Source: Jennifer Atkins Brown, Staff Writer
Dateline: GREENSBORO Though he may be humble, Corey Williams has gained the praise and admiration of friends, co-workers and parishioners at Mount Zion Baptist Church, where he serves as director of music and arts.

"He is just a phenomenal composer, singer, arranger and choir director," said close friend Jimmie Thomas, associate pastor at Potter's House in Texas and a former co-worker at Mount Zion. "He's very diverse, never predictable as far as music presentation and always fresh."

"He has a standard of excellence," said Ingrid Medlock, a member of Mount Zion's praise team. "He makes sure each musical part is exactly correct."

Williams' creativity, hard work and determination were recently recognized on a national level. He was selected one of the top 10 praise and worship leaders in the nation by the Gospel Music Roundup magazine. This is his second year making the top-10 list.

"This honor is so well-deserved," Medlock said. "God has blessed him with excellent musicianship, and he is such a lovable, friendly, fun man of God."

"I'm humbled because there are so many great worship leaders out there," Williams said. "It's not about me, though, and I know that, and it keeps me level."

Williams, 44, came to Mount Zion in 1986 as a part-time minister of music. In 1996 he went to work for a ministry in Maryland but came back to Mount Zion in 2000. He has been at the church ever since and has watched it grow to a staff of more than 100 and 4,000 to 5,000 parishioners.

As director of music and arts, Williams oversees a full- and part-time staff of six and is responsible for five choirs, three praise teams, a band and the dance and drama ministry. An accomplished gospel songwriter, Williams has written for several artists and recently had one of his songs recorded on the three-time Stellar Award CD by Bishop Paul S. Morton and the Full Gospel Mega Mass Choir. He also is a member of the gospel group Signature, which is in the process of releasing a CD, and he presents music workshops across the United States and world.

A pianist since age 7, Williams grew up in a musical family. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he was one of 10 children. His mother and the first five children recorded an album in 1965, and his father was part of a quartet.

"It's funny, but I'm the only one of the 10 who pursued a career in music," he said.

He attended the prestigious High School of Music and Art in New York and attended Hofstra University and Guilford College.

Life has not always been rosy for Williams, though.

Early in his career, he became addicted to marijuana and cocaine.

"God was there; I knew it but didn't want to change," Williams said.

Having exhausted all his resources and afraid of losing his family, he sought help from a Christian-based program in Pennsylvania. He was away from his family for a year while he tried to turn his life around. "I dealt with my addiction and issues I'd not wanted to deal with," he said. "The experience made me a better man and gave me a whole new outlook on the sovereignty of God."

He has been off drugs since 1999 and has "become more wise in understanding my purpose and destiny, which is what I'm doing now," he said.

Williams believes that the older he gets, the better he is at his work. "I think that's part of the Great Commission," he said. "I use my music as a vehicle to preach to people."

"I love what I'm doing, and I'm surrounded by such talented musicians and leaders," he said. "I don't know if I could survive outside of what I'm doing now; I know I'll be doing what I'm doing until I retire."