Matt Williams is the Lead Pastor of Barberton Church of God in Barberton, Ohio, and the owner and Executive Director of Moriah Counseling and Consulting, LLC, in North Royalton, Ohio. He is a licensed and ordained minister with the Church of God, which has its home office in Anderson, Indiana, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, and a certified clinical supervisor.
He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Anderson University in Christian Education, a Master of Arts Degree from Ashland Theological Seminary in Clinical Counseling, and a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University. He is an Adjunct Professor of Bible and Psychology for Indiana Wesleyan University and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology, Sociology, and Pastoral Counseling for Grace College and Seminary at their Bath, Ohio Extension.
With a career spanning over 36 years, Matt Williams has excelled in many roles, including pastoral ministry, counseling, and teaching. His professional journey has taken him through churches, funeral homes, hospices, and various mental health agencies. Notably, he has also served as a high school guidance counselor and school administrator, showcasing his adaptability and versatility.
Matt has trained hundreds of mental health professionals and mentored/coached pastors across many denominations. He is a frequent speaker and presenter to various organizations nationwide on multiple topics, including grief, stress management, supervision, counseling ethics, counselor education/training, marriage building, and other issues. He has been the keynote speaker or presenter for organizations like:
One of Matt's significant contributions to the mental health field is his role in training and supervising nearly 150 graduate students. His dedication to their career advancement is a testament to his commitment to developing mental health professionals. However, his real love is mentoring and coaching pastors. Currently, he is working with nearly thirty pastors, not only in the United States but across the world.
He has appeared on television and hosted "Grief Talk," a weekly radio call-in talk show in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also a frequent guest on a local radio station, where he presents an on-air Bible study. He is a guest lecturer at local colleges and universities like John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, and Baldwin-Wallace College. He also enjoys assisting churches in developing care ministries within their churches and helping them with their ongoing ministry training needs. Matt has written several articles for various publications.
Personally, Matt has been married for thirty-three years to his beautiful wife, Sheri, a high school teacher. They have four beautiful children, Mackenzie, Maelei, Matthew, and Montgomarie, and his two personal four-legged best friends, Bailey and Maggie.
Favorite… |
Matt’s Answer |
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Movie |
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” |
Dessert |
Carrot Cake |
Food |
My Wife’s Chicken Casserole |
Book |
“Blubber” by Judy Blume |
Author |
Max Lucado & John Ortberg |
TV Show |
“M*A*S*H” and “The Andy Griffith Show” |
Subject in high school |
Lunch |
Style of music |
Southern Gospel |
Christian song |
“Say Amen” |
Christian Music Group |
“The Cathedrals” and “Brian Free & Assurance” |
President |
George W. Bush & Abraham Lincoln |
Version of the Bible |
NASB |
Christmas Carol |
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” (if I had to choose) |
Christmas Movie |
“Christmas Vacation” |
Actor/Actress |
Tom Selleck |
Candy |
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup |
Color |
Blue |
Secular Music Group |
“The Temptations” and “Billy Joel” |
Season |
Fall |
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A little something else. |
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Coke or Pepsi? |
Coke |
Place of Worship? |
Heartland Community Church |
If you could be a superhero, who would you be? |
Batman |
Life Verse? |
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 |