About Our Chairman

Minister and young people's advocate William Owens founded CAAP in 2003.

Reverend William Owens is a native of Memphis, Tennessee where he lives with his wife Deborah, who serves as his operations manager. Rev. Owens is a graduate of Tennessee State University where he received a degree in Education. He taught at elementary schools in Memphis and Nashville. He later moved to Los Angeles to continue his career in education. Soon, however, his relentless drive and entrepreneurial skills led him to leave the classroom and enter the ministry and business fields.

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 in management at a major Chevrolet assembly plant in Van Nuys, California. While in Los Angeles, he pastored a church and worked in the real estate business buying and selling high-end real estate to investors. He was also a founding partner in the Robert Kennedy Hospital in L.A.

After years of chasing success, Reverend Owens decided to go to law school to fulfill a childhood dream. He attended Texas Southern University, but did not complete his degree program. While there he was compelled to follow his “true calling” which is ministry and education.

As a result, 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. The goals of this program were met and Reverend Owens returned to the West Coast.

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 better understand the plight of 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 president and founder of Coalition of African American Pastors an organization (CAAP) whose goal is to promote and support the Christ-centered values. He is currently promoting the Federal Marriage Amendment.  Reverend Owens believes that it is one of the most crucial moral and political issues we are facing and is calling African American pastors around the country to answer the call by supporting this vital amendment.

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 organization. He was instrumental in garnering the black clergy’s support in Southern California for the Proposition 38 – School Voucher Initiative in 2000.

He has been a guest on many national talk shows and most recently was a guest on American Family Radio, Bott Radio Network, Tavis Smiley and Michael Reagan Talk Show. He is featured in the October 2004 Citizen Magazine published by Focus on the Family.  In addition he has been featured in the Agape Press, Jonesboro Sun, Tupelo's Daily Journal and the Whitehaven Appeal section of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

If you would like to discuss his availability for speaking engagements, please email him at william.owens@caapusa.org. His mailing address is P.O. Box 40949, Memphis, TN 38174.  Visit us on the web at http://www.caapusa.org/.