Taylor Addresses OBU Community, Faculty Installed to Academic Positions During Convocation Aug. 28

August 28, 2019

Dr. Pat Taylor, OBU interim president, delivered the 2019 Convocation address Wednesday, Aug. 28, in Raley Chapel's Potter Auditorium on the OBU campus in Shawnee. In his address, he challenged everyone on campus to embody OBU’s mission statement.

“Students, as we begin this new academic year, I challenge you to pursue academic excellence and to practice good scholarship,” Taylor said. “OBU has an outstanding faculty and they will challenge you in ways that you cannot yet imagine. Our goal for you is to grow intellectually, socially and spiritually during your days on Bison Hill. Our ultimate goal is for you to graduate. The college years should be some of the best years of your life. I hope you not only succeed academically, but also have fun this year. As God speaks to us in Jeremiah 29:11, He wants you to prosper and to be successful while you are at OBU.”

Taylor reminded students of the book of Habakkuk 2:1-3 and how God gives instruction on mission and vision.

“I will stand upon my watch and set me up on the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am approached. And the Lord answered me and said, ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come; it will not tarry.’”

“We have recorded our vision and we will continue to make it clear to all that we are a Christian liberal arts university and that we challenge our students to become all that God has planned for them,” Taylor said. “OBU demands academic excellence and a commitment to scholarship.”

Taylor concluded the address by welcoming the OBU family in to the 110th year of Oklahoma Baptist University.

During Convocation, five professors were installed into endowed chairs and professorships. Dr. Heath Thomas, dean of the Hobbs College of Theology and Ministry, associate vice president for church relations and professor of Old Testament, was installed into the Floyd K. Clark Chair of Christian Leadership. Dr. John McWilliams, professor of natural science, was installed into the W.B. Blackstock Family Chair in Science Education. Dr. Kaylene Barbe, professor of communication studies, was installed into the Frank W. Patterson Professorship in Communications. Dr. Louima Lilite, associate professor of music and coordinator of voice studies, was installed into the McGavern-Montgomery Professorship in Music. Dr. James Vernon, professor of music, was installed into the Burton H. Patterson Professorship in Music.