James Lankford
Encyclopedia
James Lankford is the U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 for . He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

.

From 1996-2009 he was the student ministries and evangelism specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma
Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma
The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma is a group of churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the convention is made up of 43 Baptist associations and around 1,800 churches as of 2010...

, and was director of the Falls Creek youth programing at the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center
Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center
Falls Creek Baptist church camp, also known simply as "Falls Creek", is a conference center and youth camp along Falls Creek in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma. It is the state's oldest church camp and is also the largest youth encampment in the United States...

 in Davis, Oklahoma. He stepped down on September 1, 2009 to run for Congress.

Early life and education

Lankford was born in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

. His mother was a public school librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...

 and homemaker. His father is a retired engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

. Some of his grandparents owned a small dry cleaning business. His ancestors were dairy farmers. James’ stepfather was a Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

 veteran and a career employee of AC Delco, the parts division of General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

.

He attended the University of Texas, where he received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in Secondary Education. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a private, non-profit institution of higher education, associated with the Southern Baptist Convention...

 and received a master’s degree in Divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...

.

Camp Director

After graduating, he moved to Edmond
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....

 and served with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma
Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma
The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma is a group of churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the convention is made up of 43 Baptist associations and around 1,800 churches as of 2010...

. He became the Program Director of Falls Creek
Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center
Falls Creek Baptist church camp, also known simply as "Falls Creek", is a conference center and youth camp along Falls Creek in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma. It is the state's oldest church camp and is also the largest youth encampment in the United States...

, the largest Christian camp in the U.S. with over 51,000 people attending in 2009.

2010 election

Primary
Lankford defeated former State Rep. Kevin Calvey in the run off.
General election
Lankford defeated Billy Coyle.

Committee assignments

  • Committee on the Budget
    United States House Committee on the Budget
    The U.S. House Committee on the Budget, commonly known as the House Budget Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress...

  • Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
    • Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management
    • Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform (Chairman)
  • Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
    United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
    The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...

    • Subcommittee on Aviation
      United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation
      The Subcommittee on Aviation is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over civil aviation, including most aspects of the Federal Aviation Administration , the Transportation Security Administration, and the National...

    • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
      United States House Transportation Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
      The Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment is a subcommittee within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over water conservation, pollution control, infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup, the civil works programs of the U.S. Army...


Personal life

Lankford has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 18 years. Cindy is a Speech-Language Pathologist. They have two daughters: Hannah (13) and Jordan (10).

He is a member of the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...

, Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Chamber of Commerce, South Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Chamber of Commerce, and the NRA
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...

.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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