OCU honors Bill Junk with Milhouse Award
Oklahoma City University recently presented its 2012 Bishop Paul W. Milhouse Award to Bill Junk. The award recognizes laypeople who demonstrate outstanding leadership in the community, their United Methodist churches, and their annual conferences, and who additionally advocate for the partnership between OCU and the Church. The award has been presented annually since 1982. Bill leads the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation as its president and also serves the entire denomination as a member of the General Board of Pension & Health Benefits. "Bill has been active at all levels of the Church all his life and is truly a servant leader," said Maggie Ball in her remarks at the campus banquet Dec. 7. Rev. Ball is OCU vice president for University-Church Relations. Bill’s involvement as a servant leader actually prevented him from personally accepting the Milhouse Award. On the night of the banquet, he was attending a meeting of the General Board of Pensions, in Tampa, Fla. However, his family and friends in the audience, including many active in the Foundation, represented him well. Bill accepted the award electronically, through a video prepared by the Foundation’s communications coordinator, Kristin Van Nort. The 2012 Milhouse Award recipient is a member of New Covenant United Methodist Church in Edmond and has served there in a variety of leadership roles over the years. Bill has chaired its Administrative Council and served on the Staff-Parish Relations and Finance Committees. He and his wife, Stacy, are active in Sunday School classes and a variety of small groups. At other levels in the Church, Bill has chaired the Bi-District Board of Missions for the North and South Oklahoma City Districts. He has been elected several times as an Oklahoma lay delegate to both General and Jurisdictional Conferences. And Bill has given dedicated service to OCU. He is a member of the Board of Trustees. Through his role at the Foundation, he works closely with the university to facilitate the generous funding of scholarships—particularly those for United Methodist students and those studying in OCU’s Wimberly School of Religion. He was a key figure in the negotiations that enabled the university in 2012 to secure the historic Central High building, which will serve as the new downtown home of its Law School. The University-Church Relations Office welcomes nominations at any time for this award. Contact Rev. Ball about outstanding laity you know who express their faith in concrete ways in their community and in support of OCU. She may be reached at mball@okcu.edu or 405-208-5060. |
