Pastor William Palmer, Jr. is a native of New Orleans, LA. He was educated in the Orleans Parish Public Schools system and graduated from L.B Landry Sr. High (1972). He began his college education at Dillard University of New Orleans, but during his sophomore year he enlisted in the United States Navy. Pastor Palmer did continue with his college studies and he exhibits that “Spartan Pride” as a member of Norfolk State University’s Class of 1991, graduating with honors, Summa Cum Laude. He graduated from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Graduate School’s New Leaders Program in 1997. He received his Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University, School of Business and Public Management in 2004.

In 1979 he answered God’s call to the ministry. In 1982 he was licensed as a minister while serving at the Thompson Temple COGIC, Gretna, LA. The late Bishop Joseph A. Thompson was his pastor. In 1985 he was ordained as an Elder, serving as an Associate Minister at the New Hope Church of God in Christ, Norfolk, VA with the late Bishop Herman Clark, Sr., Pastor.

During this period as associate minister at the New Hope COGIC Pastor Palmer taught Sunday School for 10 and 11 Year Old Boys for four years and a co-ed Adult Class for 11 years. He was also Assistant Sunday School Superintendent. He was a Bible Teacher with the Southeastern Correctional Ministry, Inc., ministering at the Norfolk City Jail from 1991 to 1994 and at the Greenville Correctional Facility from 1993 to 1994. He was chosen by the Tidewater Ministers Fellowship COGIC to organize the Homeless Committee and he served as the Chairman of that Committee in 1998. Pastor Palmer developed workshops and was facilitator of those for the non-profit social services organization Heart-to-Heart. His workshops covered the subjects of marriage, leadership, and employment search preparation. He was a Computer Instructor for the New Hope Christian Community Center. Pastor Palmer also represented the New Hope COGIC as a member of the Fairmont Park Civic League (Norfolk, VA); and he served as Chairman of the Social Concerns Committee while a member of the Civic League.

Pastor Palmer founded Deliverance Ministries, over which he serves as Pastor in 2001. As part of the outreach for this ministry, he began a weekly radio broadcast, Moments of Deliverance, which was heard each Sunday morning at 10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on radio station WPMH-AM 1010. On June 1, 2009 Deliverance Ministries reorganized and was reestablished in Stephens City, VA as the Deliverance Ministries Pentecostal Community Church.