Published on December 7, 2021  
Walter Kim

Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), will deliver Beeson Divinity School’s commencement address during its Commencement and Service of Consecration on Dec. 10.

The NAE, which was founded in 1942, is an association of evangelical denominations, organizations, schools, churches and individuals, and a member of the World Evangelical Alliance. The NAE represents 40 denominations and more than 45,000 churches, schools and nonprofit organizations. As president, Kim strategically helps the NAE provide resources and mobilization to evangelicals in the United States.

The son of immigrant parents who fled communism in China, Kim earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University and has spent nearly three decades preaching, writing and engaging in collaborative leadership to connect the Bible to the significant intellectual, cultural and social issues of the day. He regularly teaches in seminaries, addresses evangelical concerns with elected officials, and provides theological and cultural commentary to leading news outlets, including The Washington Post, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, and The New York Times.

In addition to his role with the NAE, Kim currently serves as teacher-in-residence at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he previously served as the pastor for leadership. Prior to Trinity, Kim was the pastor of Park Street Church in Boston for 15 years.

Twenty-two students will walk in commencement Dec. 10 with 14 students receiving a Master of Divinity degree and eight receiving a Doctor of Ministry degree. Commencement and a Service of Consecration will take place in Hodges Chapel beginning at 11 a.m. Overflow seating will be available, and the service will be livestreamed.

 
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.