Four individuals have joined the Howard Payne University Board of Trustees during the last year and will be on campus next week when the board convenes for a regular meeting. The board will meet in conjunction with the university’s Homecoming celebration, Oct. 24-26.
Dr. Daniel Sanchez and Ray Still were elected to the board in October 2013 and Bernardo “Bernie” Moraga and Annette (Brooks) Spikes were elected in March 2014.
“The university is honored to welcome the newest members of our Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Bill Ellis, HPU president. “Each board election brings us supportive and caring individuals who truly have HPU’s best interests at heart.”
Dr. Daniel Sanchez, a 1962 HPU alumnus, serves at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth in a number of positions including professor of missions; director of the Scarborough Institute of Church Planting and Growth; associate dean of the Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions; and director of the Hispanic Theological Studies Program. Dr. Sanchez received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, his Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in Oxford, England. In addition to being an educator, he has served as church planter and missionary among other roles. He and his wife, Carmen, who passed away in May 2014, have three children.Ray Still has served as senior pastor of New Braunfels’ Oakwood Church for 20 years. During that time, the congregation has grown to more than 4,500 members. Still has served on the boards of McKenna Memorial Hospital, the McKenna Legacy Foundation, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital and Houston Baptist University. He and his wife, Sandra, have one son.
Bernardo “Bernie” Moraga serves as pastor of both Buena Voluntad Baptist Church in San Antonio and First Spanish/Fruit Ave. Baptist Church in Albuquerque. A 1974 HPU alumnus, Moraga received his Master of Arts degree from Southwest Texas State and his Master of Divinity degree from Golden Gate Theological Seminary. He is former pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of San Francisco, Grace Baptist Church of Weslaco and Good Shepherd Baptist Church of Comanche. Moraga is a member of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico Executive Board; a national consultant for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Hispanic Initiative; a former member of the Texas Baptist and California Baptist Executive Boards; and a former trustee for Dallas Baptist University. In 2001, Moraga received the HPU Distinguished Alumnus Award. He and his wife, Anita, have two sons.
Annette Spikes, an educator and community activist, is a 1963 HPU alumna who went on to earn a Master of Education degree from Sam Houston State University. She married Grady Spikes ’62 (deceased 1999) while at HPU. The Spikes both taught two years at Coleman ISD before moving to Conroe ISD. Annette Spikes organized the Volunteer League for the Conroe Symphony Orchestra. She is past president and a board member of the organization, as well as treasurer and acting executive director of the Greater Conroe Arts Alliance. Additionally, she is a member of the Conroe Service League and serves various other community organizations. The Spikes have two sons and five grandchildren.
