As Canon of the Church of the Intercession in Harlem, New York from 1971 to 2005, he led an influential congregation, the first in the nation to establish a programmatic response to AIDS.
[1] While earning a doctorate from Colgate Rochester Divinity School, he led a congregation that worked for civil rights and social justice, both in the United States and Africa.
[2] Williams became the chair of the National Clergy Advisory Committee of the Harlem Week of Prayer (the Balm in Gilead, Inc.) and served for 10 years.
In 1986 together with Dr. Preston Washington of Memorial Baptist Church, Williams co-founded and chaired the Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Inc. (HCCI).
[2] Williams encouraged local arts groups, helping the Boys Choir of Harlem by allowing them to use the Church of the Intercession as their first performance space and base of operations.
Through his work, Williams became a friend of Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who sometimes officiated at the Church of the Intercession on his visits to the United States.