John Andrew Dunn, a pillar of The Wesleyan Church and a pivotal leader in the history of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, passed away on February 3, 2020, at 85 years of age.
First and foremost, Dunn is remembered as a man who walked with the Lord; he leaves behind a tremendous legacy in the ministry of his family. Dunn is the father of Jim Dunn, President of the University, and of Charissa Dunn, a member of the OKWU faculty. He is also the namesake of the Dunn Institute, a training initiative for local pastors and church leaders to become better schooled in the business and financial aspects of church leadership.
Dunn was born in Indiana on November 25, 1935 to Rev. Floyd and Eulalia Dunn. In 1954, he married his beloved, Wilma Mae Carpenter; they were married for 65 years in all and had six children together. She passed away in April of 2019. In 1956, John graduated from Frankfort Pilgrim College with a Religion degree.
John was an ordained minister with The Wesleyan Church, and served as Chief Executive Officer of the Wesleyan Investment Foundation for 25 years, along with an additional 20 years as a member of the Board of Directors after he retired from the post. In 1990, Dunn was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity by Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and he served on the university’s Board of Trustees from 1965-1975.
The mission of John Dunn’s life can be expressed simply: he loved his Savior, Jesus Christ, and aspired to live out that love in the different aspects of his life. He was a strong family man who deeply loved his wife and children. He was a philanthropist – a man truly generous with his time, treasure, and talent. He is survived by five of his children, 13 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
The funeral service will be held on Monday, February 10, at 1:00 PM, at Park Chapel Christian Church in Greenfield, IN. The family is requesting that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the John and Wilma Dunn Church Planting Scholarship Fund at OKWU.
