Monday, December 3, 2012

Pastor Wesley Hammond to Speak at SBU Commencement


Southwest Baptist University News Release
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications
417-328-1803


BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University’s winter commencement is scheduled for Friday, December 14, 2012, at 7:00 p.m., in the Jane and Ken Meyer Wellness and Sports Center on the Bolivar Campus.

The commencement address will be given by guest speaker Pastor Wesley Hammond. Pastor Hammond has served as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Paris, Missouri, since 1995. He was ordained at North Fallon Baptist Church in Fallon, Nevada, in 1988. In addition he currently serves as president of the Missouri Baptist Convention.

Pastor Hammond graduated from Hannibal-LaGrange University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Theology. He pursued his master of divinity studies at Southwestern Baptist Theologi­cal Seminary and Luther Rice Theological Seminary while a bi-vocational pastor.

Pastor Hammond began supply preaching in 1983 until he was called as interim pastor in 1984 at Liberty Union Baptist Church in Milan, Missouri, followed by Knox City Baptist Church in Knox City, Missouri, in 1988. Prior to his current position at First Baptist Church of Paris, he served as pastor at North Fallon Baptist Church in Fallon, Nevada, for seven years.

An experienced missions participant, Pastor Hammond has served at numerous locations within the United States and internationally. His mission trips abroad have been in conjunc­tion with the International Mission Board as a volunteer. He has served as chairman of the Associational Missions Partnership Taskforce since 2001. Over the years, Pasto Hammond has been in­volved in Baptist denominational activities and has served on multiple state convention com­mittees in Nevada and Missouri. He is active in his local community serving as a member of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce.

Pasto Hammond and his wife, Diana, have been married since 1988 and have two sons, Stephen and Michael.


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Southwest Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.