About Us.

We are a Christ-centered, God-fearing, and Spirit-filled congregation.

Our mission is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with people from all backgrounds and walks of life. With caring and open hearts, we seek to exemplify our love through multiple ministries and worship experiences intentionally designed to reach our diverse, postmodern society.

Oakwood University Church is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a world-wide organization with more than 19 million members in countries around the world.

Seventh-day Adventists accept the Bible as their only creed of faith and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be in harmony with the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

The Oakwood University Church is also home to the weekly international television broadcast, Breath of Life.  To learn more about Breath of Life Television Ministries, please visit breathoflife.tv  

MAKING CHRIST FIRST

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

Here at the Oakwood University church we have something just for you. From our worship experiences to ministry offerings to different events, there is something always planned with you in mind to get you connected with Jesus Christ and connected to a church family. If you are in the Huntsville area we invite you join us. If you are looking for a church, look no further. We look forward to seeing you soon!

PASTORAL STAFF

OUR TEAM

Pastor Debleaire K. Snell

Lead Pastor
Pastor Debleaire K. Snell is currently the Senior Pastor of the Oakwood University Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church on the campus of Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, and the Speaker/Director of the Breath of Life Television Broadcast for the SDA Church in North America.

Pastor Marc Stephen Raphael

Associate Pastor – Children’s Ministry
Marc Stephen Raphael was born in Los Angeles, California. Marc is married to Rhonda, formerly Jones, and they have seven adult children and eight grandchildren. Marc loves to write songs and plays.

Pastor Paul Goodridge

Associate Pastor- General
Was born and raised in London, England. He emigrated to the United States in his late teens and settled in New York City.  There he became involved in music and youth ministry eventually serving as a youth elder.

Pastor Lloyd H. Wilson

Associate Pastor – Visitation & Bereavement
A native of New Haven CT, Pastor Lloyd H. Wilson has served in active ministry for over 50 years. Beyond his primary role as Associate Pastor, Pastor Wilson also has a passion for outreach in the Huntsville community as he is often seen assisting with the “Meals on Wheels” program and actively supporting the area public and private schools.

Pastor Kimberly Mann

Associate Pastor – Youth
Originally hails from the state of Maryland and is the only daughter of Elaine Pearson. Her calling to share the gospel has been evident since her early years when she preached her first sermon at age 9 and began being published at 10 years old.

Pastor Kirk Nugent

Media Pastor
The “Geek Speaker Preacher,” Kirk R. Nugent, uses his expertise in the ever-changing, technological world to empower content entrepreneurs to gain visibility and expanded reach through online video. As an accomplished speaker, content creator, and online video coach, he continues to be the go-to consultant for everyone’s brand needs.

Pastor Chris Dorsey

Associate Pastor
Pastor Steven Christopher Dorsey is a recent graduate of Oakwood University (May 2023) and is employed by the South Central Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist as the Associate Pastor for Oakwood University Church in charge of Evangelism and New members.

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