Rev. Michael C. Oliver
Rev. Michael "Mike" Oliver is a native Floridian, having been raised in Palatka, located on the St. Johns River in northeast Florida. Rev. Oliver’s home church is Trinity United Methodist Church in Palatka. He received an Associate of Arts degree from St. John’s Community College in Palatka in 1971. Mike was one of the charter graduates of Jacksonville, Florida’s University of North Florida, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education, with a minor in Mathematics in 1974. Mike attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky 1974 – 1975. He transferred to Candler School of Theology, Emory University in the fall of 1975 and received his Master of Divinity degree from there in 1977.

After graduating from Emory, Mike served under Rev. Roy Fiske for one year and the Rev. Dr. Eldon Simmons for three years as associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Seminole from ‘77-’81. He was appointed as senior pastor of Sylvan Abbey United Methodist Church in Clearwater in 1981. Mike was appointed to First United Methodist Church in DeLand in 1985. While at First, DeLand, Rev. Oliver was one of four clergy selected to be a part of the inaugural Marcy Fellows Preaching Program held at Candler School of Theology, under the tutelage of Dr. Fred Craddock. Rev. Oliver was appointed to First United Methodist Church, Titusville in 1992 until he was transferred to First United Methodist Church in Vero Beach in 1995. Six years later, Rev. Oliver was appointed to Mandarin United Methodist Church until he was invited by Bishop Timothy Whitaker to serve as District Superintendent of the Melbourne District in June of 2003 and after the re-districting in 2005, the Atlantic Central District.

Mike’s leadership and involvement beyond the local church includes District Committees on Ministry, elected delegate to two Jurisdictional Conferences, member of the United Methodist Children’s Home Board of Trustees for nine years, and an eight-year member of the Conference Committee on Finance and Administration, serving as President for four years.

Mike is married to Dawn Adams, formerly of Palatka, and they have two children, a son, Rev. Andrew "Andy" Oliver, who is married to the Rev. Emily Davis Oliver, formerly of Jacksonville, and a daughter, Maribeth, who is married Mr. James "Jimmy" Ellis.

Dawn is employed as a Disaster Recovery Representative, serving throughout the Florida Conference. Dawn and Mike share the same birthday, February 22; however Dawn is quick to point out that Mike is five years older. Mike and Dawn also share the same wedding anniversary, but most couples do!

Andy is a University of Florida graduate. Emily graduated from Southern Methodist University. Andy and Emily graduated from Duke Divinity School. Each is serving presently as an associate pastor in the South East District of the Florida Conference.

Maribeth and Jimmy both graduated from Florida State University. Each is presently employed with Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Mike’s hobbies include fishing, golf, woodworking, and people. He has been known to have been seen wearing bright red knickers around the golf course during tournaments (including the Masters at Augusta National) and even at a couple of Charge Conferences. He even donned them at a clergy team meeting held at First UMC, Okeechobee. Would you believe that he wore them to a called Cabinet meeting which was held at the same time he was scheduled to be participating in the School of Ministry Golf Tournament? Oh, for the joy of it all. Thanks be to God!