Bowie State University Announces Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley as Winter 2025 Commencement Speaker

(BOWIE, Md.) — Bowie State University is proud to announce Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, nationally renowned pastor and champion for justice, as the keynote speaker for its Winter 2025 Commencement. The ceremony will be held on Friday, December 19 at 9 a.m. in the Leonidas S. James Physical Education Complex.

Dr. Wesley is the senior pastor of the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, where he serves as only the eighth pastor in the church’s more than 200-year history. Under his visionary leadership, the church has grown to more than 12,000 members with a weekly online presence exceeding 25,000, expanding its reach and ministries while steadfastly upholding its call to spiritual formation, social justice and community engagement.

Alfred Street Baptist Church and Dr. Wesley host an annual Historically Black College/University (HBCU) Festival/College Fair to support area youth and celebrate HBCUs. This year marked 23 years of providing area high schoolers with a weekend of opportunity, inspiration and excellence. The event offers on-site admissions, scholarships and application fee waivers. 

Dr. Wesley is celebrated for preaching that speaks powerfully to both the heart and conscience. Several of his sermons have been archived in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  

A native of Chicago, Dr. Wesley graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a degree in biomedical and electrical engineering. He left medical school in obedience to his call to ministry, later graduating summa cum laude from the Boston University School of Theology as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar. He earned his Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds multiple honorary doctorates.

Dr. Wesley serves on several boards, including the Hampton University School of Religion Board of Visitors, the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention, and the Flint Hill School Board of Trustees. He is the former chair of the United Negro College Fund’s National Interfaith and Education Initiative and former vice-chair of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies. He has also served on the Board of Visitors at Duke Divinity School and the Board of Trustees at Virginia Union University. The 78th Laurel Wreath Laureate and national chaplain, Dr. Wesley is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., as well as a member of Sigma Pi Phi.

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About Bowie State University
Founded in 1865, Bowie State University is the first Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the country. As a leading institution of higher learning, Bowie State offers more than 65 bachelor's, master's, doctoral and certificate programs across arts and sciences, technology, business, education, healthcare and related disciplines. The university provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities in a supportive environment that empowers students to think critically, make new discoveries, value differences and emerge as leaders in a highly technical, rapidly changing global society. For more information about Bowie State University, visit bowiestate.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly Alexander, kalexander1@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-6017