Dr. Douglas Falknor (’88) graduated from ETBU with a Bachelor’s in Christian Ministry and later completed his Master’s and Doctoral degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Lisa (Finney) Falknor (‘89), are blessed with three children: Rachel, a lawyer living in Tampa; Joel, who works for Walmart in Rogers, AR; and Sarah, a student at NOBTS. Lisa is a music teacher, focusing on piano and beginning guitar. Dr. Falknor currently serves as the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Fayetteville in Fayetteville, AR. Having recently opened a new campus, Church at Oakland Zion, he preaches there each Sunday morning and commutes back to fulfill his role at FBC.
Below are some of Dr. Falknor’s memories and reflections on his journey to ETBU, life on the Hill, connections, and how it impacts his current ministries.
In 1986, while an accounting major studying at Sam Houston State University, I surrendered to God's call for pastoral ministry. I knew I needed a solid, biblical foundation and began to explore different schools. East Texas Baptist University offered that foundation and helped me feel at home. The school setting embraced each student as part of its family.
As a transfer student preparing for pastoral ministry, most of my classes were in the religious department, and each professor positively influenced me. Franklin Atkinson modeled humility as he taught with a homespun country intellect. He shifted to other responsibilities at the school, and Bob Utley took over his teaching. I still use commentaries written by Dr. Utley in my sermon preparation. Bruce Tankersley challenged me in Greek classes and challenged all his students to think for themselves in exploring Biblical texts. Most of my religious courses were led by Donald Potts. Dr. Potts laid a strong pastoral and theological foundation which set me up for success in ministry. I still have notebooks from each of his classes and treasure the brilliant and practical insights he instilled in me.
My favorite alumni became my wife! Lisa and I met in 1987 during a New Testament class taught by Dr. Potts. I thought she was beautiful and she wondered why they let young kids like me into class. In time, I won her over, and we began dating later that year.
My reflections on ETBU are always about the wonderful people I spent time with during this formative time in my life. When arriving on campus, I was blessed with a great roommate and others who would challenge me to do things like getting to the gym and playing chess. Others became a joy to hang out with around campus; some made me laugh, and others I bonded with over road trips to seminary. I won’t forget hanging out in the quad, playing hearts in the dorm common areas, cheering at basketball games, watching movies on the campus lawn, or using cafeteria trays to sled down the campus hills on snowy days.
Although I received more education after graduating from ETBU, these years laid a solid foundation for future educational and vocational opportunities. My preaching and pastoral ministries reflect the teachings of Donald Potts, Bruce Tankersley, and Bob Utley. And the relational aspect of ministry developed through my interactions with fellow students inside the classroom and out on the campus. I thank the Lord for my preparation at ETBU.