Senior Pastor

Bill Ward is blessed to be the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Presbyterian ministers. His father served a number of churches during his career allowing him to have a varied childhood, giving him familiarity with intercity Michigan, idyllic summers on an ocean canal in Cape Coral, Florida and teenage years in the international culture of Key West.  After pursuing a college degree in business, he came to believe that God was calling him to ministry.  He earned a M.Div. from Louisville Seminary, an M.B.A. from Bellarmine University, and a D.Min. from Fuller Seminary. In Louisville, he met and married his wife. Rachel earned a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College and has been in private practice for the last 20 years.  Together, they have served four churches in 28 years: Howe, Indiana; Joliet, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois, and now Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. They have two sons. William, 26, who just started on staff at Providence after working at a CBS affiliate in Tallahassee and Jonathan, 24, graduated from Wheaton College and is attending Northwestern Law School. Dr. Ward is both humbled and honored to be the Senior Pastor of Providence Presbyterian Church where it is their mission to Cause God Joy!