Rev. Dr. Clyde W. Oden, Jr., is Pastor of Bethel Oxnard African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E. Church). Bethel engages the spiritual, social, and health concerns of Ventura County and the greater Southern Los Angeles community. The Church has an active congregation of approximately 150 persons. Bethel Oxnard is a very active Church in the Oxnard and Ventura County communities.
Beyond his church based activities, Dr. Oden was recently awarded the 2015 Trailblazer Award by The Miller-Lawrence Medical and Dental Society for being a pioneer in the medical community and a founder of UHP Healthcare, a pioneering managed care plan that set the template for minority managed care entities in Southern California and the United States. Pastor Oden also serves on the Board of Directors of Community Build, Inc. and he serves as co-chair to several advisory committees at the RAND Corporation, which examines varies health problems and the roles that faith communities can play in reducing health disparities. As a prostate cancer survivor, Dr. Oden vigorously advocates for prostate cancer screening and education.