About Lois Olena
An ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Lois has a Master of Arts in Jewish Studies from Gratz College in Philadelphia and a D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary of Evangel University (where she also served as Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Jewish Studies and D.Min. Project Coordinator from 2003-2019). From 2011-2016, she served as Executive Director of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, being the first female to hold that post. In 2022, she was elected to serve a four-year term in the presidential track of SPS, serving as 2VP from 2022-2023, First VP and program chair 2023-2024, president from 2024-2025, and immediate past president from 2025-2026.
Lois' interest in Jewish Studies began at the end of her undergraduate work many years ago, when she took a course in Jewish-Christian Relations. "I knew I wanted to go on to do graduate work, but it was only after that class that I really felt directed toward Jewish Studies. So many things about my own spiritual heritage became more clear when understanding Christianity in the historical context of first-century Judaism. Also, having become aware of the terrible legacy of Christian anti-Semitism, I felt responsible to help Christians become increasingly mindful not only of their 'Jewish roots,' but also of Jewish-Christian history in order to take active steps in our day to prevent a repeat of anti-Jewish sentiment and behavior."
In 1989 the late Holocaust Historian Dr. Nora Levin asked Lois to assist Gratz College's Holocaust Oral History Archive in their effort to preserve first-hand oral testimonies from the Holocaust era. Over the next ten years, Lois transcribed over 500 survivor, liberator, and witness interviews, now part of Gratz’ oral history collection in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. (Patience, long load time, large collection.)
Lois’ 2006 doctoral dissertation was on the “New” anti-Semitism: “PENTECOSTALS AND THE NEW ANTI-SEMITISM: WALKING IN THE FRUIT AND FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE SAKE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE.”
A published author on many topics, Lois lives with her husband, Doug, in Missouri, where she serves as a freelance editor/writing consultant/doctoral advisor and serves in her local church’s refugee ministry.
For more information see: lois.olena.com