William Land

William Earl Land, Sr. is the Pastor of St. Albans Church of God in Christ in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he has resided since his birth. In the early stages of his life, he can recall looking out of his bedroom window (in what was called Mt. Airy Projects then) wondering how the stars, moon, sun, and clouds hang in space and what causes them to disappear at certain times of the day. Although he was raised to believe in God from the time he was a child, there were many whys in his life that he wanted answered. As his mother took him, his brothers and sisters to church (week after week, year after year), he continued to pray, hoping that God would explain his questions one day.

When William was in the fourth grade, he remembers his Sunday school teacher, Mother Mary Rhodes, telling him that the Lord is going to give him wisdom. He said at the time it sounded good, but he didn’t have a clue what that meant. As the years went by, William tried to live a life of honesty and respect toward others according to his Christian upbringing. After graduated from Mechanic Arts High School in 1973, William took various jobs until he began work in 1977 in Golden Valley, MN at Honeywell, Inc. It was during his early years at Honeywell that he says he picked up many bad habits that were contrary to the teachings he had received at church. This is due to the fact that he rarely attended church after high school because he thought he could find fulfillment in the things of the world. William felt as long as he didn’t hurt anyone (as if his sins did not affect anyone else), he could control his bad habits. What a mistake! Thank God there were also people at Honeywell who gave him sound advice whom he admired for their Christlike character. One in particular was a lady named Shirley Gayden (who went home to be with the Lord in 2016). When William speaks of his conversion to Christ, he tells how Shirley (who hadn’t been a Christian long before he met her) would hang Christian tracks on the light with the part number she needed. So when William answered the light, he got a track to remind him of his sins. The more William read them, the more he knew he needed the Lord in his life.

In 1983, William gave his life to Christ at St. Albans COGIC, which he attends to this day. St. Albans was also the church his mother took them to (meaning his brothers and sisters) 12 years earlier when William was 16 years old. In 1987, he married Shirley Bell from Itta Bena, Mississippi. At that time, William already had two sons who were always going to be a part of his life – whom Shirley welcomed with open arms as well. A little over 2 months after their marriage, he also accepted the call on his life to the ministry. Within the span of ten years, they had three more children, and William was installed as the Pastor of St. Albans Church of God in Christ.

However, it is the life of his Mother, Elnora Land that he attributes as having the greatest impact on his life as far as being an example of Christian living and character. As a matter of fact, William sees himself as one of the fruits of her Godly life. He also credits his Godmother Effie Clemons; Uncle Booker T. Pruitt and his wife, Aunt Ernestine Pruitt; as well as his Pastor/Superintendent Timothy L. Barge Senior for being role models and mentors to him. All but his Aunt Ernestine have ceased from their labor and are now at home with the Lord. And there are many more who time doesn’t allow me to acknowledge, but the Lord knows who they are.

Although, William and Shirley had challenges, they both profess that their commitment to the Lord is the reason their marriage has been successful. Pastor Land often says, “Lady Shirley Land loves the Lord more than me, and I love the Lord more than her. And our love for God forbids us to disrespect one another.” Imagine what the success rate would be for marriage if this rule were the requirement for love. The more you’re around them, it’s obvious they love their children, grandchildren and everyone else they encounter in a loving and respectful way as well. It is also important to mention that since Pastor Land worked many hours to support and take care of his family, he never pursued any theological training from a seminary, an on-line course, or accredited institutions to get degrees to validate his calling. He’s just trying to be the man that God called him to be. However, Pastor Land does credit the ministry of Hank Hanegraaff, the “Bible Answer Man,” for introducing him to theological material that he would not have known otherwise. By listening to his radio broadcast and purchasing many book from CRI (The Christian Research Institute), his understanding of scripture improved greatly.

Pastor Land truly believes the Lord has blessed him far beyond anything that he could have imagined, and he’s extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord. He often says to the congregation at St. Albans COGIC, “I hope if nothing else, I’ve taught you humility in my character, as well as humility in learning.” The words of Mother Mary Rhodes came true. Pastor Land is a man of wisdom and integrity who has a genuine love for all people. He believes his mission is to preach and expound the word of God to the best of his ability, while never being too proud to admit that the Pastor isn’t right all the time. And when he isn’t, he doesn’t have any problem admitting he’s wrong. He says, “God not only sees our mistakes, but He also weighs our motives. And may it never be said that I intentionally misled God’s people, or anyone else.”

Aside from pastoring, Pastor Land had the opportunity to air his sermons on the radio for a couple of years on a program which he founded called Crumbs from the Master’s Table Ministries on 980 am KKMS radio station. He has also completed two books entitled: Lost Without Him (Special Edition) which he strongly recommends, and The Trinity, A Balanced Message for Level-Headed People. The reason I say completed, is because “Lost Without Him” and “The Trinity: A Balanced Message for Level-Headed People” had been revised and retired a few times. Pastor Land said, “When the Lord put it in my spirit to write a book, I had no clue how enormous the challenge would be – since I never wrote a book before. After long days, weeks, months and years of seeking the Lord what to say on paper, every part of my being wanted to quit – which I did a few times (during that process) believing “I” was done. But after resting my mind and eyes a little while, the Lord would say, “Not Yet!” So I personally stopped selling the books, even though it was my best at that time. And many people enjoyed reading them. However, if I could have written them the first time the way they are now, I would have. Brothers and Sisters, just know that it was good for me to be exposed to the criticism of others to learn and keep me humble while teaching the rest who continue to support me that the Christian life is a journey of trials and errors that leads to truth for those who are determined to do God’s will. Although writing these books was one of the most difficult thing I’ve ever tried to do, the outcome far exceeded the labor pains. And if you purchase them on createspace.com, or amazonbooks.com, you will not be disappointed!”

When Pastor Land approaches the podium on Sunday morning, there are three things he has been known to say:

1. “I want this congregation to know that I do not take for granted the responsibility given to me as a minister of the gospel to conduct myself in a manner that most represents the Lord.”

2. “I don’t have the words to express what a privilege it is to share the precious truths of God’s word.”

3. “To this congregation, I want all of you to know that I’ve got nothing but love in my heart for every one of you. It is why I am always mindful that I’m speaking to men and women. And my task is to build you up, not beat you up.

After he preaches and prays depending on the circumstances at the time, he ends every service by saying, “What I say unto one, I say unto all; watch and pray for each other. God Bless You. I LOVE YOU IN CHRIST. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND A WONDERFUL LIFE IN HIM.”

COMPLETED FEBRUARY 2018