OUR LEADERSHIP

Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen III

Presiding Bishop

Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen III is a globally respected spiritual leader, human rights advocate, and cultural voice for justice, healing, and radical self-acceptance. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, he is the founder and Senior Pastor of The Vision Cathedral of Atlanta, one of the largest Black LGBTQI affirming churches in the United States, leading a multi-campus ministry with locations in Los Angeles, Raleigh, and Nashville. He is also the Presiding Bishop of the United Progressive Pentecostal Church Fellowship, a progressive and inclusive denomination with congregations across the United States.

Under his leadership, The Vision Cathedral has become a hub for faith-based social engagement,

hosting national and local leaders, including the late Congressman John Lewis, to promote voter registration and civic participation, particularly within the LGBTQIA+ community. Bishop Allen’s advocacy bridges faith, public health, and social justice. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and served as an NAACP National Ambassador for HIV/AIDS programs. He created national HIV awareness and prevention initiatives, including Prevention from the Pulpit, equipping pastors and faith leaders with tools to address HIV stigma, education, and testing in their congregations.

As Executive Director of the Vision Community Foundation, Bishop Allen leads programs serving tens of thousands annually through HIV education, food and housing assistance, and community empowerment. For over a decade, he has co-organized Atlanta Black Pride Weekend, hosting more than 40,000 attendees at the Pure Heat Community Festival, a day of entertainment, empowerment, and social justice in Piedmont Park. He is also the founder of iElevate+ TV, a streaming network amplifying Black and LGBTQIA+ voices through films, documentaries, and healing-centered programming.

Bishop Allen’s journey with the Human Rights Campaign began as a student at Morehouse College. Following a violent homophobic attack on a fellow student, he co-founded the first gay student organization in the school’s history. HRC helped the group organize and connected him to the inaugural HBCU Leadership and Capacity-Building Program. Though the college administration rejected their application, the work led to the adoption of a non-discrimination clause protecting sexual orientation, a defining moment in his commitment to inclusive spaces.

His leadership has earned national recognition, including the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award from the Human Rights Campaign, honors from the Georgia House of Representatives, and induction into the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. International Board of Preachers and Scholars at Morehouse College. He has served on the Atlanta Mayor’s LGBTQ Advisory Board, the Atlanta Human Relations Commission, and as Southeast Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee’s LGBT Advisory Board.

Bishop Allen’s work has been featured on BET, CNN, and ABC, and in publications including Ebony, The Economist, and The Georgia Voice.

Bishop Allen is the author of Master Your Emotions and The Success Code. He continues to build bridges between communities and lead transformative movements. He and his husband, Rashad Burgess, live in Atlanta with their two children, Joshua and Caylee.