Commencement 2013 Baccalaureate

Friday, May 3, 2013 – 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church

Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster

Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1948 and spent his childhood in northern Indiana before moving to Senatobia, Mississippi where he graduated from high school. He earned his B. A. degree from Millsaps College in 1970, his M. Div. from Candler School of Theology in 1973, and his D. Min., also from Candler, in 1982. He has received honorary degrees (Doctor of Divinity) from Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Alabama, Huntington College, Montgomery, Alabama, and Millsaps College, Jackson, Mississippi.

Ordained a Deacon in 1971 and an Elder in 1974 in the North Mississippi Conference, Bishop Goodpaster served as a pastor in Mississippi for the next 27 years. At the time of his election to the episcopacy, he was Senior Pastor at the First United Methodist Church, Tupelo, Mississippi. He was a delegate to three General Conferences, four Jurisdictional Conferences, and was elected to the episcopacy at the 2000 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the Alabama-West Florida Conference, where he served until 2008 when he was assigned to the Western North Carolina Conference. Bishop Goodpaster served as President of the Council of Bishops from May 2010 until April 2012.

Bishop Goodpaster has been married to the former Deborah Cox of Quincy, Florida for 40 years. They have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Tickets

**Tickets for the Commencement Luncheon and Baccalaureate Ceremony are sold out.  We still have available Rain Plan Tickets.  Please feel free to still attend either of these events, and we will attempt to seat guests without tickets, once all guests with tickets have been seated.***

Complimentary tickets are required for this event, and must be picked up in advance. Each candidate for graduation is permitted a maximum of three tickets (the graduate and two guests).

Tickets are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.

Tickets may be picked up during normal office hours from April 24 to May 1 at the following locations: Slane Concierge Desk, Evening Degree Program in Norcross Hall, and the North Building at the Budd Family Campus.

August and December 2012 candidates for graduation who are not able to pick up tickets at the designated locations are asked to contact either the Campus Concierge (undergraduate day students) at 336.841.4636 or the EDP Office (graduate and EDP students) at 336.841.9020 or 336.767.7107.

Baccalaureate is for High Point University candidates for graduation, their families and guests, and university faculty, staff, students and special guests. It is not open to the general public.

General Information

The Baccalaureate ecumenical service is an occasion of thanksgiving and celebration. It originated at Oxford University in 1432 as a required part of graduation. The service is led by HPU personnel, and the music is provided by the HPU Singers and the Chapel Choir.

Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church is located on the corner of Chestnut Drive and Westchester Drive (1225 Chestnut Drive) in High Point. Parking will be available at the church. Click here to see a map.

Guests are asked to follow the instructions of the Junior Marshals.

Appropriate attire for this event is business attire.

Flash photography and video cameras are not permitted inside the church during the service.

Candidates for Graduation Information

Full academic regalia is required for this service. The line of march will assemble at 4:15 p.m. in the covered walkway. The Junior Marshals are in charge of the line of march, and candidates for graduation are asked to line up as requested by the Junior Marshals.