Letter from President Pinson Regarding Commencement

Letter from President Pinson Regarding Commencement

by | Feb 12, 2021

Dear Members of the Welch Community,

These have been challenging times for all of us as we have coped with a global pandemic that had farther-reaching consequences than I ever imagined it would have. Our community has been resilient, however, and has navigated these troubled waters with prudence and with grace.

I was so saddened to have to announce to the Class of 2020 last year that we would have to cancel their normal 2020 Commencement activities. After meeting with the executive council of the Senior Class, we decided that the best way forward was to have Commencement exercises for the Class of 2020 at the same time as that of the Class of 2021.

While there are still many details to be finalized, and while anything could change given the current unpredictable situation with COVID-19, I wanted to announce the date of the Commencement exercises for both the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 so that students and their guests could mark it on their calendars and make travel plans.

All Commencement activities for both classes will take place on Friday, May 7th. The times, locations, and details of the gatherings will be forthcoming. Guest seating will be limited owing to COVID-19 and the need for physically distanced seating. Thus a limited number of free tickets will be provided to each graduate for his or her family and friends.

Neither the graduate breakfast nor a Baccalaureate service will be held. An awards ceremony for the Class of 2021 will be held virtually, similar to what we held last year for the Class of 2020. Also forthcoming will be details regarding hooding for master’s degree recipients.

More details will follow as we finalize them. Thank you for your patience as we work through what will be a very different celebration in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. And continue to pray for us here at Welch as we continue to make key decisions and fulfill our mission in these difficult times.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

Sincerely,

Matt Pinson
President

Rejoice! Ministry Team Announced

by | Nov 10, 2020

The 2020-2021 Rejoice! Ministry Team has been selected, according to Daniel Webster, director of the group. “After extensive tryouts and interviews, I’m pleased to announce that we have finalized selections for this year’s team. We had a great number of quality musicians to choose from, but we finally selected these students to be our representatives for this year.”

Female members of the group are Meredith Baer, Erin Goucher, Krista Lindsay, Sarah Lovett, Abby Myers, Raygan Sellers, and Elizabeth Yerby. Male members are Ben Barcroft, Sam Lane, Mason McClure, and Samuel Rodriguez. Jesse Viers will be the sound technician.

The group will likely not be able to travel as extensively in the spring semester as groups have in the past due to COVID-19, but it is hopeful that some limited travel will be possible, and that the group will be able to enjoy a full summer tour. Plans are being made for the group to use a video recording that will be made available to churches. According to Mr. Webster, “We see this as a way to have a presence in our churches even in the midst of the pandemic. A video produced by Rejoice! in the spring broke the record for number of views by any Welch College video. We think the songs we produce will be received equally well.”

Congratulations to this group of young people. Please pray for them as they rehearse and prepare to serve.