Commencement Speakers
Steve Green
President, Hobby LobbySteve Green has served as the president of Hobby Lobby since 2004 and has helped his family grow the business to more than 1,000 stores in 48 states with approximately 50,000 employees. He is a national speaker on both business and philanthropy, always focusing on how his faith intersects with his life's endeavors.
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary recognized his impact in these overlapping life arenas with an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree in 2013, and in 2015, Mid-America Christian University presented him with an Honorary Doctor of Biblical Literature degree.
Green is also chairman of the board for the Museum of the Bible. In his role as chairman, Green has assembled a team of academics, designers, technology professionals and other experts to create the 430,000-square-foot Museum of the Bible, dedicated to a scholarly and engaging presentation of the Bible's impact, history and narrative. The museum opened in November 2017 in Washington, D.C., three blocks from the U.S. Capitol.
Green has authored four books: Faith in America (2011); The Bible in America (2013); This Dangerous Book (2017) and This Beautiful Book (2019). His books can be found in Hobby Lobby stores across the nation and online.
Green and his wife, Jackie, have been married for more than 30 years and reside in Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is headquartered. Their family includes a son, five daughters, a daughter-in-law, three sons-in-law and six grandchildren. They are actively involved in their local church, as well as with many national and international Christian ministries and charities.
Crawford Loritts
Pastor and AuthorCrawford Loritts grew up in New Jersey, where he trusted Christ as his Savior as a teenager. He graduated from Plainfield High School and graduated from Cairn University in Pennsylvania in 1972 with a B.S. in Bible. He and his wife, Karen, met in college and were married on May 22, 1971.
He has traveled throughout the U.S. and much of the world, speaking in churches, evangelistic outreaches, at conferences, colleges and seminaries. He has been the featured speaker at Super Bowls, NCAA Final Four Chapel and the Pentagon with senior military officers. He has been a church planter, served for 27 years on the staff of Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) and served for 15 years as Sr. Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, Georgia. He and his wife have been featured speakers at FamilyLife marriage conferences. Loritts is the author of nine books, including Your Marriage Today… and Tomorrow, co-authored with Karen. He is the host of two national radio programs, the weekend program “Living a Legacy” and the daily program “Legacy Moments.”
Loritts has served on several boards, including Passion, Cru, FamilyLife, WinShape and Chick-fil-A. He has received honorary doctorates from Biola University, Cairn University, Moody Bible Institute, Trinity International University and Columbia International University. He is the president and founder of the Beyond Our Generation organization and is committed to encouraging and helping to shape the next generation of Christian leaders.
Loritts is the father of four adult children and a grandfather to 11 grandchildren.