As a county judge, Bill Gravell has served the people of Williamson County for nearly a decade. Before this position, however, Bill found himself with a similar calling with the idea of helping others, albeit outside of government. As a preacher, Judge Gravell spent a lot of time listening to people’s problems and giving advice. When reflecting on how his community helped shape who he is today, Bill Gravell emphasizes the importance of giving back. Whether in the government sector or private, it is essential that he helps make his community secure and a pleasant place to live, in addition to paying it forward the way he was helped as a teen.
Bill Gravell grew up in Round Rock, Texas, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the neighboring University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton. Bill came to faith in Christ after graduation via a friendship in a drug recovery program. Bill discovered two things: he had a vocation to guide people, and it was possible to create meaningful connections outside churches that carried over into religious institutions. Judge Gravell was the pastor of Sonterra Fellowship in the nearby town of Jarrell for almost twenty years. He led a relationship-forward congregation, welcoming the value of connections with individuals outside of the church and in the community.
He routinely kept a large rock on a table beside him each Sunday to remind the congregation that we don’t throw rocks at people who are different. Bill Gravell also spent decades serving as a youth minister. A charismatic public speaker, he traveled through 46 states and a dozen countries, primarily through youth evangelism venues. During this time, Bill touched the lives of over two million people. In 2006, he began looking for places to start his own church and settled in Jarrell.
The church members in Bill’s community are also mentors who volunteer in schools, civic groups, and associations like the Lions Club. Bill Gravell himself still makes time to serve on the Jarrell Road and Bridge Committee and the School Bond Advisory Committee. In his limited spare time, Bill mentors young students in primary schools and serves as the Sonterra Home Owners Association President.
When he went to the government side of helping people, as a Justice of the Peace, he established a mentorship program for children who had been afoul of the law.
To learn more about Bill Gravell, visit his other website at billgravell.net.