April 28, 2015 (Jackson) - Belhaven University Memphis and DeSoto campuses will honor its graduating students on May 8, 2015 at 7 p.m. at Kirby Woods Baptist Church, 6325 Poplar Avenue.
Pastor Bartholomew Orr will be the commencement speaker. Pastor Orr is the Senior Pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church and has served as pastor for 22 years. He began preaching in 1981 at the age of eleven. He was licensed to preach in 1983 and was ordained in 1986. Pastor Orr was elected pastor of Brown Missionary Baptist Church on January 25, 1989. Under his leadership, the church has experienced tremendous growth, spiritually and numerically.
In 2003, he received his Masters of Divinity degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Germantown, Tenn. He earned his undergraduate degree in Humanities from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn. in 1991. Presently, Pastor Orr is pursuing a D.Min degree from Union University in Jackson, Tenn.
As the church family grows, Pastor Orr works diligently to ensure that Brown maintains a family-church atmosphere. Under his watch, he has seen a children's ministry expand to more than 400 children, formed partnerships with community members to ensure that individuals have access to health screenings and career opportunities. During this period, Pastor Orr and his wife, Valarie, have grown their family. They have four sons; Bartholomew II, Valiant Bates, Bradford and Brandon.
For additional information, please contact Tony Peterson at the Memphis campus at (901) 767-8977.