Thomas to Deliver Founders' Day Address

February 3, 2016

OBU will observe its annual Founders’ Day celebration during chapel services Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 10 a.m. The Founder’s Day event is held annually to commemorate the university’s incorporation in 1910. Founders’ Day is also dedicated to honoring those who have faithfully served as faculty and staff at OBU in the past.

Dr. Heath Thomas, dean of the Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology & Ministry, associate vice president for church relations, and professor of Old Testament will deliver the message for the chapel service. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English literature at OBU, with a minor in Bible. He earned a Master of Arts in theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He then earned a Ph.D. in Old Testament from the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, United Kingdom.

Prior to coming to OBU, he served as associate professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. His research interests lie in biblical lament tradition, the relationship between faith and law, biblical prophecy, and a number of specific research projects.

He is married to Jill, who is a nurse, and together they have four beautiful children: Harrison, Isabelle, Simon and Sophia. He enjoys fly-fishing and reading the prose of Umberto Eco and Paulo Coelho, and recently the works of Chinua Achebe.

Throughout the course of the service, Dr. Lepaine McHenry, dean of the College of Nursing, will read the scripture, and Dr. David Houghton, dean of the Paul Dickinson College of Business, will lead the opening prayer. The service will also feature a performance by the University Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Brent Ballweg, Burton H. Patterson Professor of Music and director of choral activities. Ballweg will likewise lead the singing of the “Hymn to Alma Mater,” and Dale Griffin, dean of Spiritual Life, will close the service in prayer.