Stephen Frederick Olford was born in Zambia as the son of Christian missionaries, Frederick and Bessie Olford. He was raised in Angola. He spent his college years in the United Kingdom. A crisis experience, involving a motocycle accident, led to his dramatic call into the ministry. After receiving ministry training, Olford was appointed an Army Scripture Reader during World War II. During the war, he often spoke with urgency to soldiers on matters of faith before they were deployed. He launched a Young Peoples Christian fellowship in Newport, South Wales. After the war, Olford was involved in extensive ministry throughout the U.K. and overseas.

In 1953, Dr. Stephen F. Olford's years of pastoral ministry began by serving the Duke Street Baptist Church in Richmond, Surrey England (1953-1959) and then the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City (1959-1973).Olford systematized his method of expository preaching and formed a curriculum used to train preachers at the Olford Institute for Biblical Preaching in Memphis, Tennessee. Pastors and scholars migrated to the institute for inspiration and instruction that often resulted in upgraded pulpit ministries.

He was married for 56 years to the former Heather Brown. They had two sons, Jonathan and David. Olford received the Doctor of Theology degree from Luther Rice Seminary, in Jacksonville, Florida and honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Wheaton College, Houghton College and Richmond College.