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Commencement speakers at Disciples institutions include Selig, McGovern (5/14/08)
By Heidi Bright Parales, DisciplesWorld contributing writer
(5/14/08) — National figures and prominent Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) speakers are inspiring graduates of Disciples-related schools this spring during commencement exercises.
Among the graduation speakers are Allan H. (Bud) Selig, commissioner of major league baseball, Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002; and George McGovern, Democratic nominee for U.S. president in 1972.
Disciples speakers include renowned preacher Fred B. Craddock, Cynthia Hale, senior pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Ga.,
Commencements at Disciples-related colleges and universities include, in alphabetical order:
Barton College, Wilson, N.C.
Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, will speak at Barton College's 106th commencement Sunday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m. About 220 seniors will participate. Ekman previously served as vice president for programs of Atlantic Philanthropies and, from 1991 to 1999, as secretary of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Bethany College, Bethany, W.Va.
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, ninth commissioner of major league baseball, will talk on baseball as a metaphor for life on Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m. Selig was owner and president of the Milwaukee Brewers until being elected commissioner. While commissioner, baseball revenues increase by more than 400 percent, and he is credited with encouraging construction of 15 new stadiums that fueled the sport’s rapid growth. A baccalaureate service is set for 8 p.m. Friday, May 16. Thomas E. Johnson Jr., an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, will speak. He is head of school and co-founder of The Neighborhood Academy in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Chapman University, Orange, Calif.
Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002, will address the Chapman University undergraduates at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. Pearl, a UCLA computer science professor, and his wife created the Daniel Pearl Foundation in 2002 to continue their son’s life work of dialogue and understanding and to address the root causes of his tragedy. Caroline Baron, co-founder of A-Line Pictures and founder of FilmAid International, will speak during the graduate ceremony at 5 p.m. FilmAid International uses motion pictures to provide information on HIV/AIDS, land mine awareness, health and hygiene, women’s rights, and conflict resolution.
Columbia College, Columbia, Mo.
Daytime students graduated on Saturday, May 10. Columbia College-Fort Drum and Columbia College-Hancock Field held a commencement ceremony April 27.
Culver-Stockton College, Canton, Mo.
Culver-Stockton College presented diplomas to 189 students in ceremonies on Saturday, May 10. Donald M. Claycomb, president of Linn State Technical College, Linn, Mo., spoke.
Drury University, Springfield, Mo.
George McGovern, former U.S. Senator and later Democratic presidential nominee in 1972, will speak during the Saturday, May 17 ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Tim Posey, associate registrar, said they are excited to have a former presidential candidate at commencement. “It’s odd to think that the students coming in now weren’t around when he was more known. It’ll be interesting to see any comments they might have,” he said.McGovern was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 and was appointed United Nations Global Ambassador on World Hunger in 2001.
Eureka College, Eureka, Ill.
The dean of Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences in Medford, Mass., delivered the commencement address at Eureka College graduation on Saturday, May 3. Robert J. Sternberg spoke on “How Higher Education Can Produce the Next Generation of Positive Leaders,” and about 130 bachelor’s degrees were awarded. Sternberg is internationally known for his studies of the multiple dimensions of human intelligence and their practical implications for everyday life.
Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio
Philip Lader, U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland from 1997-2001 and assistant to U.S. President Bill Clinton, delivered the commencement address May 10.
Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins, Texas
Cynthia Hale, senior pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Ga., addressed graduates of Jarvis Christian College on Saturday, May 3. The church has an active membership of 5,000 and an average of 1,500 in worship each Sunday morning. Hale was inducted into the African American Biographies Hall of Fame and Martin Luther King’s Board of Preachers, Atlanta, Ga. In 2004, she became the first woman Chaplain of the Day for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Va.
Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Preston Bryant was invited to conclude Lynchburg College's yearlong emphasis on the environment, "A Greener Tomorrow Today," during the May 10 graduation event. A total of 546 degrees were awarded. Bryant represented Lynchburg for 10 years in the Virginia House of Delegates, sponsoring legislation related to water. Jeffrey Wilson, former vice president of Homeland Ministries for the Disciples of Christ, addressed the college’s baccalaureate service on Friday, May 9.
Midway College, Midway, Ky.
Retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, one of the most successful jockeys of all time, addressed graduates at Midway College on Saturday, May 10. McCarron won the Kentucky Derby twice, as well as winning two Preakness Stakes and five Breeders' Cup Classics. Sarah Wilson, director of public relations at Midway, said McCarron opened the North American Racing Academy at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Midway College granted degrees to more than 300 students — its largest graduating class ever.
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas
TCU, the largest Disciples-related school, offered commencement Saturday, May 10. Roger Williams, 105th secretary of state for Texas and a university trustee, spoke. His daughter was among the 1,400 students graduating.
Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky.
Transylvania University commencement is 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 24. John Churchill, secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s oldest academic honorary society, will address the largest graduating class in Transylvania’s history. Churchill was formerly vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Hendrix College, where he also served as professor of philosophy and twice as interim president.
William Woods University, Fulton, Mo.
William Woods University graduated 545 students in two ceremonies. Mark Penny, assistant superintendent for the Moberly (Mo.) Public Schools and an adjunct professor at the university, addressed the graduate students Friday, May 9. Kouassi Kouakou, senior research scientist for Campbell Soup Company, spoke to the undergraduates Saturday, May 10.
Theological Institutions
Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas
The Brite Hooding Ceremony was at University Christian Church on Saturday, May 10. Toni Craven, professor of Hebrew Bible, preached.
Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis
Bishop Medardo E. Gomez-Sota, leader of the Salvadoran Lutheran Synod in El Salvador, will offer a public address on emigration at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at CTS. He will speak during commencement at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. After Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated in 1980, Bishop Gomez became one of the most influential leaders for justice and peace during the civil war in El Salvador. He has served as president of the Lutheran Church in Central America and Panama, been founder and rector of the Salvadoran Lutheran University, and was an executive committee member of the Lutheran World Federation. He was considered for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.
Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
Ana K. Gobledale will speak at the annual convocation of the Disciples Divinity House on Thursday, June 12. An alumna and author, she has recently returned from Mulgrave, Australia, where she was professor of practical ministry at the Churches of Christ Theological College, under the auspices of Global Ministries. The graduating Disciples Divinity House Scholars will receive their degrees at the University of Chicago's commencement Friday, June 13. A member of the faculty will address the graduates.
Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tenn.
Disciples Divinity House students participated in commencement at Vanderbilt Divinity School on Friday, May 9, after a special Disciples House-Vanderbilt post-baccalaureate celebration dinner on Thursday, May 8. The speaker for the Disciples House event was Viki Matson, director of field education and assistant professor of the practice of ministry at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Disciples House graduated seven Disciples with the Masters of Divinity and one with the Masters of Theological Studies. Five of the seven M.Div. graduates will be ordained this summer. Two have positions in congregations as part of Disciples House's Transition into Ministry program, and four others are in the search and call process.
Disciples Seminary Foundation, Claremont, Calif.
Commencement at Claremont School of Theology is at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 17. Pacific School of Religion has graduation at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 25.
Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, Ky.
Robert Cueni, president of LTS, will address the May 16 graduation ceremony on “Grizzled Practitioner’s Reflections on Ministry.” He will speak during the 10 a.m. exercises conducted on the University of Kentucky campus, when 26 students will receive their degrees. Cueni recently announced his intention to retire.
Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, Okla.
Fred B. Craddock, renowned Disciples preacher, will speak to the graduating class at PTS at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 17 at First Christian Church, Tulsa. Craddock was named one of the 12 greatest preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University in 1996. Currently, he is director of the Craddock Center, Cherry Log, Ga., and Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament, Emeritus, Candler School of Theology. The ceremony is the seminary’s final celebration in a series of centennial events.
