Dr. William “Billy” Wilson Elected as Fourth President of Oral Roberts University

TULSA, Okla. -- Board Chair Mart Green and the Oral Roberts University Board of Trustees announced today the election of Dr. William “Billy” Wilson as the fourth president of the Christian educational institution. Wilson, 54, will begin at the university July 1 of this year. "The presidential search committee, Board of Trustees and I are confident we have found the best candidate to lead ORU to a bright and successful future while remaining true to its founding vision and core values,” said Green. “Chancellor Oral Roberts founded this university on big-thinking and innovation. In this day and age where technology and culture are constantly shifting, Dr. Wilson’s global vision, experience and relationships will be a catalyst for growth and transformation.” Wilson is recognized as a global influencer with unwavering ethics and strong business acumen, who has a passion for building Spirit-empowered leaders to impact the world. He currently serves as Executive Director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal in Cleveland, Tenn. He has forged national ecumenical coalitions with more than 250 denominations and parachurch ministries through the Awakening America Alliance. Wilson has also fostered unique global partnerships through Empowered 21—an initiative launched at ORU that brings together ministry leaders, scholars and next generation voices from the Spirit-empowered movement. Empowered 21 has expanded exponentially and today influences nations through 12 regional cabinets with significant ministry leaders. He served as the executive officer for the Azusa Street Centennial held in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2006, which drew more than 50,000 people from 112 nations. “I am honored and humbled to have been elected to lead ORU at this exciting time in its history,” said Wilson. “I am committed to increasing global access to our excellent, whole-person education that has prepared over 38,000 alumni to be world-changers in business, medicine, arts, ministry and beyond. “ORU is poised to globally engage students to hear God’s voice, excel in academics and go impact their world. We will continue to ‘make no little plans here,’” said Wilson. A native of Owensboro, Ky., Wilson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Kentucky University in Secondary Education. He also holds a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. For more information on Wilson, go to http://www.oru.edu/drbillywilson He was selected as the result of a nine-month search process led by the ORU Presidential Search Committee made up of representatives from the ORU Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and students. The Board utilized the expertise of CarterBaldwin Executive Search. More than 170 presidential prospects were nominated for consideration.

#49: Rearing Horse & Cart

#49 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. Rearing Horse & Cart in Pakistan.

Nik Wallenda Defies Death Again

"Nik Wallenda once again had the world holding its breath as he attempted a death defying tightrope walk nearly 200 feet above U.S. 41 in Sarasota Tuesday." — WWSB He fought nearly 30 mph winds to make the walk shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_rtlchIm8E&sns=em I interviewed Nik last year right after his world record walk across Niagara Falls. Here's that video:

And the link: http://agtv.ag.org/pe_connections_wallenda

#51: Athens Street Life: John and Kitten

#51 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. I met John in Athens. He said he was homeless and cared for several cats who roamed among the monuments.

The Hall of Fame and "The Christian Gentleman"

On this date in 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York elected its first members: Ty Cobb, George Herman Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. Mathewson had a strong Christian testimony reflected in his nickname. Johnson was the Big Train, Cobb the Georgia Peach, Ruth the Babe. Mathewson, one of the most dominant pitchers in any era, was known as "The Christian Gentleman." He was one of the earliest superstars to openly and effectively proclaim Christ. "In a time when baseball was known for hard-living, hard-drinking baseball players, there was Christy Mathewson to prove that there was another way for athletes to live. He was the role model after whom every parent wanted their children to shape their lives." (www.christymathewson.com)

#52: Sunset/Sunrise

#52 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. Sunset/Sunrise: both are the same on this tributary of the Yukon River in Alaska.

Iran’s “Hanging Judge” Sentences Iranian-American Pastor to 8 Years in Prison

[Press release] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 28, 2013| By USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "The trial and conviction of Pastor Abedini represent an outrageous miscarriage of justice and yet one more damning piece of evidence pointing to the rampant denial of religious freedom and the absence of any semblance of rule of law in Iran, " said Katrina Lantos Swett, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Iran’s “hanging judge” Judge Pir-Abassi on Sunday, January 27, sentenced Iranian-born American pastor Saeed Abedini to eight years in prison for “threatening the national security of Iran” because of his activity starting in 2000 in the Christian house church movement. Pastor Abedini has been in Iran since July to establish an orphanage. “The charges against Pastor Abedini were contrived, the process was irregular and deeply flawed, and the conviction flies in the face of both Iranian and international law,” said Lantos Swett. “Judge Pir-Abassi has been responsible for particularly severe violations of religious freedom. We call on the Iranian government to immediately release Pastor Abedini. In addition, we call on the U.S. and the international community to raise Pastor Abedini’s case in all international fora, including the U.N. Human Rights Council. We reiterate our call for the U.S. government to freeze the assets and deny entry into the U.S. of Judge Pir-Abassi, and other Iranian judges and government officials who have committed violations of religious freedom and related human rights, including the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, who would have had to approve the Pastor’s harsh sentence.” Pastor Abedini was convicted and sentenced four months after he was arrested in September. “Unfortunately, Pastor Abedini’s case exemplifies the Iranian government’s across the board assault on freedom of religion or belief,” said Lantos Swett. “Iran has intensified its persecution of Christians, including lawyers of these victims, such as Mohammed Ali Dadkhah, a prominent human rights defender who was sentenced to 10 years and who most recently defended Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and some Baha'i prisoners. The Iranian government also has intensified its attacks against Baha'is, with an increased number of arrests and detentions, including young mothers and their small children." The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Iran be designated a “country of particular concern” or CPC for its systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. The State Department has designated Iran as a CPC since 1999.

#60: Sentry

#60 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. In Muzaffarabad, a Pakistani guard watches over the rubble of the Neelum Hotel, once a 12-story building, reduced to a pile of rubble. Several people lost their lives here. Though all the bodies had been recovered, the stench of rotting flesh lingered, emitting from human limbs left behind in the debris. I will never forget the smell. I shot this during my trip to cover the devastating 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Pakistan in 2005. Muzaffarabad is in Kashmir state.

#61: Sagrada Familia, the Passion Façade

#61 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. Gaudi's masterwork in Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia cathedral, never finished, eternally in a state of construction. As it was in November 2007.

Quest for Six, Super Bowl XLVII

Go Niners!

#62: Ruined Village in Afghanistan

#62 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. In this 2008 shot, an Afghan villager stands in front of the ruins of his home, bombed by the Taliban. A neighbor boy jumped into the picture.

#64: My Favorite Barn

#64 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. My favorite barn, which is now history. I passed it hundreds of times on walks and runs since I moved to Springfield. A few autumns back it was damaged by a storm, then, suddenly, it was gone. I took this several years ago.

#65: Couldn't Get Better

#65 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. Fishing bliss, on a tributary of the Yukon River, Alaska.

#69: A Slice of Afghan Life

#69 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. A slice of life in Kabul, Afghanistan, from my 2008 trip.

#70: Northern Cardinal

#70 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. Cardinalis cardinalis in Springfield, Missouri.

#71: Cottontail

#71 of my most viewed photos on Flickr.

NFC Championship: Niners 28 Falcons 24

A remarkable fourth-quarter comeback win after going down 17-0 in the first quarter. Biggest test yet for QB Colin Kaepernick and he comes up poised and sufficient to the task.

#72: Clouds Over Springfield the Day of the Catastrophic EF5 Joplin Tornado

#72 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. This unusual formation appeared shortly after the tornado struck Joplin, Missouri in the late afternoon, Sunday, May 22, 2011. Springfield is about 70 miles from Joplin.

#73: Roses in a Tajik Garden

#73 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. At Marian’s Guesthouse, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

#75: Ukrainian Farm

#75 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. I was in this gorgeous country setting in the Ukraine in 2006.

#76: Government Worker, Balakot, Pakistan, After Earthquake

#76 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. I was there days after the massive 7.6 magnitude Kashmir Earthquake that claimed 79,000 lives in 2005. In the photo, this man is showing me his credentials. He had been an important person with significant responsibilities. Now he was displaced and was wandering through rubble (which you can see behind him) without knowing where to go. It was the plight of tens of thousands in that very grim time.

#77: Shop Cat, Athens, Greece

#77 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. You can see Peggy's blonde head at the top center of the photo, in back of the shop. PB070852

#80: The kids are growing up.

#80 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. A family of Canada geese on Drummond Lake in Missouri.

#82: Tree-Climbing Goats of Morocco

#82 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. In Morocco (this is outside of Agadir) goats climb argan trees, a main source of income for locals. The argan trees are hardy and grow where little else will, becoming the only food available for goat herds. The argan berries can't be reached from the ground so the goats have adapted, learning to climb and easily balance on thin limbs in order to reach the fruit. A post-digestion gathering process eventually leads to argan oil which is sold for health and beauty. Amazing to see.

#84: Doorway to Philippi

#84 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. A portal of Basilica B. The ancient ruins of Philippi in Greece, near modern Kavala, which was known as Neapolis in the New Testament book of Acts. Paul wrote a letter to the Christians here. According to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Philippi is "the most important archaeological site of eastern Macedonia."

49ers 45 Packers 31

Niners dominate Green Bay to win the divisional playoff and advance to the NFC Championship game for the second consecutive year.

#85: Tajik Ladies in a Market in Dushanbe

#85 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. These ladies were quite cooperative in posing for this cheerful shot at their booth.

#86: Young Cricket Players in Pakistan

#86 of my most viewed photos on Flickr.

#89: Tajik Mother & Child

#89 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. A mother and her beautiful child in Tajikistan.

#94: Pit River Below Big Bend, CA

#94 of my most viewed photos on Flickr. A major, though little known, river in Northern California, USA. It contains numerous powerhouses and flows into Lake Shasta.

#100: Agios Konstantino, Greece

#100 of my most viewed photos on Flickr.

Golden Gate Begun 79 Years Ago Today

This day in 1933 construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. A familiar sight to me as I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I even commuted across the bridge for a time when we lived in Pacifica and I attended seminary in Mill Valley, CA. Some family snapshots from 1992 and one black-and-white from the '40s or '50s: This is my sister Pat, who passed away last year. She loved the Bay Area.

Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 Oregon Dominates No. 5 Kansas State

Oregon Ducks 35 Kansas State Wildcats 17 Oregon was definitely FASTER, never looking back after De'Anthony Thomas's opening 94-yard touchdown on a kickoff return in yesterday's Tostito's Fiesta Bowl. Great year, Oregon. One overtime short of a national title. With No. 3 Florida losing in the Sugar Bowl, Ducks will end ranked No. 3, or even possibly No. 2.

Sugar Bowl: Louisville Stuns Florida

The No. 21 Louisville Cardinals shocked the football world with their 33-23 upset win over the No. 3-ranked Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl last night. I love to see underdogs win!

Rose Bowl: Stanford 20 Wisconsin14

The Cardinal triumph over the Badgers.