Reverend William Lawson celebration of life service at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

HOUSTON - A celebration of life will be held on Thursday in honor of Reverend William Lawson, known as "Houston’s pastor."

The founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church passed away last week at the age of 95.

RELATED: Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church founder Rev. William Lawson dies at 95

On Thursday, Rev. Lawson will lie in state from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the church. A Community Service of Celebration will follow at 6 p.m.

A Congregational Service of Celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Friday.

The Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church was established in the home of Rev. Lawson and his wife, Audrey Hoffman Lawson, in June 1962. He retired in 2004 and was honored as Founding Pastor Emeritus.

"In his nearly 96 years, Reverend Lawson has served as husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, as well as preacher, professor, and civil rights leader. But whatever title you may have used to describe him, it has been said many times that Reverend Bill Lawson was ‘Houston’s Pastor,’" the church wrote last week.