About Our President and Founder
Ministry leader and young people's advocate William Owens founded CAAP in 2003.
Reverend William (Bill) Owens is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. Rev. Owens is a graduate of Tennessee State University where he received a degree in Education. After teaching at elementary schools in Memphis and Nashville, he then moved to Los Angeles to continue his career in education. Soon, however, his relentless drive and entrepreneurial skills led him to leave the classroom behind and enter the ministryand business fields. However, he never abandoned hiscommitment to education and the need to foster achievement in our children.
Reverend Owens has always been a pioneer. He was the first African American to own a used car dealership in Memphis and later the first Black man to have a management position at a major Chevrolet assembly plant in Van Nuys, California. While in Los Angeles, he was the pastor of a local church and worked in the real estate business, buying and selling high-end real estate to investors. He was also a founding partner inthe Robert Kennedy Hospital in L.A.
On being called to the ministry, he entered Oral Roberts University (ORU) to study theology and counseling. It was at ORU that he began a nonprofit organization to help African American students gain entrance to ORU. Because of his commitment to helping young people, he was responsible for increasing the African American enrollment from 5 percent to 22.5 percent in four years. In addition, he raised more than two million dollars in scholarships for deserving inner city students. Having achieved these initial goals, Reverend Owens returned to the West Coast to continue his work there.
In 2001, Reverend Owens decided that he wanted to return to his roots and give back to the community where he grew up. In an effort to understand the problems inherent in the educational system, he returned to college to earn a Master of Education degree. He received his degree from Christian Brothers University on May 14, 2004 and is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education.
He is the President and Founder of the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP), an organization dedicated to promoting and supporting Christ-centered values. CAAP first gained notoriety as the black pastors group that was willing to call out then-President Obama for betraying the black community on the issue of same-sex marriage. Rev. Owens is known for taking unpopular stands, no matter the consequences.
Reverend Owens travels extensively speaking about his core values: choices in education, the sanctity of life, the protection of marriage, and the free expression of faith. He also serves as a consultant to many political campaigns, candidates and organizations.
He is married to Dr. Deborah De Sousa Owens who heads CAAP’s education department and CAAP’s Women’s Ministry. Rev. Owens has eight children and thirteen grandchildren.
Rev. Owens has been a guest on many national talk shows, including Fox’s Megyn Kelly, Neil Cavuto, Lou Dobbs, and CNN’s Carol Costello. In addition, he has been featured in numerous local and national publications. Below, please find just a few of the print and television stories that feature Rev. Owens.
Rev. Owens in the News
Fox News: The Fox Report with Harris Faulkner – Rev. Owens to African American leaders, Give Trump a chance: http://video.foxnews.com/v/5283286180001/?#sp=show-clips
Drudge Report: Black pastors group launches anti-Obama campaign around gay marriage...
Huffington Post: NAACP Gay Marriage Position Draws Protest From Black Clergy Group
Fox News: African-American Reverend To Megyn Kelly: Obama Is Taking Black Vote For Granted
C-Span: Press Conference in opposition to same-sex marriage
Christian Post: Black Pastors Coalition: 'We're Going to Keep the Heat on Obama'
Daily Caller: Pastor: Black Christians should ‘withhold support’ for Obama over gay marriage
Washington Examiner: Black pastors target Obama
U.S. News: Black Pastors Reject Obama Over Gay Marriage Support
If you would like to discuss Rev. Owens availability for speaking engagements, please send your inquiry to info@caapusa.org. His mailing address is 2654 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy, Suite B5-139, Henderson, NV 89052. Visit us on the web at http://www.caapusa.org/.
