Author and Guidestone CEO Hawkins to Deliver Chapel Address

O.S. Hawkins, president and CEO of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention as well as a renowned author, will speak at OBU Wednesday, March 11, at 10 a.m. in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium.

GuideStone serves more than 250,000 individual participants from churches, missionary organizations, colleges and universities, hospitals, and other non-profit institutions with their financial and benefit service needs. GuideStone Funds is the largest Christian-based mutual fund in the world with assets over thirteen billion dollars. Prior to the beginning of his tenure at GuideStone in 1997, Hawkins served as senior pastor of the historic First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, from 1993-97 and senior pastor of the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from 1978-93 as well as earlier pastorates at First Baptist Church of Ada, Oklahoma, from 1974-78 and First Baptist Church of Hobart, Oklahoma, from 1972-74.

Hawkins, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Christian University in 1970. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Minister of Divinity, and Luther Rice Seminary, where he earned a Doctor of Ministry. He has also received several honorary doctorate degrees from universities including Dallas Baptist University, Southwest Baptist University and The Criswell College.

Hawkins was named Clergyman of the Year by Religious Heritage of America and during his pastoral days he was elected by his peers as President of the National Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference. He has authored more than 25 books including "The Joshua Code: 52 Scripture Verses Every Believer Should Know," "The Pastor's Guide to Leading and Living" and "The Jesus Code: 52 Scripture Questions Every Believer Should Answer."