Wiseman Lenten Worship Series
Wednesdays at Noon in Lent
Every year, First Presbyterian Church holds the Wiseman Lenten Worship Series on Wednesdays in Lent. This Lent, a different pastor from an area church gives the message. The service begins at noon in Kerr Chapel at the church, 709 S. Boston, and immediately following the service, the church offers a special opportunity for ministers and others to share in a luncheon dialogue with each speaker. All are welcome.The schedule this Lent is as follows:
February 24 Dr. Ray Owens, Metropolitan Baptist Church
March 3 The Rev. Mason Beecroft, Grace Lutheran Church
March 10 The Rev. Terry Buxton, Agape Bible Fellowship
March 17 The Rev. George Eber, St. Antony Orthodox Christian Church
March 24 Dr. William L. (Hess) Hester, Jr., Southern Hills Baptist Church
March 31 Holy Week – No Wednesday service
About the Speakers
Ray A. Owens, Ph.D.
The Rev. Dr. Ray A. Owens leads a multifaceted life as Husband, Father, Pastor-Scholar and Public Intellectual. Rev. Owens is the Pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church of Tulsa, OK. Prior to this appointment he enjoyed a variety of vocational experiences, including serving as a Youth Minister in Trenton, New Jersey, a Public School Teacher in South Central Los Angeles, CA and a Fund Development Director for Teach for America in New York City.
Dr. Owens has a particular passion for issues related to youth and education. His doctoral dissertation, which is currently being revised for publication, seeks to address the contemporary crisis in black education by mining the resources of African American religion. He has delivered addresses at colleges and universities, K-12 schools, conferences, synagogues and churches on topics related to his research and insights on black education. He is a regular columnist for the Oklahoma City Herald and has published essays in academic journals on topics related to education and black religion. Currently, he serves as an Adjunct Professor of Ethics and Black Church Studies at Phillips Theological Seminary and Adjunct Professor of African American Religion at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.
In 1989 Dr. Owens earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin and the Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1998. In the Spring of 2005 he received the cum laude distinction for his doctoral dissertation and earned the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religion and Society from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Rev. Owens is married to Dr. Dion Owens, a staff Psychiatrist for Shadow Mountain Behavioral Center. Drs. Ray and Dion Owens have two daughters, Jordan Alexandra Reese and Jillian Rae.
Rev. Mason T. Beecroft
The Rev. Mason T. Beecroft is the pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Tulsa, OK. He was ordained into the Holy Ministry in August of 2002, serving for three years in Houston prior to accepting the call to serve Grace. He received a ThM in Historical Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2000 before studying at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 2000-2001. Right now he is completing a DMin in Liturgical Studies at Catholic University of America. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married for nine years (August 2000) and are blessed with two children, Owen (7) and Megan (5). He enjoys spending time with the family, following sports, and playing hockey and golf.
Rev. Terry Luttrell Buxton, Sr.
Founder and Senior Pastor of Agape Bible Fellowship Church, Tulsa Oklahoma. He formerly served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church North Tulsa, as Children’s Pastor at Concord Church in Dallas, Texas, and as Associate Minister of Children’s Church at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is an honors graduate of Langston University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. He’s completed requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Practical Theology at Oral Roberts University and is currently a doctoral student at ORU, pursuing an Ed.D degree in College and Higher Education Administration.
Pastor Buxton has extensive preaching and public speaking experience, presenting for such organizations as The National Children’s and Youth Ministry Convention, The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, International Church Growth Conference, Phillips Seminary Racial Reconciliation Conference, Tulsa Black Singles’ Conference, guest lecturer on Black Preaching at Oral Roberts University, The Langston University Urban Education Conference and the Southwest Regional Student Leadership Conference. Pastor Buxton has also served as a guest Chaplain for the Oklahoma State Senate.
He has been the recipient of many awards and acknowledgements, including Student Leadership Award, Langston University; Who’s Who in American Colleges & Universities; Olive V. Green Humanitarian Award; Outstanding Alumnus, Langston University; Belford V. Lawson National Oratorical Contest (southwest regional winner); and the Outstanding Young Man of America Award. Pastor Buxton is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and founder and president of T.L. Buxton Ministries. He is married to the former Ms. Elaine Holland and together they have three children; Latasha Sharee, Terry Jr., and Dionne Nicole.
Dr. William L. Hester, Jr. "Hess"/ Senior Pastor
Hess came to SHBC in 1997, having previously served churches in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas. Hess’ wife, Julie, teaches choral music at Jenks High School. They have three daughters, Katy, 23, Becca Wilson, 21, Rachel, 18.
He has degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min.) Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) Seminaries and Southern Methodist University (BA).