Abide with Christ during Convocation

Convocation is a four-day event happens every semester, inviting the Lee community to worship, reflect, and see what God has in store. 

The theme of Convocation is “Abide with me.” It is inspired by the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John. In verses four and five, Jesus says:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing,”

The four-day event will take place at 7:30 p.m in the Conn Center on Sept. 6 - 9. Students must attend three out of the four nights in order to get full credit. As is tradition at Lee, the president will speak on the first night. 

After President Dr. Phil Cook Cook speaks Sunday, Vanessa Hardaway will return to the Conn Center stage on Monday. Hardaway made her Chapel debut during the spring semester and made an impression on Cook. 

“I know I've known her for years. When she spoke that Thursday, I said, ‘I'm inviting her to convocation.’ She is engaging. She knows the Lord. She has a deep relationship with Him, and I thought right away ‘She's going to be an outstanding speaker,’” Cook said.

Bishop Tony Stewart of Citylife Church of God  will speak on Tuesday. Stewart is the first assistant general overseer of the Church of God, and he has two daughters that are currently attending Lee.

The final Convocation speaker is Jason Browning. The lead pastor of Metropolitan Church of God in Alabama, Browning is no stranger to Lee. He is an alum, has had two daughters graduate and another currently attending Lee, and has spoken at Chapel and Convocation before.

No matter what kind of spiritual background they may have, Cook wants every student to draw closer to God during Convocation

“I am expectant, and looking forward to what God will do in the lives of our students … We want them all to move closer in their relationship with the Lord. That's the goal for Convocation. That's the goal for chapel. That's the goal for Lee,” Cook said.

Photo by Lauren Gray