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Houghton Announces Spring 2024 Commencement Speaker

Commencement Speaker - Courtesy of Marketing and Communications
By Joshua Carpenter ('24)

Today, Dec. 1, Houghton administration announced that Dr. Wayne Schmidt was selected as the commencement speaker for the senior class of spring 2024.

President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. met Schmidt early in his presidency and has been working closely with him ever since. When the time came to select a commencement speaker for the Class of 2024, there was more that stood out to Lewis than Schmidt’s experience in pastoral ministry and higher education.

“In addition to being the capable leader of our Wesleyan movement in North America,” says Lewis, “[Schmidt] is a trusted friend and mentor … I thank God for his continued guidance and encouragement as a Christian leader, husband, and father.”

Serving as General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church since 2016, Schmidt has attended various Board Meetings over the years, which is how he met Provost David Davies.

“While we’ve not had extensive interaction,” says Davies, “I’ve found him to be a humble, Godly man with a clear heart for the students of Houghton University.”

Before he was elected General Superintendent, Schmidt served as the chief administrative officer of Wesley Seminary at Indiana University from 2010-2016. In 1979, he co-founded Kentwood Community Church (KCC) in the Grand Rapids, Michigan Area, first serving as a co-founding pastor and then as a senior pastor until 2009. His contributions to KCC include leadership in planting the church, as well as 10 other daughter churches across his tenure.

“With a career in both academic and church environments,” says Davies, “and a lifetime commitment to our sponsoring denomination, he is well suited to serve as Houghton’s commencement speaker.”

When asked what he would like to say to the senior class, Schmidt says, “I believe God honors a heart of humility with abundant measures of His grace. Being humble and hungry (lifelong learner) leads to fullness of life.”

For more information on Dr. Schmidt, visit his blog on the Wesleyan Church’s official website where he discusses what he has learned from 40 years of ministry. ★

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News

Houghton University Announces 2023 Commencement Speaker

Taken from The Chapel Website
By Joshua Carpenter

For the 2023 academic year, Houghton University has announced Pastor Jerry Gillis as its commencement speaker. 

Pastor Gillis is the Lead Pastor of The Chapel: a church based in Western New York with campuses in Cheektowaga, Getzville, Lockport, and Niagara Falls. 

According to The Chapel’s official website, its mission as a church is “to ensure that every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” and to see through good news and good deeds that “God loves you.” 

Houghton University has “enjoyed [its] relationship and partnership with The Chapel over many years,” says President Lewis. “Pastor Jerry and I connected immediately as brothers in Christ and as Southerners.”

When Pastor Gillis received an invitation to deliver the commencement address for the 2023 graduates, he responded with “surprise and honor”. President Lewis had earlier reached out to Pastor Gillis, along with other pastors and leaders, and developed a relationship with him over a meal and a few other occasions, which is why Pastor Gillis was surprised to find that he had been selected to speak at one of Houghton University’s most significant events of the year. 

Though they may not have been long and frequent, the meetings the two spent together highlighted what President Lewis was looking for in a commencement speaker. “Central to [Pastor Gillis’] leadership and service are his conviction and burning desire to teach, preach, and demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am confident that he will deliver a message for the Houghton class of 2023 that is both inspiring and challenging.” 

As a preview of the speech to come, Pastor Gillis shared what he expects to accomplish with his speech. 

“My hope in addressing the graduates,” Pastor Gillis writes, “is to celebrate with them, encourage them, and challenge them to begin this new chapter of their lives on the foundation of Christ. Basically I want to remind them to never graduate from Jesus.”★

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2021 Commencement to be Held in Person

2017 graduates filing to attend their Commencement cerremony. COURTESY OF AMY TETTA

By Elise Koebl (‘22)

It has been a little over a year since Covid scared the world and was thrown into a pandemic. Houghton College students were sent home a little over halfway into their spring semester, and the class of 2020 saw their graduation ceremony performed online through a virtual stream on Youtube. With so many changes to daily life and starting to see the world regain some normalcy, many have been wondering what this year’s graduation will look like compared to last year. 

Michelle Miller has good news to share for the class of 2021. Houghton College is planning to hold commencement on May 8th in person this year with a modified in-person event. Seniors will get to walk around the quad led by the bagpipers like they did four years ago. “Specifically, graduates will be located in the CFA to watch the ceremony until they are ready to walk across the stage in Wesley Chapel to receive their diploma. Each senior is invited to bring two guests to campus to view the ceremony via live stream at various locations around campus and then join their graduates for an outdoor reception.” There is also going to be a baccalaureate service that will be for seniors only, no guests are allowed as there is no guest seating. 

Due to current Covid guidelines, Miller expressed difficulty with preparations for commencement, “Planning has been challenging to say the least due to the ever-changing COVID guidance from New York State.  We have considered nearly every possible option on campus, with the exception of the ski hill, for hosting the events in-person for graduates and all of their guests.  While the creative juices were flowing for the past few months on behalf of our 243 graduates, we are ultimately constrained by NYS guidance which is in place for the safety of everyone.  This year’s weekend is a step forward from last year’s full virtual events, but not as “normal” as the 2019 in-person, traditional events that we’ve enjoyed for so many years.” 

Both Commencement and the Baccalaureate will be viewable to the public via an online stream. While it is not completely back to normal as most would hope, it is very welcome that the seniors can march on the quad like they did several years ago. ★