Min. Lorene Williams

Minister Lorene Williams, 73, of Lawrenceville, NJ died September 25, 2025. Funeral services were held Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Shiloh Baptist Church, 340 Calhoun Street, Trenton, NJ. The Life and Legacy of Minister Lorene Williams-Burnett A Life of Love, Service, and Unshakable Faith Minister Lorene Williams-Burnett, was born June 16, 1952, in Sardis, (Burke County) Georgia to the late Rev. Isaiah and Ella Williams. In her youth, she joined and was baptized at First McCannon Missionary Baptist Church of Girard, Georgia, where she was a devoted member until relocating to New Jersey in 1970. A longtime resident of Lawrenceville, she carried both the strength of her Southern roots and the gentleness of a servant’s heart wherever she went. Educated in the Mill Haven (Burke County) school system, she graduated from Blakely High School, Class of 1970, in Waynesboro, Georgia. After high school, Minister Williams married Harold Ellison, and from their union, they had three beautiful daughters. In 2016, she married her loving and devoted husband, Benjamin Burnett. Beyond being the proud mother of three beloved daughters, she was also a mother to three devoted sons-in-law and the cherished grandmother—affectionately called “Mom-Mom”—of six precious grandchildren. Her family was the light of her life, and through them, her legacy of love continues to shine. Minister Williams-Burnett dedicated 37 years of service to the City of Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services, helping to shape programs that uplifted countless residents. Her servant leadership also extended to organizations such as HomeFront, Shiloh Baptist Church’s Community Development Corporation, the Good News Home for Women, and the Bo-Robinson Prison Ministry in Trenton, New Jersey. At the age of 65, she began her journey to earn both a Bachelor and Master of Divinity from Palmer Theological Seminary at Eastern University, where she also graduated from the Priscilla Institute of Pastoral Studies. Her pursuit of theological education was more than academic—it was a divine calling. Every lesson she learned was poured back into the lives of others through preaching, teaching, counseling, and tireless service. She received her ministry license in 2014 and faithfully served for more than 15 years as an Associate Minister at Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, NJ. There, she directed the Missions and Evangelistic Ministry, touching lives through domestic outreach, prison ministry, and foreign missions. Her heart reached those too often forgotten—the imprisoned, the abused, the broken, and the distant—reminding them that they were never beyond God’s grace. Since 2022, Minister Williams-Burnett was a devoted member of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ. She joyfully embraced her new church home, cherishing the friendships she formed and often speaking with gratitude about the fellowship that brought her great joy. She loved her Beloved Community Bible Study Class, where she served as assistant teacher under the leadership of Rev. Diane Holloway. She was also active in the Pastoral Care Ministry and Clergy Life. In addition to her ministry, Minister Williams-Burnett completed seven units of Clinical Pastoral Education and pursued a Clinical Chaplain Certificate. She provided pastoral care and comfort to patients and families at Capital Health Medical Center—both the Hopewell and Trenton campuses—and at the Trenton Trauma Health facility. Her leadership extended beyond the church and workplace. She served on the boards of Younity (formerly Women’s Space), Ecclesia T.E.A.M., the Middlesex Central Baptist Ministers Association, the American Baptist Churches of America, and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. In 2010, she traveled to Haiti as a delegate with the Haiti Task Force and found herself there during the devastating earthquake. Even amid the chaos, she offered comfort, care, and the steadfast presence of God’s people to a suffering nation. Minister Williams-Burnett also held affiliations with organizations dedicated to justice and equity, including the NAACP, the National Political Congress of Black Women, the New Jersey Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, and Church Women United of New Jersey. Through these roles, she remained a steadfast advocate for women, children, and families—offering both strength and compassion in equal measure. Affectionately known as “Chaplain Lorene,” she was a woman whose life overflowed with love, compassion, and unwavering devotion to God and her community. On Thursday, September 25, 2025, after a courageous and graceful battle with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cancer, a rare form of the disease, Minister Williams-Burnett peacefully transitioned at home, surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, the late Rev. Isaiah and Ella Williams, and her siblings: James Williams, Johnnie Mae Cohens, Lula Bell Perry, Steiner Williams, Isaiah Williams Jr., Mary Bell Ingram, and Willie Mae Betts. To cherish her memory, she leaves her loving husband, Benjamin Burnett; three daughters, LaTaushia Brown (Christopher), Tymia Ellison (Dwayne), and Ka’Neda Bullock (Eric); six grandchildren, Nia Driver, Imani Driver, Kenneth Miller Jr., Mekhi Bonner, Bella Bullock, and Madison Bullock; three stepchildren, Travis Burnett (Aneesah), Tynisha Burnett-Sylla (Amara), and Erica Burnett (Joseph); six step-grandchildren, In’Dea Burnett, Khamanii Smith, Kaniyah Sylla, Ayden Preval, Keegan Burnett, and Adrian Preval; her sister, Dorothy Williams-White (the late James White); the Golden Girls, her godchildren, beloved “adopted” sons and daughters, and a host of nieces, nephews, family members, and friends. Minister Williams-Burnett lived by the words of John 13:34: “Love one another.” For her, love was not merely a feeling—it was an action. It was seen in every prayer whispered, every hand held, and every heart uplifted. She often said, “If I can help somebody along the way, then my life will not be in vain.” And indeed, her living was never in vain. Minister Lorene Williams-Burnett was a vessel of the Lord—poured out in service, filled with grace. Though she may no longer walk among us, the imprint of her kindness, wisdom, and faith will forever live on in the countless lives she touched.

Min. Lorene Williams

June 16, 1952 - September 25, 2025