April 10, 2015
OBU will host the 2015 OBU Pastors School July 20-22. The theme for the 2015 school, designed to provide an opportunity of ministry development for Baptist pastors, is "Do the Work of an Evangelist" based on 2 Timothy 4:5.
OBU President Dr. David W. Whitlock shared, "Our aim at Oklahoma Baptist University is to continue the long standing tradition of reaching out to ministers in Oklahoma and beyond."
Whitlock said, "For 14 years, I served as a bi-vocational pastor and know the importance of ongoing preparation for ministry. During those blessed bi-vocational days, I enrolled in courses through OBU and attended pastor schools for encouragement and development as a pastor. Those times of study and growth were extremely helpful. I am convinced that OBU, a distinctively Christian university, is uniquely positioned to reach out to ministers - both full-time and bi-vocational - for theological and ministerial preparation."
The 2015 Pastors School will feature John Meador, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Euless, Texas, and Ken Fentress, senior pastor of Montrose Baptist Church in Rockville, Maryland. Meador will provide teaching, testimony and training through practical and proven principles put into practice in his own congregation. Fentress will expound on the theme with practical teaching, encouragement and application for ministry at any size church.
Meador is a leading voice on the topic of evangelism and has served as senior pastor of First Euless since 2006. He is passionate about the Word of God and committed to teaching it creatively because he loves to watch it transform lives. He believes those armed with the Gospel leave a lasting mark, and he challenges everyone he leads to be a world changer by that standard.
Fentress has served as the senior pastor of Montrose Baptist Church since 2007. He formerly served as dean of intercultural programs and associate professor of Hebrew and Old Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He has also served in several additional pastoral and teaching positions.
The 2015 OBU Pastors School will also feature faculty from the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry as they lead breakout sessions each day. Dr. Stan Norman, Dr. Bobby Kelly, Dr. Tawa Anderson and Dr. Galen Jones will bring their expertise to the theme as they explore additional insights from their fields of study regarding Paul's charge to each of us to do the work of an evangelist.
Anderson joined the OBU faculty in the fall of 2011 after completing his Ph.D. in worldview and apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Before arriving at OBU, he served as a Garrett Fellow at SBTS, guest lecturing in a broad variety of philosophy courses. He also served for seven years as the English pastor of Edmonton Chinese Baptist Church and as part-time Baptist chaplain at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta.
Kelly joined the OBU faculty in 1997. He received OBU's Promising Teacher Award in 2000 and the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011. A native of Kentucky, he earned a bachelor's degree from Clear Creek Baptist College and a Master of Divinity and doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to teaching at OBU, Kelly served five years as a teaching fellow at Southwestern, leading classes in biblical language appreciation, New Testament and preaching. He has served as an interim pastor at several churches across Oklahoma.
Jones has served as adjunct professor at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and Luther Rice University and Seminary in Lithonia, Ga. He served as instructor/lecturer at Beeson Divinity School, Extension Division: Tuscaloosa County Baptist Association, and Christ for the Nations Bible College in Ghana, West Africa.
Norman has served in administrative and teaching roles in higher education for 13 years. Before coming to OBU in 2009, he served as vice president for university relations at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. He previously served on the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for eight years. While on the seminary faculty, he created and directed the Baptist Center for Theology and Ministry, which provided resources and programs to further the integration of theology and ministry. He also served on the research doctorate oversight committee, which administers the NOBTS Ph.D. programs. He completed a bachelor's degree in biblical studies from The Criswell College in 1987, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1990, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from the seminary in 1997.
"Fentress and Meador bring exceptional skill and expertise to the 2015 school in the arena of doing the work of an evangelist," said Dale Griffin, dean of spiritual life.
"Oklahoma Baptist pastors, you will have an unforgettable experience at the OBU Pastors School," said Dr. Mark McClellan, dean of the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry. "You will be taught, enriched and inspired by nationally known preachers and scholars. What a unique opportunity you will have to get to know and share with them personally. This is not a conference. It is a uniquely designed school at one of the finest Christian universities in the country, and it is just for you. Join us."
For more information, contact OBU's Spiritual Life office at (405) 585-5700. The cost for the entire event including housing and meals is only $99.