Past Convocation Speakers

Greg Keller

Dr. Greg Keller, Professor of Biology at Gordon College, is the 2017 Matriculation speaker. Matriculation represents a long Gordon tradition. It serves as a time for students, faculty and staff to rededicate themselves to Christ, and to be reminded of the crucial importance of Christian education to the global church and to the common good.

Matriculation Charge | September 1, 2017

Donna Freitas

Donna Freitas is the author of both fiction and nonfiction, and she lectures at universities across the United States on her work about college students. Over the years, she has written for national newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, and she’s currently a non-resident research associate at the Center for Religion and Society at Notre Dame. Donna has been a professor at Boston University in the Department of Religion and also at Hofstra University in their Honors College.

The Authentic Self vs. The Marketable Self | September 8, 2017

Dan Darko

Dr. Dan Darko is a professor of New Testament at Gordon. A native of Ghana, Dan served in administrative and ministry roles as a Director of Youth for Christ, Dean of Students at the Evangelical Theological Seminary (Croatia), University/Seminary chaplain and local church pastoral positions in Ghana, Croatia, England and the United States. Prior to teaching at Gordon College, he taught at Central University (Ghana) and the University of Scranton, PA (Jesuit). He is also a Visiting Professor at Regent University College of Science and Technology (Ghana) and the President of Africa Potential, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering Africans for the service of Africa. 

Deepen the Faith | September 15, 2017

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Stephen Cushing

Rev. Stephen Cushing is executive director and senior chaplain, and his wife, Sharon, is assistant for programs & development at the New England Seafarers Mission, a 137-year-old maritime mission. NESM provides relief for hardworking crew members who come ashore in South Boston. In addition to ensuring that NESM provides necessities, Stephen and his fellow chaplains serve communion onboard when the crew is shaken from storms or if a member has died in an accident. Seafarers navigate rough international waters for months at a time, often working for weeks without a day off, all to make a living, support their families and keep world markets afloat. “If seafarers serve the world, who serves them?” This is a question that the New England Seafarers Mission asks, and Stephen (’82) and Sharon (’83) Cushing seek to solve.

Homecoming Convocation | September 29, 2017

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Paul Douglas

Paul Douglas is a nationally-respected meteorologist, with 34 years of broadcast television and 36 years of radio experience. Douglas graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1980. Since then, his passion for meteorology has led him to launch a series of companies that personalize the weather experience, making meteorology more accessible, relevant and actionable on multiple media platforms. Currently, Douglas is the president of Aeris Weather Services, based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Since he founded the company in 2008, the company has been combining the power of data, custom graphics, studios and meteorologists to create content that helps businesses launch custom weather solutions. They launched a couple of new national weather channels, and today they operate a 24-7 weather channel for Time Warner in Kentucky (CN2). 

A Conversation with the President | October 6, 2017

Graham Baily

Captain Chaplain Baily is the chaplain to the 509 Bomb Wing Mission Support Group, and all Single and Unaccompanied Airman assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Chaplain Baily is the pastor for the Emerging Worship Service and the primary retreat and spiritual formation chaplain. He manages the Protestant budget that supports Airmen Outreach and supervises the Airmen Ministry Center. In addition, Chaplain Baily represents the Chaplain Corps at numerous ecumenical and base-wide functions, providing spiritual and pastoral care to Airmen and their families. In 2015, he was awarded the Pacific Command Officer Chaplain of the Year. Chaplain Baily is an ordained minister endorsed for military chaplain service by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Veteran's Day Convocation | November 10, 2017

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Michael J. Gorman

Dr. Gorman, a United Methodist and 1977 Gordon alum, specializes in the theological and missional interpretation of Scripture. He was the recipient of the 2005 Fortress Press Award for Innovative Teaching in Graduate Schools and Seminaries, theological education’s “teacher of the year” award. Gorman is the author of dozens of articles and author or editor of twelve books, including Scripture and its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible; The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant: A (Not So) New Model of the Atonement; Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness; several books on Paul; and the forthcoming Abide and Go: Missional Theosis in the Gospel of John.

Besides his academic engagement, he is a fan of traveling and leading study trips, some of them to Greece/Turkey/Rome and to France/Switzerland.

Protestants and Catholics Today and Tomorrow: Conversations, Contributions, Convergences | November 17, 2017

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Nancy Hill

Dr. Nancy Hill is a developmental psychologist and professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Suzanne Young Murray Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. She is considered one of the leading scholars studying the impact of culture on parenting and youth outcomes. In addition to having written five books and numerous scientific journal articles, she is the co-founder of the Study Group on Race, Culture and Ethnicity, an interdisciplinary group of scientists who develop theory and methodology for defining and understanding issues regarding cultural context within diverse families.

Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation | January 19, 2018

Fred Van Dyke

Dr. Fred Van Dyke is Executive Director of the Au Sable Institute (Michigan), a Christian environmental institute whose mission is to inspire and educate people to serve, protect, and restore God’s earth. Fred is former Chair of the Department of Biology and Director of the Environmental Studies Program at Wheaton College (Illinois). A former wildlife biologist with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, his research has been published in numerous scientific journals and books, and he is the author of the internationally used textbook in conservation biology, Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications, now in preparation for its third edition (Springer 2018). His works on environmental ethics have been published in numerous journals and in his books, Redeeming Creation: The Biblical Basis for Environmental Stewardship (InterVarsity Press 1996), and Between Heaven and Earth: Christian Perspectives on Environmental Protection (Praeger 2010). His efforts in leadership development continue to be evident in his many students who today hold significant positions of leadership in environmental stewardship and creation care.

Five Foundations of Valuing Nature: Bringing Hope to Creation Care | February 2, 2018

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