Rev. Dr. William (BJ) Nielsen

          I grew up in East Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee. While there I discovered a love of science and majored in microbiology. I worked for decades in this vein as both a bench scientist and lab manager in the areas of protein science, genomics, and molecular genetics, with my final post as the manager of a Duke lab that investigated molecular evolution within Echinoderms (sea urchins) and within the hominid (human/great ape) lineage.            

          Having been raised in church, like many I had taken a decades long hiatus. And my scientific vocation’s environs certainly did not provide encouragement in rekindling any sort of relationship with the One who created me. In truth, faith in anything but myself was far from my mind. Of course, God never gives up on us. God’s steadfast love and covenant is just that. So, when I found my life darkened by a set of acute personal hardships, with no real hope of recovery in view, Jesus came for me. I found myself reading my mother’s Bible, gathered in her things after a long passing from cancer. In these words, I found peace I hadn’t felt since I was a child.            

          Within a year or so, I returned to church, realizing that the Christian faith was not a solitary endeavor but one formed within a community of believers. Within short order, volunteering in every possible way and leading every possible aspect of church, I was convicted of the notion that I could never really repay what I was given. With this conviction came a commitment to do the most I could to make sure those in pain knew God’s love. And so, I left my career as a bench scientist and entered Duke Divinity School. Shortly after entry I was called to pastor a small membership church in Bynum NC. This church is set in a beautiful old mill village now a mix of mill families and artists, and is where I learned how to love and be loved by God’s people.            

          Within my time at BUMC I completed my Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, and shortly thereafter joined their Doctor of Ministry program where I now reside in the writing stage, having completed my coursework. This is a great joy for me, sometimes keeping me up at night in wonderment of God’s actions through Jesus and the ways I might share them with God’s children. I entered Duke’s DMin program not as an academic endeavor, but as the best preparation for me to equip the saints. So, I was beyond excited when I read Northwoods’ mission statement to “make disciples who make disciples.” I am excited to come along-side thecornerchurch in this work and am committed to make it a reality.

Pax Christi,

Pastor BJ