Oklahoma Baptist University conferred degrees upon 221 graduates (194 undergraduate students and 27 graduate students) during Spring Commencement on May 3. The ceremony took place at First Southern Baptist Church in Del City. Dr. Carolyn Bishop, president of the Consortium for Global Education, delivered the commencement address.
Dr. Randy Ridenour, professor of philosophy, opened the ceremony with the invocation.
Dr. Heath A. Thomas, president of OBU, presided over the ceremony and welcomed guests, reflecting upon the importance of the moment for all graduates and their families, friends and loved ones. Dr. Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists, offered a greeting and congratulations to the graduates.
Thomas then recognized retiring faculty and staff: Marcia McQuerry, registrar, 42 years of service: Dr. Albert Chen, professor of physics, 39 years of service; Dr. Charles Swadley, associate professor of English and Spanish, 28 years of service; Dr. John Powell, professor of history, 21 years of service; and Bettye Finch, human resources coordinator, three years of service.
Following a scripture reading, graduating senior Ryleigh Andrews sang “Laurie’s Song,” accompanied by graduating senior Cailey Morris on the piano.
Thomas then introduced Bishop.
Bishop was elected president of the Consortium for Global Education, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., in 2002. She leads in supporting the international efforts of more than 42 Christian private accredited colleges and universities located in the United States and 12 other nations. Their combined 241 overseas partnerships involve more than 80 countries. Her areas of expertise include professional development, international program and curriculum development, certificate programs, online opportunities and enhancing faculty and student global opportunities.
Over the years, Bishop has served on the boards of international schools and organizations. She coordinates educational conferences and workshops in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. She speaks on CGE campuses annually to share a global perspective and to stimulate interest in international relationships. Through CGE, she works with the presidents, provosts and faculties of affiliate institutions to promote international visits, the internationalization of higher education, collaboration between U.S. universities and their overseas counterparts, and faculty-student exchanges.
Through CGE’s work in diverse nations, Bishop promotes professional training programs for officials and educational leaders, study abroad for students, and teaching opportunities overseas that are based on quality academic experiences, mutual benefit and respect for sharing faith, values and cultures.
In her commencement address titled “Change Better,” Bishop challenged the OBU Class of 2025 to face change with intentionality, integrity and courage.
Framing her remarks around three key truths—change begins with choices, shapes character and requires courage—Bishop shared personal stories and scriptural encouragements that demonstrate how God can work through unexpected challenges to produce transformation.
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change,” she said, quoting motivational speaker Jim Rohn, to emphasize that intentional choices define the trajectory of one’s life.
She shared how her own life was radically altered in 1976 by a waterskiing accident that resulted in the partial loss of her right hand. In the emergency room, her surgeon told her, “You have a choice to make – you can be bitter the rest of your life or you can be better.”
Bishop said she resolved that night to choose better, a decision that led her through two years of reconstructive surgeries and into a life of global service.
“But better doesn’t come without challenges,” she said. “It means humbling yourself and trusting that God has a greater plan—often different and better than what we imagine.”
Bishop, who has served in more than a dozen countries across Asia, Africa and Europe, explained how change shaped not only her circumstances but also her character. Four years after her accident, she and her husband moved to South Korea as missionaries, where God opened doors she never expected, including leadership in education and ministry surrounding the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Bishop also urged graduates to summon courage in the face of discomfort, unfamiliarity and even opposition. From being questioned in Iran, to sleeping in bullet-riddled hotels in Afghanistan, to being dismissed or ignored because of her physical difference in cultures that often restrict women, Bishop said she leaned on God’s promise in 2 Timothy 1:7: “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a strong mind.”
She recalled how, in Morocco, a Muslim university president who initially seemed unsettled by her appearance later became a trusted ally after she shared her story.
“That friendship gave him the courage to allow our students to talk about their Christian faith—even when others said they shouldn’t,” she said. “And he said, ‘This is good.’”
Bishop concluded by encouraging graduates to embrace change as part of their journey with God.
“You will not walk the same path that I have, yet you will face ‘change,’” she said. “I encourage you to know with confidence that God will hold your hand through every chance to ‘change better’ and lead you to a rich and amazingly fulfilling life.”
She closed with, “Congratulations, Class of 2025. Go forward—and Change Better.”
Following Bishop’s address, the undergraduate class was presented by Evan Ashmore, OBU Student Government Association president.
The bachelor’s degree candidates were presented by Dr. Larinee Dennis, co-provost and dean of business, health, science and education, and Dr. Micah Meek, associate dean for online, nontraditional and graduate education.
Dennis then led in the presentation of Summa Cum Laude candidates.
Graduate class candidates were presented by graduating graduate student Steilee McClain.
Following the presentation of all degree candidates, Lea Ann Quirk, director of the OBU Alumni Association, inducted the graduates into the Alumni Association.
In presenting the final charge to the graduates, Thomas encouraged them to step into the future with boldness, knowing they are not alone. “You are standing on the threshold of the past years on Bison Hill as you gaze into the horizon to your future beyond Bison Hill,” he said. Acknowledging the inevitable challenges ahead, he urged graduates to face life’s paradoxes—its beauty and its pain—with courage anchored in Christ.
Drawing from the experience of a close friend who lost a child to sepsis, Thomas shared how grief and faith can coexist. His friend, a biblical scholar, chronicled his struggle in the book Beautiful and Terrible Things, titled after a quote by Frederick Buechner: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” Thomas said this statement, while powerful, becomes even more profound in its full form: “Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you… I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us… I love you.”
“This is a statement about the grace of God,” Thomas said. “Jesus speaks about his radical love and grace. Life is less about our self-determination and more about the radical love of Christ toward you and me.”
He urged graduates to listen to “the whispers and loud booms of Christ’s voice of grace,” reminding them that even amid suffering, Christ’s love endures. “God has used the time here to instill something profoundly good in your life, despite beautiful and terrible things,” he said.
As they leave Bison Hill, Thomas charged graduates to carry forward what they’ve learned—to live worthy of their calling, to serve others, and to be agents of transformation. “You launch into our world as sheep among wolves,” he said, cautioning them about cultural distortions of truth, goodness, and beauty. “But never forget… you have been prepared for this moment.”
He challenged them to “step into the new creation for which Christ died… so that you might bear his image in the world, for his glory and for his fame.”
Finally, Thomas reminded them that their voice matters. “We need your influence,” he said. “Go and do something beautiful for our God.”
And wherever their paths lead, he added, “You will always be a Bison, and you will always have a home at OBU.”
The president’s charge was followed by “The Hymn to the Alma Mater,” led by Dr. Stephen Sims, who was accompanied on the piano by Claire Marquardt. Dr. David Gambo, Reverend A.E. and Dora Hughes chair of ministry, associate professor of ministry, delivered the benediction.
This spring marked the fifth commencement at First Southern Baptist Church, Del City. Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium on the OBU campus has served as the traditional location for commencement since the iconic building was constructed in 1961. However, due to damage caused by the EF2 tornado on April 19, 2023, the chapel’s auditorium is undergoing renewal efforts and was not available for the commencement ceremony.
Watch the video of OBU’s May graduation ceremony on the OBU YouTube channel, youtube.com/okbuedu.
