Commencement Festivities May 6-7
Submitted on May 3, 2022
Georgetown College will hold Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies this weekend. Due to past restrictions due to the COVID 19 pandemic, it will be the first time since 2019 that these will take place in the traditional manner.
The Baccalaureate address will begin at 7 PM Friday, May 6th, on Gidding’s Lawn (or in John L. Hill Chapel in case of rain).
The address will be given by the Rev. Richard Gaines, pastor of Consolidated Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., since 1996. Gaines has served on numerous boards, including the Georgetown College’s Board of Trustees. He is currently an executive board member for the United Way of the Bluegrass and the recipient of several honors and awards, including the Kentuckiana Metroversity Outstanding Scholarship and Service Award, YMCA Black Achiever, and Outstanding Young Men of America.
During the Baccalaureate the Marshall Center for Christian Ministry will present three awards for Christian service at the College. These honorary and monetary awards, which are peer-chosen and given to individuals who are known for their dedication to Christ and exemplary Christian service, include the Dr. George Walker Redding Faculty Award, The Marshall Center for Christian Ministry Staff Award, and the Norman & Martha Yocum Lytle Graduating Senior Award. The awards will be presented by the Rev. Jeremy Shannon, ’10, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Fort Thomas, Ky., and chairman of the board for the Marshall Center for Christian Ministry.
At Commencement on Saturday, May 7th at 10 AM, degrees will be awarded to 171 undergraduate and 50 graduate students on Giddings lawn (rain site is the Davis-Reid Alumni Gym). Professor Emeritus Margaret (Thornton) Greynolds, a Georgetown College graduate of 1959 and retired GC communications arts professor, will receive an honorary degree during the ceremony. The Cawthorne Award for excellence in teaching will be given to a faculty member and President Dr. Rosemary Allen will present the President’s Award for excellence in the classroom and Christian servant leadership to a graduating senior. Golden Agers alumni from the classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972 will participate in the ceremony as well in celebration of the 50th anniversary of their Georgetown College graduations.
The Rev. Mary Alice Birdwhistell, ’09, will give the Commencement address. Birdwhistell is pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville. Prior to that she was pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. After graduating from Georgetown College with a degree in English she attended Truett Seminary at Baylor University, receiving her Master of Divinity degree in 2014. She serves on the board for the Marshall Center for Christian Ministry, writes for various Christian publications, and is writing a book for Westminster John Knox Press, to be published in 2024.
Link to watch the Baccalaureate ceremony on live streaming: https://youtu.be/8rO7YIPvGyg
Link to watch the Commencement ceremony on live streaming: https://youtu.be/HVLPiw9Np1M
