This service is an SEBTS commencement service. The service begins with prayer (00:00-13:38). Douglas H. Pruden was recognized as the representative from this graduating senior class (13:39-14:29). President Stealey offers warm words of thanks and congratulations to this graduating class (14:30-19:02). He then introduces the speaker, Carl Elkanah Bates, who was pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC (19:03-20:45). Special music and singing occurs before he begins to speak (20:46-26:17). His subject for the message is “Nineteen Years From Now,” relating his own life with the lives of those who are graduating and hoping to impart something helpful for them to carry into their futures, namely that God will be with them day after day, until the end of the age. He also encourages them to be fervent in prayer, humilty, and endurance, which are provided in God’s plan through His grace and love (26:18-50:21). The service ends in prayer (50:22-51:27).
The service begins with prayer (00:00-01:12), and Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 6:20-25, Psalm 121, Isaiah 55 is read (01:13-07:13). Next, Scripture is read aloud from Ephesians 3:14-21 (07:14-08:40). After this Scripture reading, Dr. Stewart Albert Newman, Professor of Theology and Philosophy of Religion, is introduced to bring the faculty’s charge to those graduating (08:41-09:54). He says that students have been equipped with two main tools to be reasonably successful: a structure of accurate and well-ordered knowledge, and a right spirit or motives (09:55-15:52). One last word of admonition is given, namely that they would not lose sight of their spirits in the rushing of events and the busyness and stress of ministry. He exhorts the graduates to blend their knowledge with this right spirit which honors God (15:53-25:12). A closing prayer is offered (25:13-25:40).