Follow God and lead others, graduates were told at commencement May 7.

“God wants to be your leader,” Gary Wall told 426 graduates, their friends and families on the East Hall Green of the main campus. “There are many choices to be made, but this is by far the most important, to follow or not, to live for God or for yourself, to serve or be served.”

A new group of graduates will be part of commencement Saturday, May 7.

Those earning master’s degrees through the Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, formerly MB Biblical Seminary, will join graduates of the traditional undergraduate and master’s programs. The seminary became a school of the university in February 2010 and this May marks the completion of the first full academic year since the merger. These are the first joint ceremonies.

Mary said “yes” despite apparent odds—and so should you, FPU’s newest graduates were told at commencement December 11.

Answer as Mary did in Luke 1:38: “Here am I, servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word,’” urged speaker Sharon Stanley.

Two ceremonies and world-traveling grads are among the highlights of Fresno Pacific University’s fall commencement Saturday, December 11.

Graduate and traditional undergraduate commencement begins at 10:00 a.m. Bachelor’s degree completion students will receive their diplomas at 3:00 p.m. This is the first time since fall commencements began in 2004 that there has been more than one ceremony.

About 400 students are set to graduate during commencement Saturday, May 8.

Watch the fall commencement

The graduates, many fresh from balancing work, family and higher education, were familiar with the speaker's subject: adversity. What they may not have expected was his contention that it's to be rejoiced in rather than feared.

Faculty were highlighted during spring commencement ceremonies May 5 at Fresno Pacific University. Video of the event is available in the commencement archive.

Some 416 students are expected to receive degrees during the 56th commencement at Fresno Pacific University. Ceremonies will be May 5 in the Special Events Center on campus.