International Fellowship
Of Christian Businessmen
Ted Robertson - Tulsa Chapter President

Weekly Businessmen's luncheon
At the Wyndham Hotel Tulsa
10918 E. 41st St - Tulsa, OK
12:00 to 1:00 PM

Contact - 918 830.6902 or 918.299.5722

Lunch is $11 including beverage and gratuity
(Optional to attending the meeting)

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Early in life Doug was inspired to become an artist by his grandfather, Lyman C. Powell, a forty-year veteran greeting-card designer for the Gibson Greeting Card Company. His admiration for Granddad Powell’s sensitive renderings in nature and portraiture began as a small spark that grew brighter over the years. After a tour of duty in the army, Doug majored in commercial art in college, resulting in a university teaching career that lasted forty years, during which his original spark of interest and skill in art matured into a flaming passion.

Twenty years ago he accepted the challenges of directing this passion into the creation of this book. Norma’s inspiration as a writer grew out of her love for her mother’s poetry, written throughout her long life. Having an older brother who is a writer played a major role in her own development as well. Recently her family was influential in the publication of a diary written by her grandfather, who had been a prisoner in the Civil War. The diary is part of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History.

After finishing their college bachelor degrees at East Carolina University, Norma and Doug married and began a wonderful life together in the field of art. In 1965, Doug began a career as art director at CBS affiliates in North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee. When they were in Nashville, Norma began teaching art education in the local public schools while also earning a master’s degree in art education from Vanderbilt University, George Peabody College for Teachers.

Later they moved to Tallahassee, Florida, where Doug earned the Master of Fine Arts degree from Florida State University. His first teaching position led them to a college in Arkansas where they became the parents of a baby boy. Their lives dramatically changed during their stay in Arkansas, when a near-fatal tornado swooped over their neighborhood, destroying almost everything in its path. This close call shook them to the core of their lives, resulting in a quest for what life is really all about. During this quest the beautiful and intricate wonders of the Bible began to resonate in their lives, resulting in their thorough acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

In 1994, they were blessed again, with another baby boy, and are grandparents now of three boys from their first son. Doug finished his academic career by teaching graphic design at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma for over twenty-two years and recently retired as Professor Emeritus. Norma spent many years teaching at ORU as well as in public and private schools. She is presently teaching private art lessons in her studio in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

They both have published their artwork and have won prizes in juried art shows. Their work is represented in private collections throughout the South and Southwest. Most recently a portrait that Doug created for David Barton’s Wallbuilders ministry appeared on the Glenn Beck television program. The portrait chronicled the moment that the Reverend John Muhlenburg showed his congregation a colonel’s uniform under his clerical robes as his sermon invited them to join him in the revolutionary fight for liberty.

International Fellowship Of Christian Businessmen

Promoting Harmony Among Believers!
We are members of one Body

(Different pieces of the same picture)



Help Keep Our Luncheons Exciting!!
We invite you to recommend a speaker for our weekly luncheon.
Speakers need to have a business background and have a personal testimony.

Email suggested speaker information to:
peterenns@cox.net