Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) celebrated a historic achievement on May 7 as the first cohort of its Prison Divinity Program (PDP) graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Christian Studies. The commencement ceremony, which recognized the achievements of incarcerated students who had completed the rigorous four-year program, was held at the Recreation and Wellness Center on the OBU campus.
OBU’s 2024-25 academic year on campus ended May 2 with the spring commencement for 221 graduates held on May 3 at First Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.
On May 7 at OBU, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Steven Harpe, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists, representatives from OBU, friends and family of the graduates and other supporters of the program were present to honor the PDP graduates at the secured ceremony.
The OBU PDP, launched in partnership with Oklahoma Baptists and the ODOC, provides incarcerated men with an accredited Christian liberal arts education. Graduates are commissioned as field ministers, serving in correctional facilities across the state to provide pastoral care, mentorship and moral guidance to their fellow inmates.
Established in 2020 under the leadership of OBU’s Bruce Perkins, the PDP provides a fully accredited Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies to incarcerated men at Lexington Correctional Center. It is Oklahoma’s first in-person, four-year degree program for inmates, designed to transform lives through education and ministry.
“We have yet to see the full impact of this program, but we have seen God move mightily thus far,” said Perkins, director of the PDP. “One of the greatest impacts has been witnessing more than 900 men commit their lives to Christ on the maximum yard through the direct witness and evangelism of our students.”
The program, housed at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center, is designed to be both academically rigorous and spiritually formative. Students complete coursework in theology, biblical studies, ethics and pastoral ministry, culminating in a practical internship under the supervision of prison chaplains. Selection for the program is competitive, requiring applicants to undergo an extensive review process.
“I’ve seen men work very, very hard to earn this degree. We do not compromise the rigor of the OBU education,” Perkins said. “PDP students are held to the same academic expectations that we expect of all our students. We have men whose last years of formal education was in the sixth grade, ninth grade, or 10th grade. Many believed narratives that were given to them that they would never be successful. Yet, they have demonstrated tremendous grit and perseverance. Today’s commencement is the fruit of their labor.”
Commencement speaker Jack Brewer, a former NFL player and philanthropist, addressed the class. Brewer has dedicated his life to helping incarcerated men through his foundation, the Jack Brewer Foundation (JBF), which focuses on faith, fatherhood, and community building. The foundation’s “Faith & Fatherhood” program aims to transform lives in correctional facilities by offering practical guidance rooted in biblical truth, personal responsibility, and family restoration.
A native of Texas, Brewer was a standout high school athlete and academic leader before playing football at Southern Methodist University and the University of Minnesota, where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees by age 22. He went on to play in the NFL. After retiring in 2007, he launched a successful business career and became a political advocate, professor and frequent media contributor. Brewer continues to champion social change through education, criminal justice reform and faith-based initiatives across the U.S. and abroad.
“Today marks a historic milestone as these extraordinary men step onto the stage at Oklahoma Baptist University to receive their hard-earned degrees — not behind prison walls, but here, in the heart of this institution,” Brewer said. “OBU’s Prison Divinity Program shows the incredible power of faith, education, and redemption. Through our work at the Jack Brewer Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand how faith-based initiatives, grounded in the love and truth of Jesus Christ, can rehabilitate men, restore hope, rebuild families, and break the cycle of incarceration.”
Brewer added, “These graduates are not only earning diplomas and advancing their education — they are using their newfound knowledge to share the Gospel, inspiring others to live out their God-given purpose with boldness and conviction.”
The ODOC has embraced the initiative as part of a broader effort to promote moral rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. Studies from similar programs in other states have shown that peer-led ministry within prisons can lead to safer environments and lower rates of repeat offenses.
“When I hear about what God has done in and through this program, it fills my heart with such gratitude that we can equip all of our students to achieve a life of purpose,” OBU President Heath A. Thomas said. “That really is what it’s about. When we say we equip the next generation of future shapers to live all of life all for Jesus, we’re talking about living a life of purpose and service, a life that makes a difference in our world. These graduates are about to do that. They are about to go into their world and make a difference wherever God places them from this program. Helping them achieve their purpose is why I’m doing what I’m doing.”
Those graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies were Joshua Robert Benton, Tracey Brown, Juan (Miguel) Caballero, George A. Christian, Jr., Jason William Cline, Eric Steven Coager, David Cochlin, Christopher Evans, Steven K. Graham, Edsel Hill, Jered Lee Holbrook, Brett Johnson, Chad Lansford-Barela, DeMario LaVaughn Lucas, Dean Luebberst, Jordan Miller, Roscoe LarRett Morris I, Barry Mosley, ; Vincent Todd Ochoa, Paul Anthony Sanchez, Joe Gene Sanders, II, Charles E. Scott, Jr., Leslie Shayne Smith, Delma LaMarr Sullivan, Aaron Weiland, Arturo Javier Welch, Christopher Lewis Whinery and James Joseph Buster Wymer, Jr.
James Jackson King graduated with an Associate of Arts in Christian Studies and Cody D. DeLano, posthumously, also received an Associate of Arts in Christian Studies.
“It’s been an amazing experience and I don’t think any of us knew what to expect when we first started,” Cochlin said. “I think anybody who’s been there over these past four years can tell you that the culture of the prison there at Lexington has been radically changed already. I think what we’re going to see over the next four to eight to 12 years, as more go out into the prison system, is a real God-powered change in the prison system in Oklahoma. I know that we’ll see that.”
Weiland said, “It’s been a long journey, it really has been. I think the biggest thing that I’ve gotten out of it is the relationships, the journey with the men. The academics and the classes have been great, but it’s been the friendships formed along the way that have meant the most. I don’t know what the future holds, I’m just looking to build the kingdom.”
“After graduation, I am going to go to another facility in the DOC system, and I’m going to raise a church and tell people about Jesus, discipleship,” said Caballero, who was recognized as the outstanding senior. “I want to share Him with other people because I know what He did in my life. He saved me, He changed me. I want to go and give hope to others. That’s what OBU equipped me to do and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
The OBU Prison Divinity Program is fully funded through private donations, with no cost to the students or the Department of Corrections. Oklahoma Baptists have been key supporters of the initiative, ensuring its continued success.
Todd Fisher said on a Facebook post following the ceremony, “Thank you Oklahoma Baptists for your support of OBU and the Prison Divinity Program through your generous Cooperative Program gifts and State Mission Offering. Thank you program director Bruce Perkins for pouring your heart and soul into these men. I truly believe this program has the potential to change many, many lives inside and out of the prison system for the glory of God and advance of the gospel.”
With additional cohorts currently enrolled, OBU remains committed to equipping incarcerated men with theological education and leadership training. As the first class embarks on its ministry, university leaders and program supporters celebrate this landmark achievement and look forward to the program’s continued growth.
“After this, many of those men are going to be deployed in the next month or so to other prisons to serve as field ministers with the Department of Corrections,” Perkins said. “We’re just so grateful for (ODOC) Director Steven Harpe and his team, they have gone above and beyond to make this happen. What today says to the men of the program is that they are valuable and worth it. Their hard work was celebrated. It’s just another testimony of what God has done and the favor that we have experienced from Him.”
For more information about the Prison Divinity Program, visit www.okbu.edu/pdp or contact Perkins at bruce.perkins@okbu.edu.
