May 4, 2003 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Waynesburg College will hold its 152nd annual baccalaureate service and commencement exercises Sunday, May 11, beginning at 11 a.m. on the front lawn of Miller Hall. The Rev. Wintley Phipps, gospel singer and founder and president of U.S. Dream Academy, will deliver the keynote address, and Dr. M. Craig Barnes, Meneilly professor of leadership and ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, will give the baccalaureate address.

Five hundred twenty-five students will graduate from the college, including more than 325 with bachelor’s degrees and 135 with master’s degrees. Other students have earned associate degrees or completed a degree since last May. International students who will graduate are from Botswana, Kazakhstan, Russia, Rwanda and Spain.

This year’s class of 200 is the largest graduating class of adult students ever at Waynesburg College.

“This year’s commencement weekend has been thoughtfully planned to the last detail,” said college President Timothy Thyreen. “We want our graduates to know that we are proud of their hard work and accomplishments, and as a thank-you, we have invited some very inspirational people to our commencement weekend.”

Rev. Phipps, who sang “Heal Our Land” at last year’s Waynesburg College commencement, will present this year’s keynote address, “The Power of a Dream.” Phipps is a two-time Grammy-Award-nominated gospel singer who has sung for every sitting U.S. president since Ronald Reagan. He is founder and president of U.S. Dream Academy Inc., an online Christian academic resource for at-risk children and youth, headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Rev. Phipps was born in Trinidad, West Indies, and raised in Montreal, Canada. He attended Kingsway College, a Christian academy, and received his bachelor of arts degree in theology from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Ala., and his master of divinity degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich.

Rev. Phipps has traveled the world for more than 25 years singing the praise of God, with favorite songs like “Fill the World With Love,” “Tell Me Again,” “Coming Again,” “The Sun Will Shine Again,” and “God Bless America.” He uses his influence to help children of prisoners to realize the importance of academics and pursue their dreams.

Phipps and his wife, Linda Diane Galloway Phipps, have three sons and live in Vero Beach, Fla.

Barnes, who previously served as the senior pastor of the National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C., is the author of numerous published articles and several books. Barnes was ordained into the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1981. He earned his master of divinity degree from Princeton Seminary, and his doctorate from the University of Chicago. He started his career as pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisc.

Barnes and his wife, Anne, have one daughter, Lyndsey, and reside in Pittsburgh.

The commencement exercises will begin at 2:30 p.m., also on the front lawn of Miller Hall. Waynesburg College trustees and faculty marshal the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Kisner will lead the commencement processional from Wayne Street, through the town parks and up to the front lawn of Miller Hall. The processional will include trustees, special guests, vice presidents, deans, faculty and students.

The class of 2003 valedictorian, who will be announced Tuesday, will address the college community during commencement exercises. In addition, a student from the Graduate and Professional Studies Program will be chosen to speak on behalf of the adult graduates.

The college will confer honorary degrees on Phipps and Barnes.

“Waynesburg College is thrilled to honor these accomplished individuals,” Thyreen said. “They have used their gifts to make a difference in their communities and our world. I am happy to have them be a part of our college celebration.”

In the event of inclement weather, the baccalaureate service and commencement exercises will be held in the Marisa Fieldhouse. For more information, call 724-852-3293.