Pastor Marcus Williams: A ‘Supermom’ With A Distinction

While this year’s edition of the Supermom TV reality show may be all about exceptional mothers, who have raised other people’s children; one man, Pastor Marcus Williams, couldn’t have missed the roll call of those celebrated because of his gender, or despite the fact that he doesn’t bear the tag: ‘Mother’.
Pastor Williams is the founder of the Living Word Orphanage located in Ibadan, Oyo State. The popular shelter for the homeless and less-privileged has housed three generations of children, many of whom have grown up to become to responsible citizens in the society.
But Pastor Williams hasn’t been a worthy role model and humanitarian all his life. Born into a family with a humble background, he describes himself as a function of ‘the good, the bad and ugly’ of yesteryears. Growing up as a kid in a volatile neighbourhood, he saw his parents separate during his formative years. With his mother absent from the home, and his father unable to cater for his siblings and him, he took to the world of crime; starting out as a violent teen and petty thief before graduating into full scale armed robbery. He however became a different person after he found Christ. He then went on to study Theology at the University and became a gospel minister.
Since overcoming those rough years, the middle-aged theologian has taken to picking children who have been abandoned, abused, discriminated against, off the streets and giving them a place to call home. This he does, despite being a full-time missionary without the assurance of regular income.
“I started first by bringing these children, about 15 of them into our 3-bedroom apartment,” he said. “As far as I was concerned back then, I didn’t think any of them was beyond redemption. They needed help. They were in desperate need of someone who would give them hope, believe in them and see them as family. I, of all people, understood where they were coming from.”
According to the soft-spoken pastor, his foray into helping the less-privileged at some point threatened to put a strain on his marriage. His wife, Mrs Abimbola Williams, initially struggled to cope with demands of taking care of children that were not biologically theirs.
“It was tough for us both, but even tougher for her because we had so many of them to take care of at the same time,” he said.
Pastor Williams also says the motivation to take custody of vulnerable children did not arise from the fact that he and his wife didn’t have any children of their own, but that it was borne out of the burning desire to protect such children from the harsh reality of growing up without desirable parentage as well as providing them with a secured future.
Citing the case of a 13-year-old daughter of an abusive neigbhour, who suffered severe beating and numerous lacerations at the hand of her biological father, Pastor Williams, with tear-filled eyes, narrated how he took legal action and got the father of the girl arrested on the grounds of child abuse.
“I took this case up to the state level because I thought no one had the right to batter or maltreat their children just because they were the parents. Children are gifts that should be treasured and disciplined in love and care,” he said.
Pastor Williams and his wife have continued to run the orphanage home on a bigger scale with little or no support. They continue to make personal financial sacrifices, depriving themselves of savings to provide adequately for kids under their care.
Brands Communications and Consumer Relations Manager of Procter and Gamble, who are one of the key sponsors of the Supermom Show, Ayotomiwa Ajewole, described people who make enormous dedicate their lives to raising foster kids as jewels who are rare to find.
“It’s sometimes difficult to rationalise how this kind of people go to any length, including putting themselves in harm’s way to take care of children whose history and existence they know little or nothing about,” he said. “As a company very much involved in societies where we do business, we are partnering with the organisers of the show to extol the virtues of these extraordinary people, while also bringing the topical issue of humanitarianism to the fore.”
The fourth season of the Supermom show, tagged: ‘Hearts of Gold’ features mothers who raised children they did not give birth to. It tells their amazing stories of love and creates a platform for them to be celebrated.