Barry Oliver
Barry Oliver, Ph.D., is general secretary of the South Pacific Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Articles by Barry Oliver
The church: What is it? How does it work?
April 2017
While president of the South Pacific Division, I was visiting a church on a Sabbath morning. I thoroughly enjoyed my time of worship, study, and fellowship. We had an excellent Sabbath School lesson. The music was special, and the involvement…
The Great Need For Great Preaching
May 1975
BOTH believers and unbelievers show signs of a need for great biblical preaching. Among believers the need manifests itself in, among other things, the proliferation of home Bible studies and the large sales of religious books. Unbelievers…
Organized for purpose
February 2010
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has seen two major reorganizations. The first occurred from 1860–1863, about 16 years after the disappointment of 1844. In the early 1860s, the fledgling denomination had only 3,500 members scattered in 125…
Serious about secular society?
November 2001
Christian witness is generally having a tough time in the secularized West. While the nations of Europe, North America, and Australasia have a strong heritage of Christian faith, most people in these regions live…
Effective committee meetings: a guide for congregations
December 2006
We have all heard and shared humorous stories and anecdotes about committees. Quips such as “committees keep minutes but waste hours” and “what else can you do but get bored at a board meeting” are well known to most…