Pastor Winston Williams was supposed to go home to Trinidad to see his family for the holidays but instead he will spend Christmas in Selma doing what he felt called to do, helping others.

Williams, who pastors Water Avenue Baptist Church, is good friends with Cornerstone Presbyterian Church pastor Steve Burton.

The two have developed a close friendship, and their churches are coming together to help feed people in the community.

“They wanted to do it, and we were so glad that they did,” Williams said. “It’s a privilege for me to just serve. “It’s an effort that I’m proud of.”

Williams said the idea to have a Christmas dinner started with a Thanksgiving dinner.

“On Thanksgiving, I was going out of town, and I met some kids and they didn’t have anything to eat,” he said. “So I cancelled my trip and I called around, and Steve said don’t worry, I’ll be there. That was Tuesday evening, so by Thursday they all came and we fed about 150 persons.”

Burton said he briefly mentioned the Thanksgiving meal to his church during a sermon, and from there idea for a Christmas dinner was born.

“We’ve got just gobs of food and an incredible amount of volunteers,” Burton said. “Our congregation wanted to celebrate Christmas doing this.”

Burton said they will provide ham, turkey, dressing and the whole nine yards.

“We’re even going to have some arts and crafts for children there,” Burton said. “It’s special to us. This is what we’re made for. We’re not made to be selfish and self-centered.”

Williams said he doesn’t want the dinner to just be a dinner but a fun experience that people can enjoy like the Thanksgiving dinner.

“We encouraged the people who came in from the church to feed, and we encouraged them to fellowship, so it wasn’t like a food line,” Williams said. “They came, they ate and they fellowshipped.”

Burton said his relationship with Williams has really helped show what can be done in the community when people come together.

“This is what the community needs to see,” Burton said. “We may sing different songs. We may wear different clothes to church. We may have different traditions, but we really do have one Lord and one faith. These Christian churches coming together, I think, is a great testimony to the power of the gospel.”

The meal is for anyone on Christmas day and will be held at Water Avenue Baptist Church, which is located at 3100 Water Ave. It is at 10 a.m.