ORU Celebrates the Class of 2026 at Commencement

Hans Helmerich delivers the Commencement address to ORU graduates.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 5, 2026-Oral Roberts University (ORU) held its 2026 Commencement on Saturday, May 2nd, celebrating 984 graduates from 47 U.S. states and 54 nations. This year's Commencement marked another milestone in ORU's mission to develop Holy Spirit-empowered leaders who are prepared to impact the world in spirit, mind, and body.

As part of the Commencement proceedings, ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson commissioned the graduating class with these words:

"Today, you join over 35,000 other students who have graduated from this University over the last 59 years. You did it! You made it! You have graduated! You are now an alumnus of the best University in the world. As a graduate of ORU, you are different. ORU is different. You have attended the only University in the world that has in its foundational commitment that we are an institution built on the Holy Spirit. Class of 2026, you are leaving Oral Roberts University as more than just a college graduate. You are leaving here as a Holy Spirit-empowered leader who can hear God's voice, walk with spiritual integrity, demonstrate personal resilience, embrace intellectual pursuit, engage the peoples of the world, and walk out God's bold vision for your life. Today, you are commissioned to go, overflow with hope and change the world!"

Commencement speaker, Hans Helmerich, shared this with the Class of 2026:

"Billy Graham said these words to leadership: 'Prioritize and hold high the Word of God.' What a rare thing in higher ed today for a University to be committed to the Truth. When you're committed to the Truth, you are holding Jesus up. One of your inheritances is that Oral Roberts was told to 'raise up students who can hear God's voice,' and that's a deposit that is for the Class of '26- that you might hear God's voice. When my granddad started this company [Helmerich & Payne, Inc.] 106 years ago, they could barely drill 1,000 feet. Today, we drill around the world in tough places. The improvements my company has made over 100-plus years are not just big breakthroughs; they're hard-earned. That's the charge to you: Don't despise the day of small beginnings. I believe the Lord is rejoicing over you. And I want to encourage you to finish the work."

Representing the Class of 2026, ORU senior Caleb Tham delivered an address to the graduates and those in attendance. Tham said:

"As we leave this campus, what is our mission? It's the same mission outlined in ORU's Vision Statement. That we would hear God's voice, shine in the darkness, preach the Word of God, heal the sick, and change the world. Fortunately for us, God does not demand greatness, only faithfulness. So whatever your method of changing the world, be faithful. Be faithful with your whole life so that one day, when we enter into His full presence, He might say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'"

Graduating seniors shared their experience at ORU:

"In the past four years, I have learned more than I ever imagined possible, and I am truly thankful to God for leading me to ORU, where I've had the privilege to cultivate and apply the gifts He has entrusted to me for a purpose greater than myself. Filmmaking humbled me-turns out the dream is earned, not imagined."
-Joel Foga, Bachelor of Cinema and Media Arts

"ORU has been an experience that will enrich my life for years to come. From the moment I stepped onto this campus, I felt a profound sense of God's presence. My journey at ORU was filled with legacy, victories, and the opportunity to overcome challenges when the odds seemed impossible. I am incredibly grateful for my ORU experience and excited to carry the refreshed, fortified love for Christ that I have gained into every space I enter as I leave this campus and embark on the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations."
-Alex-Marie Constable, Master of Business Administration

"My experience at ORU can be described as restorative. Before transferring into this school, I was in a shell, scared to reach out to anyone, as I didn't feel ready or deserving of help, especially from God. But through my time here, I've learned that I don't need to be perfect to go to Him; rather, I need to be vulnerable and honest, allowing the Lord to work through me. I'm headed to a volatile field in a secular city, and this school has not only prepared me for the intellectual challenges I'll face, but also for the spiritual ones. I have a newfound peace and clarity going into it, and I'm ready to be the Lord's light in a dim environment."
-Ebube Nwoke, Bachelor of Computer Science

"As a tennis player who pursued a bachelor's in business administration, ORU has taught me to grow a whole person education in body, mind, and spirit, and to hear God's voice and go where He leads. This vision has been a part of me already and will be for the rest of my life. I am carrying with me into my field a heart willing to sacrifice to serve and love people and to hear God's voice and obey with excellence and a heart surrendered."
-Ricardo Filho, Bachelor of Business Administration

"My time at ORU has not only deepened my understanding of Scripture but also deepened my passion for ministry and teaching. Through academic study and spiritual development, I've desired to grow to communicate God's Word with clarity, conviction, and compassion. As I step into the next season of my life, I want to carry the values of loving the Lord with all of my heart, soul, and mind so that I can make a lasting impact of Jesus on others."
-Noah Davis, Bachelor of Biblical Literature

Congratulations, Class of 2026!

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a "Leadership for Public Purpose" award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 176 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.