ACU will present 540 degrees this weekend in two Commencement ceremonies taking place at Moody Coliseum Friday and Saturday.
The Friday, Dec. 13, ceremony at 7 p.m. will award 172 master’s and 63 doctoral degrees. On Saturday, Dec. 14, 305 bachelor’s degrees will be presented at 10 a.m. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed; visit acu.edu/commencement for more information.
Alejandro Ezquerra, bilingual minister at University Church of Christ in Abilene, is the featured speaker at Friday’s ceremony. Prior to coming to Abilene in 2022, he spent 15 years preaching at the Bammel Church of Christ in Houston. Ezquerra is also a chaplain and holds bachelor’s degrees in theology and journalism and a Master of Divinity from ACU. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at ACU. In addition to his pastoral work, Ezquerra is an adjunct professor for ACU Abilene and ACU Dallas. His reputation as a dynamic and insightful speaker has made him a sought-after presenter across the U.S. and Latin America. He has written two books: The Other Side of the Pulpit and Conversations at the Table.
At Saturday’s ceremony, Dr. Houston Heflin, ACU’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, will give the charge to the class. Heflin, professor in the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on spiritual formation, church ministry, and the scholarship of teaching and learning, as well as Cornerstone classes for the Honors College. He holds an Ed.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and an M.S. and a B.S. from ACU. Before his 14 years of teaching at ACU, he spent 12 years in church ministry. He is also director of the Contemplative Ministers’ Initiative through ACU’s Siburt Institute and the author of several books, including Youth Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Youth Ministry, Pray Like You Breathe: Exploring the Practice of Breath Prayer, I Promise It’s True, and the recently published Faith in Mirrors, a book of mirror poems based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
Several undergraduate student awards will be presented at the Saturday ceremony.