to deal with once more in 2006. So, in September of the same year, WOHFWC relocated back to the Lake Charles/Boston High School auditorium, where it remained until Phase 1 of the construction project was finished.

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On April 10, 2011, at 4:00PM, the Dedication Service for the beautiful new edifice subcontracted by Lady Janise Williams, located at 3975 E. Prien Lake Road, was held. The new structure consisted of the sanctuary, classrooms, offices, daycare and kitchen. Phase one of the God-given vision, was officially complete and it was at that time that a greater work in the ministry began.

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In 2014, Phase II of the building project was complete, which consisted of an outdoor covered pavilion to accommodate our outdoor fellowship needs.

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In 2021, Phase III of our Hope Center building project was complete which consisted of a banquet hall, commercial kitchen, laundry room, his and hers showers and dressing rooms, 5000 sq. ft pantry, multi-purpose rooms and a pastor and wife’s apartment studio.

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For the past eleven years, bringing us current with Word of Hope’s ministry journey, Pastor Williams and Lady Janise Williams, under God’s divine leadership, have remained faithful to their commitment to “Building Strong Families, Healthy Marriages, Good Fathers, Christian Homes and Empowering the saints of God.” In God’s new facility, there has been several family and marriage seminars, finance classes, men and women retreat, youthquake conferences, vacation bible school, youth life-skill camps, family-oriented stage plays, concerts, intense bible studies, church picnics and church cruises, just to name a few.

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Word of Hope FWC has several hashtags that are referred to on different occasions. But during a time that is dear to Pastor Williams’ community-minded heart is #HOPEISHERE. Three 501©3 Nonprofits were birthed at different times within these past 11 years.

• ·       YOUTH TAKE A STAND (youth - mentorship, development, counseling)

• ·       PANTRY OF HOPE (family - food and household supplies)

• ·       GOLDEN HOPE SENIOR CITIZENS (senior citizens)

• ·       HANDS OF HOPE (homeless ministry) ...pending nonprofit status

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These nonprofits allow the ministry to operate in different capacities, servicing ALL individuals that need HOPE. These operate mimicking the hearts of our leaders who has given unselfishly throughout the 25 years of service. We do not take the #HOPEISHERE for granted, for Word of Hope gives HOPE when HOPE is needed.

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Pastor Williams expresses how blessed he is with a ministry where the people of God work. Members sacrifice their time feeding hundreds of families every month, reaching out to the homeless, mentoring the youth, and supporting the elderly who are unable to care for themselves.

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#LOOKTHEREISHOPE #HOPEISHERE #HOPEISHOME