OBU Presents Hobbs Award to Jarboe at SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim June 14

June 14, 2022

OBU presented the Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service to Dr. Jonathan Jarboe June 14 during the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California. Jarboe serves as president and CEO of The Baptist Foundation of California. OBU President Dr. Heath A. Thomas presented the award to Jarboe during a special ceremony held at the OBU booth in the exhibit hall of the Anaheim Convention Center.

The award is named to honor the noteworthy Southern Baptist denominational service of Dr. Herschel H. Hobbs, a prolific author, preacher and radio program host. Hobbs was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City from 1949 until 1972. He died in 1995. He is also the namesake of OBU’s Herschel H. Hobbs School of Theology and Ministry.

Previous winners and their positions of service at the time they received the Hobbs Award include Dr. David Manner, executive director for the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists; K. Marshall Williams Sr., senior pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church of Philadelphia; Dr. Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas; Dr. Anthony Jordan, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma; Dr. Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary; Dr. Rebekah Naylor, former IMB missionary; Dr. Tom Elliff, former president of the IMB; Robert Kellogg, president and CEO of the Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma; Dr. David S. Dockery, former president of Union University and chancellor of Trinity International University; Dr. O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources; and Dr. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Jarboe was elected president of The Baptist Foundation of California in 2020 following a term as senior vice president and president-elect. He previously served at Pathway Church in Redlands, California, joining the staff in 1993 and serving as senior pastor from 1999 until 2018. He has also held other staff positions at churches in California, in both Vacaville and San Jose.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in business and political science from California Baptist University. He then completed a Master of Arts in Christian education from Gateway Seminary and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Redlands. He later earned and a Doctor of Educational Ministry from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served on several denominational boards including 12 years on the Baptist Foundation of California board, serving two terms as its chairman, and is currently serving as a trustee with the North American Mission Board of the SBC. He served 22 years as a chaplain and reserve officer for the Redlands Police Department. He has been married to Tammy since 1987 and has three grown children and three grandchildren.