Wayne Shaw

Biography

Wayne Shaw was born and raised on a farm. He went to a one room country school until he was in the eighth grade. He earned a degree in Secondary Education from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX with an emphasis in math and history. He also received a Master’s degree from Lincoln University in Lincoln, IL, and a Doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. Wayne and his wife, Anna, spent one summer studying at The Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem, Israel. After graduating, Shaw taught in the public high school in Yellville, AR.

He and his wife served as missionaries in Liberia, W. Africa, where he taught in Liberia Christian High School and Liberia Christian College. Over the past few years, he has served as an adjunct professor for Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville. Shaw has served as a pastor most of his life. He served as the senior pastor at First Christian Church in Grove for fifteen years before being elected to the Senate in 2012.

Sen. Shaw has been working with Dr. Joe Wilson in the Oklahoma Prison Chapel Program, which has successfully built six chapels in Oklahoma prisons. The senator has visited and spoken in several of our prisons. Sen. Shaw officiated football for 31 years before retiring a couple of years ago. He served as volunteer chaplain for the Grove Police Department. Before being elected, he served on the board for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates—advocates for neglected and abused children), Abundant Blessing Center (Pregnancy Center) and Grove CAN (Community Action Network—drug prevention) all in Grove.

The Shaws got married in 1968. They have three grown children—Doug, Teresa and Timothy. They also have five grandchildren. Over their 50 years of marriage, Wayne and Anna have cared for 20 foster children in their home.