Profile In Excellence: Ron Fannin

Ron Fannin is a 2013 recipient of the OBU Alumni Association's Profile In Excellence Award. The award is given to a former student who has "demonstrated recognizable accomplishment in his or her profession, business, avocation, or life service in such a way as to bring pride and honor to the University." Each year, Profile In Excellence recipients are selected, and each is featured in an article in OBU Magazine.

Many young men grow up admiring sports stars, famous musicians or fictitious superheroes from comic books. For Ron Fannin, his heroes consisted of part-time ministers of music who visited his home church on weekends in Chandler, Okla.

At the age of 16, Fannin committed his life to special service in God's work, following in the footsteps of his heroes. After attending junior college at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Okla., Fannin and his wife (then, fiancée), Jamie, pursued degrees at OBU. Fannin said he knew a church music degree from OBU would equip him the best to serve in a church.

"The standard of excellence was set high, the competition was as strong as I had ever been around, and my professors were mentors whom I admired," Fannin said.

Both Ron and Jamie graduated from OBU in December 1970. While at OBU, Fannin served as minister of music for First Baptist Church, Drumright, Okla. Upon graduation, he continued to serve as a full-time minister for churches in Oklahoma, including Knob Hill Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, and Central Baptist Church, Lawton.

In 1988, the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma asked Fannin to join them as vice president for church building loan services. Fannin assumed his current position of senior associate executive director for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma in 2000. Throughout his tenure in both positions, Fannin has served churches in interim music positions.

He currently serves as interim music minister for First Baptist Church, Minco, Okla. He has also enjoyed membership in the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma (SCM) since 1971.

He has invested 45 years of his life in ministry, and will retire from the BGCO in July 2014. His call to ministry has taken on many different roles in his lifetime, but Fannin said those responsibilities always involve working with people, taking care of large amounts of money for Kingdom causes, and striving to be a blessing to others.

"I have always been a self-starter and enjoy the challenges of week-by-week ministry with people," Fannin said. "People make my world, and God's plan has unfolded through various calls on my life."

Keith Butler, music minister for Canadian Valley Baptist Church and fellow SCM member, said Fannin is a friend and confidant to many of the ministers in Oklahoma, and has the ability to relate to anyone.

"He is a Godly man, has a love for all people, and ministers to each one of them in an effective manner," Butler said.

In Fannin's spare time, he enjoys helping others buy vehicles so they don't "dread the process." He and his wife have three married children and 10 grandchildren.

View a list of others who have received the Profile in Excellence award.