The Rev. William C. Bennett was a native of Columbus, GA, and a graduate of Emory University with an A.B. degree. He received his B.D. degree at the Union Theological Seminary and received the Walter W. Moore Fellowship to Princeton Seminary where he received his Master of Theology degree. He completed residence for the doctor’s degree in theology at the Richmond Institution. The Rev. William C. Bennett served with the Tabb Street Presbyterian Church of Petersburg, VA and was assistant pastor of the St. Andrew’s Covenant Church of Wilmington, prior to accepting his call to Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church (TAPC) which was extended December 1948. He occupied TAP pulpit every other Sunday through April 1949 when he assumed regular duties and was formally installed May 1, 1949. During his tenure he and his mother, Mrs. Louise Bennett, resided in the church manse, 1012 Green Street.

Rev. Bennett took nine weeks off in the summer of 1950 for one week vacation and eight weeks graduate study to complete his Doctorate in Theology. He officially received that degree in 1954 successfully defending his thesis: Biblical Doctrine of the Church.

Rev. Bennett’s is the church’s youngest minister and longest serving minister—having started at age 25 and growing to maturity with the church. He was known as a talented preacher and many of his sermons have been preserved in the archives. He was active in the city’s civic organizations, often called on as a speaker. He contributed to the Boy Scout program by teaching a class for scouts to earn their God and Country badge. He is credited with starting the church’s pre-school program, with the building of the first education wing in 1950 and seeing the church through a significant fire in that wing in 1966. When a second education wing was constructed in 2004. It was named in honor of Rev. Bennett, The William C. Bennett Fellowship Center.