CCA Co-Founder Leaving Comedy for Mission Field
Monday, June 08, 2009

Almost 15 years ago Mike Williams and Justin Fennell started a little newsletter called the Christian Comedy Coalition (CCC) designed to find the various Christian comedians in the nation and to dream that one day we all could gather for fellowship and training and prayer. That dream was realized nine years ago when about 30 or more gathered at the home of Chonda and David Pierce at their funny farm. You may know about the CCA but maybe you would like to know about a very special man behind the scene, Mike Williams.

I first met Mike 20 years ago when he approached me during a New Year's Eve service.  He was a youth pastor then serving at Parkview Baptist Church.  He was a natural with the youth.  They loved him. Mike had a special love for the overlooked and under privileged young people. It probably caused a lot of friction with the senior adults in his church but Pastor Mike was faithful to the call to reach and keep the youth that were under his influence. I knew then more would be in store.

Mike's career as a comic exploded when he developed what was then a Christian version of the very popular Carrot Top.  Mike should know what Carrot Top was performing, he had written a good portion of Carrot Top's show!  Mike starting doing state conventions, Youth Specialties, churches and everything else a young comic can find. Mike quickly became a top artist in the field of Christian comedy.

One day Mike was approached to help with his local church, Grace Church, to serve as the interim pastor. While on the road during the week Mike also served for many years as the lead pastor for this Lakeland, Florida congregation. It was during this time that Mike developed a strong relationship with Tim DeTellis and New Missions. New Missions has its International office in Orlando, Florida with the majority of its work focused on the extremely poor in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Mike began organizing missionary teams to assist with the work. Eventually he spent most of his summers in Haiti and the D.R.  

About a month ago Mike announced that he and his family will be moving permanently to the Dominican Republic to fill the role of pastor and administrator left void when Tim's father, George DeTellis, passed away. (George and Jeannie DeTellis founded New Missions)

I knew Mike meant business when he began selling his audio gear. (For those who ever recorded at Mike's studio know what a sacrifice this was!) Next were his collections and then his house. When I last spoke with Mike last week he was getting ready to go down to the D.R. to host a missions team and to look for a house for his family.  Mike plans to be located in the D.R. full time before Christmas.  It will not surprise me if we have a CCA convention in Puerta Plata one day!  Just leave it to Mike to find a way to make them laugh...even when all he can say in Spanish is "yo quierro TACO BELL."

If you know Mike, take a minute to write him and encourage him.  We are all standing a little taller in this profession because of his love and commitment to Christian comedy.  Maybe you can support him with a monthly amount.  If you are interested in giving you can give through his local church, Grace Church, in Lakeland, FL.  Also look for his comedy series in the bookstores now, "THE COMEDY BUS" featuring himself and a host of great talent from the CCA.

Justin N. Fennell  

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