Sunday, Sept. 12, kicks off Lee University’s fall convocation series, a special time where the entire university comes together to worship, reflect, and dedicate the rest of the semester to the Lord.
“Convocation is a highlight of the fall and spring semesters,” said President Mark Walker. “The spiritual lives of so many of our students go to deeper transformative levels as a result. I am looking forward to being led in worship by our student led LeeU worship team and to hearing our guest speakers. We have an outstanding lineup!”
This semester’s Convocation theme is “Hunger.” Each service will have a different speaker, beginning with Dr. Walker on Sunday and concluding Wednesday night with Lee’s campus pastor Rob Fultz.
Lee University’s president traditionally opens Convocation week, and this semester is no exception as Dr. Walker speaks Sunday to begin the series. Dr. Walker is in his second year as Lee’s president, after having served as the vice president for ministerial development and chair of the Department of Christian Ministries at Lee for three years. He was also on Lee’s Board of Directors for seven years. Prior to Lee, he served as the senior pastor of Mount Paran North Church of God for 25 years and has been a frequent speaker at Lee’s Convocation in the past.
National speaker and best-selling author Rebekah Lyons will speak Monday evening. Drawing from her own personal experience with overcoming anxiety and depression, Ms. Lyons invites her readers and listeners to discover and pursue their God-given purpose. With her husband Gabe, Lyons has four children, two of whom have Down syndrome. Her work has been featured on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review, and more.
Gloria Scott-Richmond will bring the message Tuesday morning during Lee’s regularly scheduled chapel. She joined the Lee staff full time in 2020 as Lee’s first director of racial and ethnic relations. She is a Lee alumna and has spent the past 10 years working with Lee’s Evangelistic Singers choir. Prior to becoming the director of racial and ethnic relations, Ms. Scott-Richmond worked in the Cleveland City School system for 30 years.
Following Ms. Scott-Richmond on Tuesday evening is Dr. Josh Rice. Rice, a frequent chapel speaker at Lee, serves as university provost and dean of the School of Ministry at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta. A graduate of Lee University, Columbia Theological Seminary, and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Dr. Rice has served in full-time pastoral ministry for over 15 years and teaches as an adjunct for the School of Religion at Lee, both online and in the graduate program. He and his wife Johanna have two daughters.
Pastor Fultz will close Convocation on Wednesday night. A Lee alumnus, Mr. Fultz joined Lee in 2018 as the campus pastor and director of spiritual life. Mr. Fultz served in many pastoral ministry roles before returning to Lee, most recently as the lead campus pastor at Saddleback Church in Corona, California. He has two children with his wife Dana.
Weeknight Convocation services begin at 7:30, and morning services start at 10:40. Each service will open with worship and praise songs led by LeeU Worship.
The university encourages all students to attend and welcomes the community. Services are hosted in multiple locations with live streaming, due to health and safety concerns surrounding COVID-19. Lee’s current COVID-19 protocols require masks in all indoor areas, which would include Convocation. Guests are welcome to attend or join via live stream at livestream.com/leeu.
For more information about Convocation and other chapel events, contact the Campus Ministry office at 614-8420.