[2][3] He served as secretary general of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West Africa (AECAWA).
[3] William Amove Avenya was born on 21 June 1955 in Ishangev Tiev, Konshisha Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria.
He attended Mount Saint Gabriel's Secondary School in Makurdi and completed ecclesiastical studies at St Augustine's Major Seminary Jos (1975–1981).
[4] He was appointed bishop of the diocese of Gboko on 29 December 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI and installed on 24 February 2013.
[4] On 17 February 2020, after the death of Peter Iorzuul Adoboh, the bishop of the diocese of Katsina-Ala, Avenya was appointed apostolic administrator of Katsina-Ala.[5] He served in that role until a new bishop, appointed by Pope Francis,[6] was installed in July 2022.