Baccalaureate Service | May 4, 2023 - Maranatha Baptist University

Baccalaureate Service | May 4, 2023

Smiles and laughter were plentiful as the graduate candidates entered the gymnasium on the evening of Thursday, May 4, for the Baccalaureate service. The Baccalaureate service at Maranatha Baptist University is a special ceremony dedicated to individual recognition and worship through hymns, scripture reading, and a message.

Commencement exercises are a culminating weekend to the college experience and at Maranatha, graduate candidates are given two last challenges from the Scripture.

Dr. Thomas Graham, Dean of the School of Education, led the invocation before Dr. Matt Davis, Chief Executive Officer, formally welcomed those in attendance following the special music. Dr. Davis acknowledged the efforts of the entire family to bring students this weekend.

Graduate candidates Lydia Bachorik and Hannah Ostrander played “A Living Sacrifice” for the offertory after Dr. Davis announced that the offering would be used for continued renovations in the dormitories.

Award Winners

Dr. William Licht, Vice President for Academic Affairs, explained and then presented the outstanding student awards. These awards are given to one or two students in each department who exemplify the core values of their department. Each recipient was announced by their respective department leader.

Bible Institute: Julia Lehman
College of Bible and Church Ministries: Jeremy Fopma
Department of Applied Science: Adelle Markle
Department of Humanities: Alyssa Saunders
Department of Music: Lydia Bachorik
School of Business: Timothy Davis
School of Education: Claire Greene
School of Nursing: Megan Herbster
Online and Distance Learning: Boaz Briddick
Seminary – Theology: Daniel Duncan
Seminary – Biblical Languages: Timothy Potter

The special music throughout the service was provided by the 2023 Heritage Singers who are traveling this summer and the 2023 Impact Team who will travel in the fall.

Baccalaureate Message

Following the presentation of the awards, Dr. Andrew Goodwill, Dean of Students, read from Ephesians 2:1-10.

Dr. S. Martin Marriott, President of Maranatha Baptist University, introduced the speaker for the service—Pastor Richard Callahan, Senior Pastor at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Archdale, North Carolina. Pastor Callahan has served at Mount Calvary for 46 years.

Pastor Callahan challenged the graduate candidates to live a life of service for Christ in the daily, ordinary routine of life. He proposed that a question greater than “Lord, what will You have me do?” is, “Lord, what will You have me be?”.

“Location is important, vocation is important, but transformation is vitally essential,” Callahan stated. He reminded the graduates that they don’t know what the Lord will do in their lives, but he encouraged them that God will take an ordinary life to use it for eternity.