Pastor Brian D. Clater is a native of Guthrie, OK and a second-generation gospel preacher following his father, the late

Rev. B. Daniel Clater of Dallas, TX. As a young boy, Brian accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and was baptized at the Second Baptist Church in Columbia, MO where his father served as pastor for over seven years. It was at Second Baptist that Brian developed his spiritual roots by actively participating in youth ministries and by accompanying his father on many youth revivals across the state and annual trips to the National Baptist Conventions.

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In 1990, Brian and his wife and family moved to San Diego, CA and united with the Bayview Baptist Church under the late Dr. Timothy J. Winters. It was here that Brian accepted his call to the gospel ministry and was licensed to preach in 1996 and then ordained in 2007. While at Bayview, Rev. Clater served as a full-time staff minister for over 14 years.

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In October 2007, Pastor Clater was called to be the fifth pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church (San Diego, CA). The love between pastor and pew at Mount Olive is infectious and continues to grow honestly. When Pastor Clater came to Mount Olive, the congregation responded enthusiastically to his straight-forward gospel messages and powerful preaching style. Pastor Clater encourages the members to walk by faith and God has blessed Mount Olive with over 120 baptisms since he has assumed the pastorate five years ago. Existing ministries were revamped and new member classes were added to teach new believers the Word of God.

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In December 2019, Pastor Clater decided to retire from the pastorate at Mount Olive. He leaves behind a congregation that loves the Lord and that has learned to walk by faith and not by sight. Pastor Clater has prayed for his successor; someone who is a servant leader, humble, yet bold in the faith; a man of vision, yet, one who listens to the voice of God. Pastor Antonio Johnson is that leader that God has sent to take Mount Olive higher and deeper in their faith walk with the Lord.

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You can still watch Pastor Clater proclaim the Word of God every Saturday morning at 10 am on Cox Communications’ public access on Channel 24 and Time -Warner Cable on Channel 19 throughout San Diego County.

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Pastor Clater was a graduate of Drew University (Madison, NJ) and has earned post-graduate degrees at Howard University (Washington, DC) and Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA). Pastor and his wife (Dorothy) now reside in San Jose, Costa Rica. Dorothy is the former Secretary of the Pastors Wives Fellowship Council of the San Diego Southern Baptist Association (SDSBA).

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Pastor and Sis. Clater have two adult daughters both of whom reside in the Princeton, NJ area.