April 5, 2012 (Jackson) - Students at the Belhaven Memphis Campus will be receiving their diplomas at commencement on April 26, 2012. The Belhaven Memphis Commencement will start at 7:00 P.M. at Second Presbyterian Church.
Don Jones, Director of Admission & Student Services at Belhaven Memphis, said, “We are proud to continue Belhaven’s 130 year history with the presentation of this year’s graduates. From all walks of life, these students have joined us in their academic journey. Our staff and faculty are blessed to have traveled with them.”
Rev. Rufus Smith, IV will be the commencement speaker for the graduating class. Rev. Smith is the Associate Pastor of Preaching/Teaching and a Senior Manager at Hope Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. For 13 years he served as the Sr. Pastor of City of Refuge (COR) Church, an intentionally integrated, biblically centered and socially active congregation.
In addition, he was the Founder and CEO of the Forge for Families (FFF), a Community Development Center into the Greater 3rd Ward Community of Houston. FFF used athletics, after-school enrichment, adult life-skills, and entrepreneurial indigenous leadership development, as a means to empower “at risk” single parents and struggling families. Under his leadership, FFF successfully completed a $6,000,000 million dollar capital campaign and built a 40,000 square foot campus, debt free.
For three years, Rev. Smith was the lead chaplain for the NBA Houston Rockets and he continues to advise on other local/national boards. He studied at Houston Baptist University majoring in theology and psychology. Rev. Smith and wife his Jacqueline have three children.
Belhaven stands among the select Christian colleges and universities that offer a unique general core curriculum encouraging the development of a personal worldview. The university believes a Christian worldview is a key to preparing men and women academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus in their careers, in human relationships, and in the world of ideas.
Founded in 1883, Belhaven University now serves over 3,000 students from campuses in Jackson, Memphis, Orlando, Houston, Chattanooga, Atlanta and online, offering traditional undergraduate degrees, graduate and adult degree programs, and online degree programs.