Oklahoma

The board of directors of the charity made popular through its TV ad campaigns featuring hungry children fired its founder Friday.

In a statement, the board said the termination of Larry Jones as president was effective immediately. Board spokesman Tony Sellars, however, declined to give further comments on the action, citing pending litigation.

The 30-year-old Christian non-profit has of late been facing a power struggle between Jones and the charity’s board of directors. more >>

An abortion law in Oklahoma that would require women seeking abortions to disclose such information as their relationship with the baby's father and the reason for the abortion has been put on hold.

Oklahoma County District Court Judge Twyla Mason Gray issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the new law, which was slated to take effect on Nov. 1.

Abortion advocates have challenged the law, saying it violates privacy protections. more >>

Oral Roberts University inaugurated its new president Friday during a ceremony attended by over 4,000 students, faculty, staff, and alumni, with community leaders and friends.

The inauguration of Dr. Mark Rutland as the third president in ORU’s history marked the culmination of a nearly two-year effort toward recovery from the scandal that rocked the historically charismatic school in 2007.

Since the resignation of ORU’s former president that November, the Tulsa, Okla.-based school has been making very large leaps and bounds to recover, whittling away at the more than $55 million debt that it had accrued while also investing in projects such as establishing endowed scholarships, attracting and retaining quality faculty and staff, academic program upgrades, other campus improvements, and more. more >>

An Oklahoma judge overturned a law that required doctors to provide ultrasounds before performing abortions.

Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki Robertson made the ruling on Tuesday, saying the 2008 state law violated constitutional requirements that legislative measures deal only with one subject.

Her ruling overturned other provisions in the law, including one that allowed doctors and other healthcare providers to refuse to perform or take part in an abortion on moral or religious grounds and protected them from liability. more >>

Oral Roberts University officially became the exclusive educational strategic partner of America’s largest Hispanic Christian organization on Wednesday.

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), which represents about 16 million Hispanic Christians in America, endorsed ORU as the school of choice for the “Hispanic, spirit-filled” community.

NHCLC president the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez explained that the Tulsa, Okla.-based university has historically stood as the flagship higher education institution for the “spirit-filled, charismatic Christian” movement. more >>