In 1888, Reverend Robert Oliver, Methodist minister and philanthropist, purchased a lot in Columbia located at the corner of Taylor and Assembly streets. His dream was to help people experience the power of Christ's love through meeting their physical, relational, and spiritual needs.

In 1890, Oliver launched a printed Methodist periodical, highlighting the work of the ministry and promoting spiritual development. Sadly, after only a few years, Reverend Robert Oliver passed away.

Upon Rev. Oliver's death, leadership at the mission renamed the organization after his namesake. Oliver Gospel is the oldest rescue mission in the southeast and the 6th oldest in the country.

In 1978, Oliver Gospel's Board of Directors hired its first organizational leader, which then led to hiring a full time staff, building repairs, and keeping the doors open to help those who could not help themselves.

Oliver Gospel's first social enterprise opened in 2011. As a solely donation-based business model, the revenue from the Thrift Store goes right back into the mission. It also opened the door to develop more comprehensive career training for the men in our programs. Learn more about the Thrift Store here.

Named after Toby Cassels and built in honor of his life, Toby's Place is Oliver Gospel's transitional program for women and women with children. This addition widens the reach to serve a generally forgotten homeless population: women and children. Learn more about Toby's Place here.

Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Oliver Gospel was able to launch their second social enterprise—a coffee roastery and café. The Roastery serves as another career development opportunity and avenue for our program participants. Located right down from the Men's Center on Taylor Street, it serves as a bridge to the community, as the Roastery's original blends are being served in cafés and churches around Columbia. Learn more about The Roastery here.

To continue expanding our service throughout the Midlands, Oliver Gospel launched the Pre-Program for women and children at Toby's Place. Women and their children are offered a safe place to live for up to 30 days. The heart of Pre-Program is to see women come off the street into a safe environment where they can discover their next best step. Over 50% of Pre-Program guests transition into the long-term Program at Toby’s Place. Learn more about Pre-Program here.

We opened our third social enterprise, The Hope Shop, as a men’s and women’s boutique offering a curated selection of high-end and vintage name brand clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories at a fraction of the retail cost! Like our coffee shop and thrift store, every dollar spent at the Hope Shop fuels the transformational programming for men and women experiencing homelessness. It also will serve as a job training site for our program residents. Learn more about The Hope Shop here.

Today, Oliver Gospel employs over 60 staff members and provides support to thousands of hurting neighbors each year. We provide 250 hearty meals a day to our community, and have the capacity to shelter more than 150 men, women, and children each night across our two ministry centers.

Oliver Gospel continues to fulfill its mission of engaging and transforming lives together through the power of Christ's love. We aim to continue meeting the needs of our community by expanding our capacity to serve more individuals in the Midlands: providing hope, love, and opportunity for all who come through our doors.