Rich Howell

Rich and his family joined us in December 2020 to serve as pulpit minister.  Rich and Janet are both from Northern California. Rich’s full-time ministry experience includes serving as youth minister, missionary to Argentina, preaching in two multi-cultural congregations in California. Prior to coming to West Olive, Rich served the Lord for fifteen years in Gainesville, Florida.

Rich received his ministerial education from the Bay Area School of Religion and Sunset International Bible Institute. Rich’s emphasis is on “equipping” the saints for ministry and outreach. His areas of involvement include leadership training and mentoring, conducting personal and home Bible studies, visitation, spiritual counseling, Bible camps, Vacation Bible Schools and mission trips to Latin America.

Rich’s wife, Janet, is a faithful servant of Christ, devoted homemaker and skilled Bible class teacher. She has been a catalyst for engaging the women and girls in various church ministries, activities and classes. She graduated from the University of California and from Sunset International Bible Institute.

Rich’s & Janet’s daughter, Katherine, is a University of Florida graduate and an elementary-age school teacher. Their son Jeffrey is a University of Florida graduate and Masters in Ministry graduate from Freed-Hardeman University and is ministering for the Deerfoot church of Christ near Birmingham, Alabama. Both Katherine and Jeffrey are devoted Christians and very involved in the Lord’s work, especially as teachers and mentors to college students and younger adults.

Dorman Diller

The teacher may have wondered what she was getting into when at the age of five I attended my first Bible class. She asked me to draw something on the chalk board for which I was thankful. I drew a shape like a banana with triangles down the top side of it. Adding eyes and a mouth on an oval at the top, stick figure legs and chicken feet, I proudly proclaimed, “I am thankful for the dinosaurs.” Fortunately, the teacher loved me and continued to teach me about God.

While growing up, my mother prayed that I enter ministry. Like Jonah, I tried to run away and spent two years at Garden City Community Junior College majoring in architectural engineering. Knowing ministry was my calling, I quit running and attended Oklahoma Christian. A B.A. in Bible with a minor in Biblical languages was completed followed by an M.A.R. degree in Ministry at Harding Graduate School of Religion.

I served as a minister in Spring Hill, Kansas, Canon City, Colorado, and Pagosa Springs, Colorado and as a youth minister in Hobart and Cordell, Oklahoma. While ministering in the church, I also drove a school bus, served on a public library board, coached high school soccer, and helped build a non-profit soccer club.

Betty, my loving wife and best friend, has been at my side since 1977. She has owned businesses and served the public as county treasurer. She has taught Bible classes to children, served as head cook to provide delicious meals for many camps with which we have worked, organized ladies study days, and is a wonderful mom to our three daughters and several other young ladies who have been in our life. 

We moved to Phoenix in 2020. I worked at Home Depot in the Garden Department for almost five years. In February 2025, I began working part-time with the West Olive church as a youth and family life minister.  It has always been a joy for me to work with youth and I look forward to this new journey in life.

I am most grateful to my Bible class teacher who cared enough about me when I was a boy to love and teach me about God and Jesus. If God can touch me and use the “dinosaur boy” as His servant, there is hope for you, too. Let’s talk.