OBU Students, Faculty to Cover Six Continents This Summer

May 7, 2001

Oklahoma Baptist University students and faculty will work in six continents, 30 countries, and 12 states this summer for ministry and service opportunities, announced Odus Compton, OBU director of religious activities, May 2.

With the theme "Obedience is the objective, suffering is expected, His glory our reward," more than 225 members of the OBU community were commissioned to serve in areas throughout the world during OBU's Summer Service Corps Recognition Chapel program Wednesday morning.

OBU students, faculty and staff will serve in a variety of ministries in North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia.

Fifteen OBU students and two faculty members will teach English at a university in northwest China. This marks OBU's 15th year of participation in the international program.

Many of the students serving in North America will work as counselors at Christian summer youth camps and as church interns.

"We are blessed to be at a place where God continues to raise up people to go to the nations," Compton said as he commissioned the students. "It brings me great joy to have watched your lives. I know because of you, his name is going to be great."

Compton addressed students not being commissioned for summer missions about their responsibility to support their peers through prayer.

"I pray that you will be faithful to intercede upon their behalf that God's glory may be known until the ends of the earth," he said.

The service also featured an audiovisual presentation listing the names of students and the places they will serve this summer.

After the service, students were encouraged to pick up "prayer reminders" from the steps of the stage. These hospital bracelets had the name of one student and where he or she would be ministering this summer, along with a note encouraging the person taking the bracelet to use it as a reminder to pray for the student throughout the summer.