Thomas Jackson was the pastor of McLean Baptist Church in McLean, VA. The service opens with a word of prayer (0:00:00-0:00:41). The speaker makes an announcement welcoming everyone to Commencement and addresses changes that will be made to the order of the service (0:00:42-0:02:14). John H. Clifford, a trustee from Maryland, announces the recipient of the Citation for Excellence in Christian Ministry Award, Wesley M. Ensor, pastor of Pilot Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC (0:02:15-0:07:52). Wesley Ensor gives a small speech of gratitude (0:07:53-0:10:12). The speaker reads from Mark 10:32-45 and gives a word of prayer (0:10:12-0:15:50). A class gift is given to Dr. Randall Lolley (0:15:51-0:17:27). Awards are given to graduating students (0:17:28-0:27:15). Thomas Jackson is introduced at the Commencement speaker (0:27:16-0:28:06). The choir leads in a song of worship (0:28:07-0:30:32). Jackson encourages the graduates to minister in the manor of a servant and keep a spirit of humility rather than a spirit of self-aggrandisement (0:30:33-1:05:54). The service ends with a prayer and benediction (1:05:55-1:07:24).
The service opens with a word of prayer (00:00-00:54). The speaker and audience read from the prayer of confession, and there is a time of private confession followed by a public word of prayer (00:55-03:37). The choir leads in a song of worship (03:38-07:01). The speaker reads from John 6:25-35 and gives a word of prayer (07:02-10:10). The speaker delivers a sermonette on the importance of Jesus being the bread of life (10:11-25:50). He delivers a closing statement and gives a word of prayer (25:51-27:28). The elements of communion are distributed to the audience (27:29-31:05). The speaker leads the audience in the partaking of the elements and ends with a word of prayer (31:06-32:10). The service ends with a prolonged period of silence (32:11-36:53).
William Bishop was the Director of the Teaching Training Ministries of the South Carolina Baptist General Board. The service begins with a word of prayer (00:00-01:38). William Bishop is introduced as the chapel speaker (01:39-02:56). The choir sings a song of worship (02:57-06:10). Bishop begins with a story about one of his professors at Furman University (06:11-10:08). Bishop reads from Matthew 28:19-20, and he gives the main points of the Great Commission and their application for Sunday school ministry in the local church (10:09-28:52). Bishop ends the service with a word of prayer (28:53-29:21).
Malcolm O. Tolbert was Professor of New Testament. The service begins with the speaker reading from John 1, and he gives a word of prayer (00:00-03:16). The choir sings a song of worship (03:17-06:12). Tolbert begins his sermon by speaking on the importance of Jesus’ incarnation and his lowly status in society (06:13-15:13). Tolbert argues from Scripture that we should emulate the life of Christ, and he shares the story of a man in Japan who sought to live like Christ even in his difficult circumstances (15:14-25:12).
James Brad Chance, III was Visiting Instructor of New Testament. Chance begins his sermon by reading Philippians 3:8-11, and he leads the audience in a word of prayer (00:00-03:58). In the first part of Chance’s sermon, he asks the question of where we can find union with Christ in Baptist life, and he argues that it is not found in our ecclesiastical powers (03:59-13:39). In the second part of Chance’s sermon, he argues that union with Christ is found in conforming to the image of Christ through suffering (13:40-23:37).
John Rowan Claypool, IV was the pastor of Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, MS. The service begins with a word of prayer and the singing of a hymn (0:00:00-0:02:26). Theodore Adams introduces John Rowan Claypool, IV as the Adams Lecturer (0:02:27-0:05:30). The choir sings a song of worship (0:05:31-0:07:54). John Claypool begins his lecture by speaking on the privilege to share a stage with Theodore Adam (0:07:55-0:09:04). He continues to speak on the question from the previous lecture about the aim of Christian ministry, and he says that the problem of our restless fulfilment begins with the first humans who chose fulfilment outside of God (01:09:05-0:15:22). Claypool moves to the topic of the current lecture, and he first investigates the nature of humans being image bearers and the need in ministry to value image bearers (0:15:23-0:42:11). He brings up the story of the prodigal son, and he uses the story to describe the process of a good minister faithfully working to bring the lost soul back to Christ (0:42:12-0:55:20). Claypool concludes his lecture by summarizing his key point that ministers are to help remind people of who they truly are as image bearers created for God’s good works (0:55:21-1:01:02). The service ends with a word of prayer and a benediction (1:01:03-1:02:17).
