Connections

Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders in the South Pacific nominated former staff member of Avondale College, Barry Oliver to serve as president of the church's South Pacific Division, filling a vacancy left by current president Laurie Evans, who announced his retirement on November 13.

The nomination will be recommended to the world church's Executive Committee, which elects division presidents.

Oliver, who currently serves as the region's general secretary, would assume his new role in January if elected.

Dr Oliver has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific as a minister, evangelist, lecturer and administrator. He is married to Julie, a teacher, and has three sons. He began serving as the church's general secretary in 1997.

Dr Oliver grew up as an Adventist in Goulburn, New South Wales. He attended Avondale College, the church's Cooranbong, New South Wales-based tertiary institution, completing a Bachelor's degree in theology. In 1973, the Olivers accepted a call to minister in southern Queensland. They cared for churches in Maryborough and Hervey Bay, in southern Brisbane and on the Darling Downs over the next five years. Dr Oliver became an ordained minister in 1976.

The church called Dr Oliver to serve as district supervisor, evangelist and university chaplain for the Port Moresby district of Papua New Guinea at the end of 1978. He transferred to Rabaul as president of the church's New Britain New Ireland Mission after one year. Dr Oliver joined the Faculty of Theology at Avondale five years later and completed his Master's in religion.

Dr Oliver and his family moved to Andrews University in Michigan, USA, at the end of 1985. Here he completed his doctorate in Christian ministry and mission with a focus on Adventist organisational structure. Dr Oliver then returned to Avondale for nine years. He developed a field-based training program integrating theory with practice and pioneered evangelistic training that helped students prepare hundreds of people for baptism.

Dr Oliver received the call to serve as general secretary in 1997. He has helped introduce reforms that have reduced administrative positions, releasing financial and human resources to better fulfil the mission of the church. He has also helped with a legal restructure of church entities including the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Avondale and Sydney Adventist Hospital.

Dr Oliver continues to research. He has almost 100 publications in print.

Dr Oliver's personal vision for the church is that every member will know, experience and share their hope in Jesus Christ.