William McCoy

Dr. William C. McCoy is the pastor and founder of Tigers In The Word Ministries on the campus of Clemson University; a Bible study group that meets weekly throughout the academic year. Dr. McCoy also serves in several other capacities on the campus, including Director of the Rutland Institute for Ethics and visiting faculty in the College of Education. Dr. McCoy’s ecumenical work in the Church of God in Christ has been broad and expansive over the years, and he has held many positions in many areas of ministry. He credits his former pastor and mentor – Superintendent Ellis Jones of Rockford, Illinois – with providing him with a firm foundation of holiness and sanctification. At the local level, he served as an usher, choir member, junior deacon, choir director, minister, and eventually an ordained elder. At the district level, Dr. McCoy served as a Sunday School Superintendent, district AIM coordinator, and assistant district superintendent. At the jurisdictional level, he served as regional music coordinator and jurisdictional Sunday School Superintendent. At the national/international level, Dr. McCoy has worked directly with the president of the International Sunday School Department and continues to write Sunday School literature for the department and denomination. Dr. McCoy is a spiritual builder by nature, as evidenced by planting two churches in the Rockford, Illinois area within the span of five years. While his former pastor served as great inspiration in pursuit of higher education in Theology, Dr. McCoy unabashedly credits his mother – Derotha Evans - with providing him the mindset of pursuing higher education in the secular world. This pursuit included the attainment of his Bachelor Degree in English from Northern Illinois University; a Master Degree in Continuing & Vocational Education from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. These degrees have allowed Dr. McCoy to serve in various leadership roles in corporate, non-profit, and academic settings. Dr. McCoy enjoys the presence of the Holy Ghost, while teaching from an “old school” perspective. He believes in the famous words of Bishop L.H. Ford – “My job is bigger than the president of the United States [because] I’m a gospel preacher!”

My Life

Favorite Quote

Remember: going there can't tell been there how to get there!

Friends describe me

Brutally honest, but loving and kind

My hobbies

Traveling and watching movies

Fantasy dinner guests

President and Mrs. Obama

Best advice I ever received

A closed mouth doesn't get fed, and a closed book doesn't get read

My undergrad alma mater

Northern Illinois University

My worst subject in school

Math

In college I drove

Pontiac Sunbird

If I weren't a professor, I would

Be a preacher (which I already am)

Favorite books

Bible, Shel Silverstein, Erma Bombeck, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

Favorite movies

Avengers (all of them); Star Trek II - Wrath of Khan; Harry Potter (all of them)

Favorite city

Madison, Wisconsin

Favorite coffee

Decaf (French Vanilla or Hazelnut)

Nobody knows I

Used to play soccer in my youth

My latest accomplishment

Chosen as a Fulbright Specialist; planning travel to Belgrade to help the university establish an ethics program.

Current Research

Ethics and Diversity in Higher Education