<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=43B8uX_1Grsrz5Z00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=43B8uX_1Grsrz5Z00" width="1032" height="688" ><figcaption>First Baptist Church in Caroline County installed the Rev. Samuel Oliver as senior pastor during a ceremony last month. (Photo courtesy of Saundra Oliver)</figcaption></figure>The Rev. Samuel Oliver Jr. spoke to many friends and mentors in ministry when he was a candidate to become the next pastor of First Baptist Church in the Woodford area of Caroline County.The 134-year-old First Baptist Church had been without a senior pastor since the Rev. Carl Bentley retired in 2021 and was named pastor emeritus.Guest speakers mostly filled the pulpit, except for about a year and a half when the Rev. Morris Oliver served as interim pastor.Samuel Oliver listened to many advisors who cautioned him about stepping into a vacancy that had been unfilled for five years. He didn’t know what to expect when First Baptist informed him that its membership had voted him in as senior pastor.“That was one of the amazing things to me about First Baptist,” Samuel Oliver said. “For a church to have been without a full-time pastor for five years, there is a tendency to expect that maybe something’s wrong there within the church, or there is no structure in place. None of that was true. That was so completely false … I walked into a fully functioning church with structure in place and spirit-led leadership.”Samuel Oliver is now an integral part of that leadership team. He was officially installed as First Baptist’s 14th pastor during a jam-packed ceremony on Oct. 11 at the Bowling Green Town Hall. Friends, family, and colleagues in ministry feted Oliver, the Air Force veteran and former executive minister at Mount Hope Baptist in Spotsylvania County.The Rev. Raymond Bell, senior pastor of Mount Hope and a member of the Spotsylvania Planning Commission, said Oliver’s presence will benefit First Baptist and the Caroline community.“I’m here to tell the pastors of Caroline County, you’ve got a jewel,” Bell said. “You’ve got somebody who is not big-headed. You’ve got someone who is very sincere. You’ve got someone who is always about ministry and wants to give back to other pastors.”Oliver has served in ministry for the past 15 years. At Mount Hope, under Bell’s leadership, he provided strategic oversight for church operations, including finance, personnel, ministry development, outreach, and congregational care. He developed and implemented initiatives that contributed to church growth, expanded community partnerships, and increased congregational engagement. Oliver holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from South Carolina State University, a master’s in information technology management from Purdue University, a master’s in theology from Liberty University, and a doctorate in ministry with a concentration in community advocacy and social justice from Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is also a graduate of the Joint Military Intelligence College.Bell said that more than Oliver’s educational background, his authenticity will make him successful in his initial role as pastor.“First Baptist, Pastor Oliver, don’t you dare try to be any other church, but who you are,” Bell said. “Because God has a call on your life that is rich and gracious. And God has a call on your life that is real.”The First Baptist Pastoral Search Committee posted a letter in the booklet celebrating Oliver’s installation stating that the five years without a full-time senior pastor were “a season of prayer, patience, and faithful searching.”Bentley served as pastor for 35 years before his retirement. Oliver’s installation, the committee noted, is “the beginning of a new season of ministry, fellowship, and spiritual growth” that it prays will strengthen the members’ faith and unite the congregation.“We’ve been without a pastor for five years, so we’ve got a lot to say,” said Lisa Rehman, who chaired the search committee. “Dr. Oliver, we welcome you. Not simply as our pastor, but as our brother in Christ, our spiritual leader, and a fellow servant in the work of God’s kingdom. We look forward to working and walking alongside you as we grow in faith, strengthen our fellowship, and advance the Kingdom of God together.”With the installation process complete, Oliver said he’s now ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work. However, he won’t be making any drastic changes right away. He’s informed the church of its three pillars under his leadership — knowledge of God, knowledge of self, and service to others — but he wants to learn more about the flock before implementing major changes.“I didn’t walk through the door assuming that I have all the answers,” Oliver said. “I’m going to take six months, if not a year, to observe and then we will jointly build our vision together for where we need to go. For the most part, we’ve stuck to that.”Although Oliver lives in Spotsylvania, with approximately 160,000 people, he grew up in a small town in South Carolina, so the rural nature of Caroline feels familiar to him. First Baptist is located on Guinea Station Road near the Stonewall Jackson Death Site, but not directly off a major highway. That’s why Oliver said it’s imperative for the church to build a social media presence and to be aware of any “blind spots” that could make it seem unwelcoming to potential new members. Oliver was impressed with the way the church held things together in its time without a pastor, noting that members who are former educators and financial professionals kept the church operating seamlessly.After his first time preaching there, it felt like home.“I remember later on that evening, talking about the day’s experience with my wife [Saundra], and she said it was the first time we’d ever gone to any of these churches where I was [a pastoral candidate] and it felt like home. She said, ‘That felt like home,’” Oliver recalled. “It turned out to be prophetic because that’s where we ended up … A connection was felt on both sides.”</div></body>

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The Rev. Samuel Oliver Jr. spoke to many friends and mentors in ministry when he was a candidate to become the next pastor of First Baptist Church in the Woodford area of Caroline County. The 134-year-old First Baptist Church had been without a senior pastor since the Rev. Carl Bentley...

Oliver worth the wait for Caroline congregation

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The Rev. Samuel Oliver Jr. spoke to many friends and mentors in ministry when he was a candidate to become the next pastor of First Baptist Church in the W

Oliver worth the wait for Caroline congregation

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