Garland to Bring Winter Commencement Address

W.C. "Nick" Garland, Jr. will present OBU's Winter Commencement address during the 2 p.m. graduation ceremony on Friday, Dec. 13, in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium.

Garland is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Okla. and active president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). Over the course of his career, Garland has served as pastor for a number of churches in Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.

A 1973 graduate of Florence State University in Florence, Ala., Garland also attended the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity in 1977.

As an active member of the BGCO for many years, Garland has served on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the budget committee, resolutions committee, director of evangelism search committee, and strategic planning committee. He also has served on the Christian life Commission and has preached at several state conferences and Falls Creek.

In addition to his involvement and service for the BGCO, Garland has led a number of mission trips around the world to locations international and domestic including Israel, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Russia, Romania, Alaska, Hawaii, and Nevada.

Garland and his wife, Jenine, have two children, Joshua Ryan and Jodi Kathryn.