UNION UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL EVENTS FOR PRESIDENT DAVID DOCKERY OCT. 14-17
JACKSON, October 7-- Union University has announced a variety of activities celebrating the inauguration of David S. Dockery as the University's 15th president.
Highlighting the week's activities is Dockery's inauguration service, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m. in the G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel. During the program, Dockery will deliver his inaugural address, titled "Vision and Values: Toward a Great Commandment University."
Inaugural festivities kick off Monday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m, when Christian pop group Newsong headlines a three-act concert on the South lawn of Union's campus. Other artists featured include up-and-coming singer Ellen O'Donnell and Jackson-based group A Cross Between, featuring former members of Acapella Vocal Band. The concert is free and open to the public. Blankets are recommended for the festival seating atmosphere.
Union will host a community prayer breakfast for area residents Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 a.m. in the University's Coburn Dining Room. Clark Shaw, CEO of Jackson's Old Country Store and Restaurant, will be the program's featured speaker. The breakfast is complimentary, but reservations must be made before Oct. 9 by calling (901) 661-5214.
Activities continue Wednesday, Oct. 16, with an inaugural convocation service at 10 a.m. in Union's G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel. Millard Erickson, distinguished professor of theology at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary and at Western Seminary in Portland, Ore., will present a lecture titled "The Christian Heart and Mind in the Twenty-First Century."
Erickson, one of the nation's leading evangelical scholars, has authored 22 books including the three-volume Christian Theology and the Word Became Flesh, both of which received Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Publishers Association. In 1991, Christianity Today magazine recognized The Word Became Flesh as the Best Book in Theology. His writings are the topic of a forthcoming book edited by Dockery, titled New Dimension in Evangelical Theology: Essays in Honor of Millard J. Erickson.
A Community worship service is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Jackson Civic Center. Jimmy Draper, president of the Baptist Sunday School Board, will lead services. Draper leads the Sunday School Board, one of the world's largest publishing houses, in producing all educational materials for the Southern Baptist Convention.
Special music will be provided by contemporary Christian performing artist Marshall Kellam of Louisville, Ky. Kellam, who will perform selections from his new album, Now is the Time, has shared stages with evangelists Billy Graham and Chuck Colson.
Congregational singing will be led by singer-songwriter Chuck Maxwell, program coordinator of Jackson's Northbrook Baptist Church. Maxwell has five albums to his credit, including Love Takes Time, his most recent release. He has written and recorded theme songs for the Southern Baptist Convention's Home and Foreign Mission Boards, the Baptist Brotherhood Commission, World Changers and the American Family Association.
A mass community choir will perform at the service, and individuals wishing to participate are encouraged to arrive for rehearsal at 5:45 p.m.
For information about any inaugural activities, call Union's office of public relations at (901) 661-5216 or (800) 338-6644.
