PASTOR WILLIAM B. LYONS, JR.
Pastor William B. Lyons Jr. was born in Anchorage, Alaska to Rev. William B. Lyons and Gracie Mae Lyons. He comes from a legacy of Christian Soldiers, blessed with a father and grandfather who were called and committed to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the youngest of 8 siblings. Rev. Lyons has been married to Marsheilah Lyons for 25 years and has two wonderful children, daughter, Marshay Maxine Smith married to Quentin Owens Smith, his new Son-in-Law, and son William B. Lyons III.
Pastor Lyons accepted Jesus Christ at a young age and accepted the call to preach as a young adult. He’s lead in varying capacities within the local church: Minister of Youth, Discipleship Training, Singles, Christian Education and Interim Pastor, are a few of the positions he has held. To better equip himself for the work God called him to do, Pastor Lyons attended the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and in 1997 received a Bachelors in Pastoral Ministry, with a minor in Christian Education and Theology.
Here are just a few of his accomplishments in the Reno/Sparks Area, he served as: Minister of Education at Second Baptist Church for over 10 years; Interim Pastor to Spanish Springs Baptist Church during their transition period as they searched for a new Pastor; President of the Congress of Christian Education of the Progressive District Baptist Association for eight years; Vice President of
the Nevada California Interstate Baptist Convention Congress of Christian Education; and Moderator for the Sierra Baptist Association of the Nevada Baptist Convention. Currently serves on the Constitution and By Laws/Resolutions Committee for the Nevada Baptist Convention, and Executive board for the African American Clergy Council of Northern Nevada (AACCONN).
On February 27, 2011, Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church (GNHBC) installed William B. Lyons Jr. to serve as Pastor. Under his leadership GNHBC has implemented many community events that benefit the entire community: The Block Party, Harvest Festival, movie night, Back to School Dance, and many workshops to assist in the development of our community.
Although his work in the church is remarkable, Pastor Lyons has also been active in the broader community. He served as PTA President at Bernice Matthews Elementary School for 2 years. A lover of music, he was instrumental in the development of the Reno-Tahoe Blues Fest, which had the mission of supporting music education for youth in the Reno Sparks area. He served on the High School Rezoning Committee for Washoe County School District; and gained the respect of many as a man of sound judgment and fairness. He served as volunteer assistant coach for the Sierra Youth Football League Freshman and Renegade Raiders. Pastor Lyons twice served as a volunteer teacher with the University of Nevada, Reno Pre-Service Teacher Seminars, for newly licensed teachers in the Washoe County School District.
He’s an exceptional cook and baker and as with everything else he uses this ability to serve others. He is a wiz with technology and has provided countless volunteer hours assisting in the preparation of community presentations, teaching computer skills to seniors, repairing computers and developing web pages for nonprofits that otherwise might not be able to afford the service. He provides wise counsel and encouragement to an entire generation of young people in the Reno/Sparks area. Many more than his biological nieces and nephews, affectionately call him “Uncle Junior.”
Finally, he is employed full time as an Investigator with the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). In that capacity his work is sometimes challenged in court, to date, he has never lost such a challenge. This is a testament to the skill and integrity he brings to his service to the State.