Say "hello" to the Pastor

   Richard Newman was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and attended grade schools in Weleetka, Elk City, Carnegie, Washita and Tulsa.  Upon graduation  from Tulsa Central High School in 1962, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University, which he attended for a year and one-half before enlisting in the US Army.  He served three years, in the Combat Engineers with one tour of duty in Viet Nam.  Honorably discharged, he completed a degree in Economics from the business school at OSU in May of 1969.   He worked as a first line supervisor for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, <>various management positions at The Williams Companies in Tulsa.  In 1979 Richard went into the Commercial Real Estate Business eventually working as the Real Estate and Property Development Manager for the Warren Foundation.  In 1987, he went to work for PRODEK, Inc., a developer of small hydroelectric projects, as the Vice President of Marketing and Finance. In 1990,  he and his father founded a consulting firm, R. O. Newman & Associates, specializing in independent power projects. Upon the death of his father in 1995, he worked as an outside consultant in the power marketing industry.

      Richard was baptized at East Side Christian Church in Tulsa in 1956.  He and his wife have been active members there since 1976 where he participated as a deacon, elder, Sunday school teacher, committee chairman and board chairman.  In 1998, he experience God’s call to a different level of service and entered Phillips Theological Seminary to work on his Master of Divinity Degree which he completed in May 2001.  He was ordained into full time Christian service one week later.  Richard began serving as the Pastor of the First Christian Church of Wetumka, Oklahoma in July of 1999 and served that church until March of 2002.  He has since served as the intentional interim at Christian Churches in Pawhuska, Jenks, Ponca City and El Reno, all in Oklahoma; and Broadway Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas.   

       Richard and his wife Janet have been married for forty-four years and have two sons. Richard III and his wife Katie live in Houston, Texas and have a thirteen-year-old daughter, Amber and a seven-year-old son, Collin. Their youngest, Daniel, resides in Olathe, Kansas with his wife Sarah, his seventeen -year-old daughter, Danielle, and stepson Alex.  Richard and Janet enjoy their grandchildren and travel when they can.  Richard is an amateur genealogist and an infrequent (and poor) golfer.

Location:

First Christian Church
308 East Main Street
Jenks, Oklahoma
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