ETBU Welcomes Dr. Beth Moore to Her Home on the Hill

“Ours is not only a God of time, ours is a God of timing," author and speaker Beth Moore said. "You have been sent not to be of the world, but to be in this world, to serve faithfully in the name of Jesus. To be alert, to be astute, to be brave, to be bold in love and truth.”

East Texas Baptist University presented 134 graduates during the Fall 2019 Commencement ceremony. ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn presided over the ceremony as 100 students received undergraduate degrees and 34 received graduate degrees.

“East Texas Baptist University is committed to being a distinctively Christ-centered University, dedicated to glorifying God by transforming students into Christian servant leaders through their time here on the Hill,” Dr. Blackburn said. “It is our prayer that our graduates use their intellectual and spiritual gifts to transform the world for the glory of God in their vocational callings.”

Special guest and recognized Christian author and speaker Beth Moore traveled to the Hill to present the keynote address during the ceremony. With a love for writing and a call to Kingdom work, Beth Moore boasts an extensive career in Christian ministry including the founding of Living Proof Ministries, published discipleship books and Bible studies, and she can even be seen teaching on the television program Living Proof with Beth Moore, aired on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. During her address, Moore encouraged graduates to embrace the timing of their endeavors, fully serving God for the sake of their generation.

“What we are doing today is called a commencement. Commence means to begin, to start. We don’t always have the luxury of knowing that a brand new beginning is in front of us; that change is in the wind and that the wind is a hurricane. You do have that luxury in this moment,” Moore said. “You are of this generation on divine purpose, in this current culture. You are carriers of the Gospel, and you have been called to speak into this generation. Graduates, go therefore and invade the globe, embrace your new beginning. You will find that Jesus, who you were once taught was the one and only, as it turns out, is your one and only. You will find that all along, you had what it took. You had Jesus. And He will hold you fast.”

On behalf of East Texas Baptist University, Dr. Blackburn presented Moore with an Honorary Doctor of Letters for her impact on countless lives in our nation and around the world through Christian ministry.

“We believe this is the time to recognize the ways that God has used and will continue to use Beth Moore’s gifts, and we believe that she serves as a model among women and men for our University community to be obedient to God’s call and to serve Him even in the face of opposition,” Dr. Blackburn emphasized. “Most assuredly, Dr. Moore, we recognize it is your time for God. We see, hear, and discern the empowerment of the Holy Spirit’s anointing on you to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to encourage believers in their discipleship and spiritual development.”

Each commencement, the President’s Award is given to the graduating ETBU student who is the best representation of a Christian leader, scholar, and servant. Graduating Magna Cum Laude, ETBU Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology graduate Landin Brown received the President’s Award for his commitment to Christ in the classroom, on the basketball court, across campus, and throughout the community. While at ETBU, Brown has spent many hours volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of Marshall and Marshall Junior High School. He is an active member of Greater Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. Brown was recognized as a leader on campus as part of Leadership Fellows and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Brown has served as a captain of the Men’s Basketball Team, where he has been identified as an influential and encouraging spiritual leader among his teammates.

“Coming out of high school, I didn’t know if I was going to go to college,” Brown said. “I knew if I went to college, I wanted to play basketball, but I didn’t have an offer at the time. My mentor encouraged me and told me to never give up on my dream, and that’s how I was called to ETBU. This University has prepared me to thrive by giving me the opportunity to be a servant leader.”

The ceremony included speaking parts from several students, one of which was ETBU Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication Graduate Lucas Pritchett, who gave the invocation. Graduation featured readings of the ETBU theme verses, Proverbs 3:5-6 and Matthew 28:19- 20, led by ETBU Bachelor of Science in University Studies graduate Ana Ascencio.

“A degree from ETBU means that I have completed a Christ-centered education for my future, and I will forever be grateful for that,” Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication graduate Claire Alexander said. “I chose to stay at ETBU to pursue a master’s degree and to continue to be part of a University that has truly cared about my success in and out of the classroom since my first day on the Hill.”

In addition to the traditional musical performances

during the ceremony, award-winning musician and ETBU Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Studies graduate Curtis Grimes gave a special performance of his song Born to Die. In 2018 at the Texas Country Music Awards, Grimes was named “Male Vocalist of the Year," recognized as “Christian Artist of the Year,” and received “Christian Country Song of the Year.” In 2019, he took home the “Entertainer of the Year” award as well as the “Christian Song of the Year” for the second consecutive year.

“I reconnected with my youth minister from several years ago while his son was attending ETBU. I told him my status and that I was interested in going back to school, so he referred me to ETBU,” Grimes said. “My wife, Brooke (’19), and I had the same schedule and took the same classes, so we had each other as accountability and study partners. I always tell everybody that I’ve been to several colleges over the years, and this one is by far the best in every aspect. I hope our kids end up going to school here too. It’s been a great experience.”

ETBU offers 11 graduate and 43 undergraduate degree programs to develop Christian servant leaders, and celebrated the University’s second-highest enrollment during the Fall 2019 semester. While East Texas Baptist continues to see increased enrollment, its mission of providing a transformational, Christ-centered education and commitment to helping students succeed remains constant.

“East Texas Baptist first awarded associate degrees in 1919 and bachelor’s degrees in 1945,” Provost Thomas Sanders shared of ETBU's history. “Commencement is a special time in the life of a university. It is an event that celebrates the relationship between students and faculty. It is also a time for both the University and the families of the graduates to join in pride and celebration of these new ETBU alumni.”

Oh, there will be other names, many names, but there is no other name like this Name.

canonical Gospels. It is this, and only this Jesus, that God There is no other Jesus and no better version of Jesus than right there in the pages of the four raised from the dead

and seated at His right hand. Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, Ephesians 1 claims, far above every name that has ever been or will ever be named, for this Jesus has no peer, no devil or demon, no angel or man, no dictator, no Prime Minister, no Cabinet, no Senate, no President, no Congress, no cavalry, no weaponry, no scrutiny, no mutiny, no corporate head, no boss, no web, no entity or celebrity, no principality or power, can boast in His presence.

Lord of all. He is the undefeatable, incorruptible, uncontainable, unstoppable

all in all. God seated this Jesus at His right hand and put all things under His feet, to the Church, which is His body, and gave Him as head over all things the fullness of Him who fills