On May 7 and 8 Cornerstone University hosted three commencement ceremonies on campus with 700 graduates receiving degrees.

Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) held commencement exercises May 7 in Matthews Auditorium in the Wood Seminary Building with featured speaker Rev. Clifton Rhodes, Jr., senior pastor of Messiah Missionary Baptist Church. 

During the GRTS ceremony 64 graduates received degrees.

Rhodes is a graduate of Cornerstone and received a doctor of ministry from GRTS. In addition to his pastoral duties, Rhodes serves as the dean of The Inter Denominational Ministerial Alliance of Grand Rapids and president of Baptist Fellowship of Grand Rapids.

In addition, eight students graduated from Asia Baptist Theological Seminary, a sister seminary of GRTS. 

Two hundred and twenty seven undergraduates received degrees in a May 8 ceremony in the Hansen Athletic Center on campus.  

The same afternoon, in a separate ceremony, 381 graduates walked across the stage to receive degrees from the Professional and Graduate Studies Division program.  

Three sisters graduated from the PGS program together. Click here to read their remarkable story featured in the Grand Rapids Press.

Dr. David Livermore, assistant professor of intercultural ministries & director of the Global Learning Center, was the commencement speaker for both the traditional undergraduate and PGS ceremonies. Livermore has authored several books, including the award-winning title, Serving With Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence and Cultural Intelligence: Improving your CQ to Engage our Multicultural World, and his newest book, Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The New Secret to Success. In addition to regular teaching responsibilities, Livermore averages 35 international speaking engagements annually - he has done training and consulting with leaders in 75 countries.

Watch a short video shown at the undergraduate commencement.