OBU to Host Pastors Conference Oct. 13-14 During ‘The Weekend’

September 27, 2022

OBU will host a special Pastors Conference Oct. 13-14 on its campus in Shawnee. All pastors, church staff ministers and those who preach and teach the word of God are invited to attend the free event. The conference begins Thursday afternoon as OBU kicks off its homecoming celebration of “The Weekend” on Bison Hill. Registration is required. Guest speakers for the conference include Dr. Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists; Dr. O.S. Hawkins, president emeritus of GuideStone Financial Resources; and Dr. Tom Elliff, former president of the International Mission Board.

The first session begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, with a message from Fisher. A free fish fry dinner, sponsored by GuideStone Financial Resources, will follow at 6 p.m. Hawkins will then present during the 7 p.m. session. On Friday morning, attendees can enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast followed by an 8:30 a.m. session led by Elliff. The conference concludes after a 10 a.m. panel discussion with the three guests, facilitated by OBU President Dr. Heath A. Thomas.

Dr. Todd Fisher serves as the executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists. A 1992 OBU alumnus, he continued his studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where he completed a Master of Divinity in biblical languages in 1996. In 2001, he earned a Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and later earned a Ph.D. and Th.M. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Fisher has 30 years of pastoral experience as well as service in multiple leadership roles in Southern Baptist Convention life. He has served on the faculty at OBU, SBTS and SWBTS. Most recently, Fisher completed a one-year term as president of the Oklahoma Baptists prior to becoming executive director-treasurer.

Dr. O. S. Hawkins is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and a graduate of TCU (BBA) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv, PhD). He is the former pastor of the historic First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and is president emeritus of GuideStone Financial Resources, the world’s largest Christian-screened mutual fund serving 250,000 church workers and Christian university personnel with an asset base exceeding 20 billion dollars, where he served as president/CEO from 1997-2022. He preaches in churches and conferences across the nation. He is the author of more than 50 books, including the best-selling “The Joshua Code” and the entire Code Series of devotionals published by HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson with sales of more than two million copies.

Dr. Tom Elliff is a fourth generation Oklahoman and a third-generation Baptist preacher of the gospel. He has served as both pastor and missionary (Zimbabwe), leaving the pastorate of First Southern, Del City, Oklahoma, after 20 years in order to work with the SBC International Mission Board where he served as president from 2011-2014. After the passing of their spouses (Jeannie Elliff and Wayne Barber), Elliff married Diana Barber in 2017 and they now share six children and 33 grandchildren, several of whom also serve as ministers and missionaries in the U.S. and around the world. He is a former president of both the Southern Baptist Convention and the SBC Pastor's Conference. He holds degrees from Ouachita Baptist University (BA), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv) and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (DMin). He has authored 15 books and is a frequent speaker in conferences and crusades, both globally and in the U.S.

Register for the free 2022 Pastors Conference.