Meet Our Clergy

Fr. Bill Terry

The Very Rev. William “Bill” Terry joined Mount Olivet as Vicar in June 2024. Fr. Terry, a native of New Orleans, has been married to his wife Victoria for over 30 years and is a father of three. He lives in Meraux with his four dogs of all sizes.

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After serving in the United States Navy in the Presidential Honor Guard and Inshore Warfare Group during the Vietnam era, Fr. Terry received an honorable discharge and began his studies at Tulane University, where he received his B.A. After several years as a commercial insurance underwriter, Fr. Terry was called to ministry. He received a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University and was admitted to Sigma Alpha Nu Jesuit Honor Society. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Nashotah House Seminary in Wisconsin in 2003. He is also certified as a "Church Planter" by Denver Seminary and received certification as a Disaster Response Chaplain in 2018.

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Fr. Terry retired as the the Rector of St. Anna’s Episcopal Church in the Treme in 2023 after 20 years. He led the church to establish the community center Dodwell House, with a community investment of over $2,000,000. While at St. Anna's, he received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Jazz Award in 2011, and St. Anna’s was named the Best Community Outreach Church, garnering a Trumpet Award. St. Anna’s also received the Best Community Church Award from The Human Rights Commission.

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Fr. Terry has served on the boards of the New Orleans Musicians Foundation and of Rising Sun LLC, a community mental health organization. He was chaplain of Addiction Recovery Ministries of Louisiana and was a member of the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and the Executive Board of the Diocese. He is a Priest Associate of the Society of Our Lady of Walsingham.

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He has appeared on CNN, NBC, The Los Angeles Times, London Times and many local media stations as an advocate for victims of violence and social justice advocacy.  

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He is assigned as the Episcopal Chaplain for Tulane School of Medicine and is adjunct faculty in the Program in Medical Ethics and Human Values. ​​Currently, Fr. Terry is working with the Urban League in the Cities United initiative, and he is a current member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. 

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