Published on April 22, 2022 by Kristen Padilla  
Mark Dever

Mark Dever, senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., will give the commencement address at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School on April 29. 

In addition to his role as pastor of this historic church, Dever is the president of 9Marks Ministries, which is a nonprofit organization that aims to equip church leaders with a biblical vision and practical resources for building healthy churches. He is the author or co-author of many books including, How to Build a Healthy Church: A Practical Guide for Deliberate Leadership and Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. In addition to his writing, Dever also has taught at several seminaries, and is a council emeritus member for The Gospel Coalition.

Dever holds degrees from Duke University (B.A.), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Th.M.) and Cambridge University (Ph.D.).

Beeson Divinity School’s Commencement and a Service of Consecration will take place in Hodges Chapel at 11:30 a.m. on April 29. Fifteen students are expected to receive either the Master of Arts in Theological Studies, the Master of Divinity or the Doctor of Ministry degree.

Following the conferring and presentation of degrees, Dever will give a message from Revelation 4-5 called, “The Purpose of Your Ministry is the Purpose of Your Life and the Purpose of History—God and His Glory.”

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.