Steve Green, President of Hobby Lobby and Chairman of Museum of the Bible, Speaks at Regent University

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (April 20, 2022) – Today, the president of Hobby Lobby and chairman of the board for Museum of the Bible, Steve Green, gave an encouraging address to Regent students, faculty, and staff at Regent’s Shaw Chapel in Virginia Beach.

“I’m excited about what the Lord has led my wife and I to do through the Museum of the Bible,” Green shared in his opening remarks. “First, I want to tell you about the history of Hobby Lobby.”

Green recalled the early days of his father’s retail career at a Five & Dime store in Oklahoma City, OK. In 1970, the Greens began manufacturing miniature picture frames in their family home. Just two years later in 1972, the very first Hobby Lobby retail location opened in a small 600-square-foot storefront. In August 2022, Hobby Lobby will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first store.

“The mission of Hobby Lobby is this: ‘Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles,” Green shared. His father faithfully reminded Green that, “This is not our business. Without God intervening, we would not have a business. This is God’s business. We need to do it God’s way.”

He noted the importance of supporting God’s work and leading a life of humble service to the Lord. “While there have been many different efforts that our family has been involved in, ultimately we want to support God’s work.”

Over time, the Green family began acquiring a collection of biblical artifacts and was led to build an organization that would showcase the power of God through the Bible. “At Museum of the Bible, we invite all people to engage with the transformative power of the Bible,” he shared. “The Bible tells a story and it all points to one event, and that is the death of Christ on the cross. Because of that one event, we have hope.”

Green urged listeners to read the Bible and to be encouraged by it. “I pray if that Book is sitting on your nightstand, open it. Read it. Engage with it. Let God speak to you through it. Our living God will show up and speak to you.”

Green became President of Hobby Lobby in 2004 and has helped his family grow the business to more than 900 stores in 47 states with over 43,000 employees. He is a national speaker on both business and philanthropy interests, always focusing on how his faith intersects with his life endeavors.

In his role as chairman of the board for Museum of the Bible, Green has assembled a team of academics, designers, technology professionals and other experts to create the 430,000-square-foot Museum of the Bible, dedicated to a scholarly and engaging presentation of the Bible’s impact, history, and narrative. The Museum opened November 2017 in Washington D.C., three blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

Green has authored four books: Faith in America (2011), The Bible in America (2013), This Dangerous Book (2017), and This Beautiful Book (2019). His books can be found in Hobby Lobby stores across the nation, and online.

Green and his wife, Jackie, have been married for more than 30 years and reside in Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is headquartered. Their family includes a son, five daughters, a daughter-in-law, three sons-in-law and six grandchildren. They are actively involved in their local church, as well as with many national and international Christian ministries and charities.

“We are grateful to Steve Green for sharing this inspiring message with our students, faculty, and staff,” said Chris Lambert, vice president for Advancement at Regent University. “The Green family is making a profound impact for the Kingdom of God. We praise the Lord for the important work they are doing to advance the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus and impact countless lives around the world.”

To learn more about Regent University, visit www.regent.edu.

About Regent University Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university with more than 11,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University is ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for nine years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2021).