Howard Payne University recently presented an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree to Ray Still, senior pastor at Oakwood Baptist Church in New Braunfels and former HPU trustee. The decision to confer the degree to Still had been made by a unanimous vote of the university’s Board of Trustees. The presentation was made at the first of two Commencement ceremonies on May 11.

The presentation of the honorary doctorate was the first such instance during the presidential tenure of Dr. Cory Hines, which began in 2019.

“I was honored to have the opportunity to recognize Pastor Ray Still for his commitment to Christ, Christian higher education and, specifically, Howard Payne University,” said Dr. Hines. “He is a devout Christian and a true leader in all aspects of his life. As stated in the citation presented to Pastor Still during the ceremony, he served Howard Payne well and is a true reflection of the university’s Core Values: Centered on Christ, Focused on Community, Called to Service, Committed to Excellence, and Dedicated to Stewardship.”

Still served faithfully on HPU’s Board of Trustees for 10 years, from 2014 to 2023, including leadership as chairman of the board from 2018 to 2019. He was also an integral voice in welcoming and promoting Howard Payne University’s New Braunfels Center.

A native of Houston, Still attended Houston Baptist High School and the University of Houston. He served as a pastor in Houston prior to serving for more than 30 years at Oakwood Baptist Church in New Braunfels. While serving at Oakwood, Still’s leadership has led to an increase in attendance from 150 when he started to the church’s current attendance of 7,000. His leadership is responsible for 30 new churches, an establishment of a free medical and dental clinic for the community and an after-school ministry for at-risk youth.

He is actively involved in the local New Braunfels community and is a board member for New Braunfels Christian Ministries and chairman of the New Braunfels Ministerial Alliance. In addition to HPU’s Board of Trustees, he has served on the boards of the McKenna Foundation, Houston Baptist University and Christus Health Foundation. He served as chairman for the New Braunfels Bond Committee, the Advisory Board of Christus Santa Rosa New Braunfels and the New Braunfels Chamber, and he was an Executive Board member for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has received several awards including the New Braunfels Living Legend Award, the New Braunfels Citizen of the Year Besserung Award, the Baptist Health Foundation San Antonio Spirit of Health Award and the New Braunfels Chamber Chair of the Year Award.

Still and his wife of more than 40 years, Sandra, have a son, Mitchell, and a daughter-in-law, Alicia.

Applications for admission to HPU for the fall 2024 semester are being accepted. Please visit www.hputx.edu for more information about the university.