Originally from Long Island, New York, she was born on April 4, 1958, and raised in West Babylon, which is on the south shore of Long Island. She grew up in the Babylon United Methodist Church and had her call to ministry at the age of 11. She preached her first sermon at 16 and began working as a student pastor when she was 18. She has served parish and campus ministries in rural and urban settings in both New York and California. In 2004, she performed the first legal same-gender marriage held in a United Methodist Church during SF’s “Winter of Love”. She has served as the associate dean of academic affairs at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, where she also taught United Methodist history, doctrine, polity, and evangelism as an adjunct professorfor 12 years. She was the senior pastor of the 12,000 member Glide Memorial UMC for eight years, becoming the first woman to lead one of the UMC's 100 largest membership churches.
Education
Oliveto is a graduate of Pacific School of Religion and Drew University, where she received a Ph.D. in religion and society as well as a BA in psychology and a MPhil. Her PhD dissertation topic was: "Movements of Reform, Movements of Resistance: Homosexuality and The United Methodist Church. A Case Study".
Status as bishop
On April 28, 2017, the United Methodist Church's high court ruled 6-3 that while her lesbian status was in violation of the church's policies governed by the Book of Discipline, she could still retain her position as bishop and the church's Western Jurisdiction would handle the matter. The judicial council also ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to review her nomination, election, or assignment.
Personal life
Married to Robin Ridenour, who is a deaconess in the United Methodist Church. They met when volunteers at a junior high church camp. They began dating in 1999 and were married in 2014.
Ordained ministry
Pastor, Bloomville UMC, Bloomville, New York 1983-1986 Campus Minister Ecumenical House Campus Ministry, San Francisco State, 1989-1992 Pastor Bethany UMC, San Francisco 1992-2004 Associate Dean of Academic Affairs/Director of Contextual Education, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA 2004-2008 Adjunct Professor of United Methodist Studies at Pacific School of Religion, 2004-2016 Adjunct Professor, DMin program at Drew University, teaching "Prophetic Leadership in Congregation and Community" 2012 Adjunct Professor of Practical Theology, Brite Divinity School, teaching "Evangelism in Methodist History and Practice", 2015 Senior pastor. Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco. 2008-2016 Resident bishop of the Mountain Sky Area of The United Methodist Church, 2016–present
