Bishop Dwight Earl Williams, a longstanding pastor in Stockton who carried his work beyond the church and into the city’s civic and community life, died on Monday. He was 60.
Williams died in his sleep at his home, his wife Phyllis Williams confirmed to Stocktonia. Phyllis, who described her husband as a “humble” and “compassionate” man, did not wish to share further details about his death at the time.
Williams’ daughter, Ajahlee, said Tuesday morning that her father died of natural causes.
In a tribute to her husband on Facebook, she said he “touched so many,” embodying not only the “heart of a pastor” but above all a life of service.
In a phone call with Stocktonia, Phyllis said her husband was a man known for “doing good” because of the “calling God gave him for his life.”
“He was our community pastor … our personal pastor,” she said. “He felt that’s what God gave him to do — to be a light and a lamp in a world that sometimes feels very dark.”
Williams was most recently the pastor of New Genesis Outreach Ministries of Stockton, a non-denominational ministry he founded about 10 years ago. But his service to the community extended well beyond the church, taking him into leadership roles throughout San Joaquin County.
For the past five years, Williams was a board member of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, including a term as the group’s vice president. Williams was also chair of the city’s Civil Service Commission, having earlier worked on other committees, according to 2014 city records: one that reviewed the city’s land use and zoning, and another advising the city on how to use its tax revenue. The Stockton native also served as a chaplain with the Stockton Police Department since 1999.
Housing affordability became a central part of the pastor’s community work, especially in South Stockton. In 2009, Williams founded New Genesis Housing Development, a non-profit group that advocated for greater housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income families.
Williams also chaired the Republican Party of San Joaquin County between 2019-2025 and often worked as a political commentator for KCRA 3. He contributed opinion pieces to Stocktonia and other publications.
Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, described Wiliams life as one “spent in service to God, family, community, and country.”
“Those of us who knew Bishop Williams know that he brought warmth, strength, and purpose into every room he entered,” Rankin said in an Instagram tribute Tuesday. “He cared deeply about his community. He cared deeply about our party. And he cared deeply about helping others find their voice and their place in the effort to build a better California.”
In their own statement earlier this week, the county party office called Williams’ passing “a major loss” for the party and surrounding community.
Born and raised in Stockton, Williams’ pastoral work began as a teenager. Ordained at 19, Williams was already a pastor by the time he married Phyllis, she said. The two met shortly after Phyllis graduated high school, at a Juneteenth parade on the south side of town near Sierra Vista.
But she had known of Williams for months before they met. It was at a memorial service honoring civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. that Phyllis first heard him speak, recalling his memories of King in “such wonderful, oracle language.”
“The way he spoke, the way he used language?” Phyllis said. “I was taken in.”
When they first met, Phyllis said Williams had charmed her with a sweet line: “Let me show you my world, the world of ministry,” the beginning of a journey they’ve shared ever since.
For San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding, his friendship with Williams began in high school that began more than 46 years ago.
At Stagg High School, Ding said Williams stood out during a “time of tension” in Stockton, as the city carried out school desegregation efforts between North and South Stockton.
Though Williams was a year or two behind him, Ding said he noticed him volunteering at the student store and in leadership. When Williams later became a pastor and grew involved throughout Stockton, Ding said he wasn’t surprised.
“Nobody disliked Dwight,” Ding said. “He treated everybody the same … he was definitely a positive influence on Stockton.”
Over the years, Ding said he came to know Williams as a “gentle giant,” someone who was always smiling. Whenever they crossed paths, Williams would greet him with a hug, Ding said — something he’ll miss the most.
Williams’ death was first reported by The Stockton Observer.
When Vice Mayor Jason Lee first met Williams years ago, he said in a Facebook post, he “didn’t fully understand just how deeply rooted” Williams was in the community.
“I came to know and appreciate his heart for Stockton,” Lee said. “… (He) loved Stockton unwaveringly.”
Scott Winn, a friend and close advisor of Williams during his political career, including when he ran for a Stockton City Council seat in 2015, said he remained upbeat regardless of whether he won or lost. Dan Wright, principal at Harrison Elementary at the time, went on to win the position.
“Politics has become so ugly over the years that I really hope that people can look at Dwight and … take away that we can all be kind to each other,” Winn said.
When the two first met in the 90s, Winn said he knew they were going to be “lifelong” friends. Williams “genuinely cared about your life,” Winn said, something he saw after his wife was diagnosed with and later died from cancer.
Even with others around him offering support, Winn said Williams was “one of those people that was just constantly lifting you up, encouraging you.”
A public viewing and homegoing service are planned, with details to be announced at a later date.
Williams is survived by his son, Dwight Earl Jr., daughter, Ajahlee Alexandria and two grandchildren.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the cause of Dwight Williams’ death.