Eleven months ago, an unlikely man stepped in to fill the shoes of interim lead pastor for one of the largest churches in Jackson, Tennessee: Englewood Baptist Church. It seemed unlikely because this man already runs one of the South’s most prestigious colleges with over 3,000 students under his leadership. Dr. Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, president of Union University, recently finished his time as the interim lead pastor for Englewood and returned to the congregation as a faithful church member.
Carrying the roles of both university president and church pastor had its challenges, yet it was a sacrifice of time that Oliver was willing to make. Oliver acknowledged that the main difference between the two roles was his audience.
“At Union, I am used to speaking to 18- to 22-year-old millennials, while at Englewood, I dealt more with more diversity such as middle-aged and elderly adults,” he said.
When asked about how his time as Englewood’s interim impacted his life, Oliver was humbled.
“More than anything else, I have learned how to love people more,” he said.
Oliver felt his time pastoring other churches in the past gave him the experience he needed to step in at Englewood when they needed him most. Already knowing people in the church as a member himself made it easier for him to speak in front of them as a pastor.
Church members have certainly felt the impact of Oliver’s time as interim.
“Dr. Dub coming in on such short notice and making the commitment and sacrifice to invest in the church when we needed him most inspired me both as a student and a church member,” said Nick Taylor, junior business major and lifetime member of Englewood Baptist Church.
As Oliver steps away from the pulpit and back into the pew on Sunday mornings, he knows he will miss his time as pastor but feels it ended at just the right time. Oliver calls it a “sweet season” in a place he considers home.
Photo courtesy of Emily Traylor
