NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD
20904-6600 U.S.A.

Telephone: (301) 680-6461

WILLIE OLIVER
Director, Department of Family Ministries

Willie Oliver is married to the former Elaine Powell of Clinton, Massachusetts, who has made a career in Higher Education. Most recently, Elaine has been conducting marriage conferences and retreats with Willie, as well as co-authoring Message Magazine's relationships column, "Let's Talk." Elaine and Willie have a daughter, Jessica Danielle, and a son, Julian Thomas. A fourth generation Seventh-day Adventist and a second generation Seventh-day Adventist minister, Willie who was born on October 3, 1958, in a British Colony, now an independent nation called Belize, when his parents were missionaries there. He has lived in seven different countries for at least a year, spending many of his growing-up years in Central America. He is fluent in Spanish.

An American citizen, Willie considers himself a New Yorker, having lived in the New York City area longer than anywhere else. He has visited 30 countries and has shared God's word in about 20 of these. He enjoys bike-riding, roller blading, playing catch and basketball with Jessica and Julian, as well as reading, skiing, snorkeling, visiting museums, art galleries, and walking on the beach with Elaine. Baptized when he was only eight years old, Willie has always loved the Lord and has never questioned the decision he made at that early age.

Willie received a B.A. in Theology with a minor in History from West Indies College (now Northern Caribbean University) in Mandeville, Jamaica. He has earned Masters degrees in Pastoral Counseling (Andrews University) and Sociology (Columbia University, New York City). He has also completed course work for the Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University.

An ordained minister of the Seventh-day Adventist church, Oliver has served as Youth and Family Ministries director for the Atlantic Union Conference, Youth and Family Ministries director for the Greater New York Conference, senior pastor/evangelist and youth pastor in New York City. His major interests include helping to strengthen marriages—including his own to Elaine; nurturing a relationship with his children; families and social stratification; making a difference in the lives of people every day, in addition to learning how to slow down and not sweat the small stuff with his family.

Last updated: June 2000