Mitch Wilburn, the preacher at The Park Church of Christ in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was ACU’s guest speaker at opening chapel on Monday, Aug. 27. Wilburn spoke on the apostle Paul’s plea in Ephesians that the church would have one body, one hope and one spirit. He related this plea back to ACU, encouraging oneness throughout the upcoming school year.
Wilburn was a student of Abilene Christian University from 1986 to 1990, graduating with a degree in youth and family ministry. He went on to pursue a masters degree in ministry at Oklahoma Christian University.
“I had a great experience at ACU, being a youth ministry major, and I interned for four years at Highland Church of Christ,” Wilburn said. “I was surrounded by a fantastic, Christ-centered body and an entire crew of professors who bent over backwards to make sure you were doing well. Not only did the administration place Christ first, but you could sense the Christian community there.”
Mitch has two children, Jake and Ashton, who also attended ACU.
“I am completely humbled anytime that I am able to come back onto campus and speak to the student body,” Wilburn said. “It is an honor to be back. You know, you think about the people who have spoken into you, and now you have an opportunity to be in that same position.”
In addition to speaking at opening chapel, Mitch Wilburn is the newest member of ACU’s board of trustees. He is currently the youngest member of the board and is serving under the leadership of April Anthony, the new board chair.
“My position is just to do a whole lot of listening and praying,” Wilburn said. “The men and women on the board love the Lord and ACU; that is very clear. I have been to two meetings so far. My position is just a rookie trustee right now. It’s a good group of people.”
Wilburn has been in ministry for 28 years and has found that throughout the years, he has been able to more clearly understand that what comes out of his sermons does not come from him alone, but from the Lord.
“It is less and less about what I put forward and more about spending time in prayer before hand,” Wilburn said. “I always want to spend time in prayer before so that people will leave where the Spirit has spoken and do what only the Spirit can do.”
