The Rev. Dr. Lesley Francisco McClendon, senior pastor of C3 Hampton and adjunct instructor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, delivered the Commencement address on Sunday, May 4. Speaking to the 316 graduates of the Class of 2025, she encouraged them to live into the instruction of Micah 6:8, the guiding verse foundational to EMU’s mission: “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?” As they leave campus, McClendon urged graduates to carry that call into a lifelong journey of discovery in the world.
McClendon also serves as a member of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and as an instructor at Duke Divinity School. She is the founder of Herstoric Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to empowering leaders of all backgrounds to discover their voice, lead with confidence, and leave a lasting impact. She holds a doctor of ministry from Duke University, a master of divinity from Regent University, and a bachelor of arts from Oral Roberts University.
The world doesn’t need perfect people, she told the graduates, but rather it needs present people—those who show up, who listen, and who aren’t afraid to be the light in heavy places. She encouraged them to hold fast to their faith and values amid challenges. “You’ll walk into rooms where your faith is questioned, where your values are challenged, and your leadership is needed, but don’t shrink,” she said. “Remember, you’ve been shaped for this moment: not just to succeed, but to serve; not just to rise, but to reach; not just to lead, but to love.”
The graduates are stepping into a world that is both exciting and unpredictable, McClendon said. Technological advancements are reshaping daily life, global connections are bridging diverse cultures, and societal challenges prompt urgent calls for justice and compassion. In navigating this complex and ever-changing landscape, she pointed to the timeless wisdom of Micah 6:8. “It offers a compass,” she said, “a way to orient ourselves amid uncertainty.”
Unpacking the “profound simplicity” of the scripture, she explained that acting justly means making the conscious decision to stand up for what is right, even when it’s difficult; that loving mercy involves extending grace, understanding, and kindness, even when it’s undeserved; and that walking humbly with God means seeking guidance beyond our own understanding and recognizing that our talents and achievements are gifts to be used for a higher purpose.
She called on graduates to embody the Anabaptist and Mennonite values of simplicity, community, peace, service, and justice. “So I charge you: act justly, even when it’s inconvenient; love mercy, even when it’s not returned; and walk humbly, even when the world tells you to flex,” McClendon said. “Build bridges, lift voices, stay rooted, stay teachable, stay bold. Let Micah 6:8 be not just a memory verse, but a mission.”
“The world doesn’t just need more professionals, it needs more compassionate, just, and humble leaders. And I have no doubt that’s exactly who you are,” she continued. “You are ambassadors of hope, agents of change, and bearers of light in a world that desperately needs it.”
Watch a recording of the ceremony here.
Undergraduates Jason Dwyer and Adesola Johnson and MA graduate Getachew Temare presented the graduate perspectives.
Dwyer reflected on finding his people, his place, and his home at EMU. Before he left for college, his parents told him that along with earning a degree, he’d also be getting an education in people. At the time, he didn’t understand what they meant. But after four years at EMU, he said “it’s become crystal clear.” “We’ve learned how to live in shared spaces, how to do laundry for the first time, how to wake up without someone telling us to—at least, some of us have,” he said. “We’ve had hard conversations with roommates, met deadlines, worked through challenges, interacted with professors and peers, and, most importantly, we’ve learned about ourselves.”
The political science and history double major from Fairfax, Virginia, played on the Royals baseball team for four years and said he met “so many incredible people” through his teammates, academic programs, and campus clubs. “We came in as individuals with different dreams, different hopes, and different stories. But somewhere along the way, in the classrooms, in the dorms, on the field, or in the community, we started becoming more,” Dwyer said. “We became a class. We came in as individuals, but despite our differences, we are now leaving as one: the Class of 2025.”
Johnson, a Cords of Distinction recipient, shared her most memorable EMU experience: a research trip to Australia tracking fruit flies. As she arrived at the site, she was overcome with dread when she realized she would have to confront her fear of birds every day for the next five weeks. “I never knew how debilitating fear could be until that moment,” she said. “But I quickly realized that my drive to succeed was much greater than my fear.”
For many graduates, she said, commencement day might be filled with anxiety and fear. “However, I want you all to know that fear can coexist with your drive, your plans, and your ambitions,” Johnson said. “Fear can be your fuel. At a time when many things feel uncertain, remember that your very existence is proof that you can succeed.”
Temare shared his journey as a refugee, then joining EMU through the Summer Peacebuilding Institute in 2023, and ultimately earning a master’s degree in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.“Here at Eastern Mennonite University, and especially at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, transformation is not something you read about,” he said. “It is something you live. You wrestle with systems, stories, and suffering. You learn that peace is not passive and that justice is not optional.”
Reciting the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice”—Temare said that truth echoed in every classroom, every circle, every quiet moment of reckoning. “We engaged in practices that made us uncomfortable, reflective, and awake,” he said. “We learned that justice is not a concept reserved for courts or governments, but something we live, in how we treat one another, encouraged through accountability and love. And it wasn’t just theory, it was practice: in community meals, in hallway debates, in learning to listen beyond what we agreed with.”
EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman presided over the ceremony—her final commencement as university president before retiring later this year. In her opening remarks, she reflected on how many graduates began their college journey in 2021, amid the pandemic, and demonstrated great fortitude and creativity through times of upheaval. “You have shown the next generation what it means to shoulder setbacks and still be immersed in a rigorous and caring academic environment,” she said. “These are powerful life lessons that will serve you well wherever you go.”
Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, commissioned the graduates. Deans Dr. Daniel Ott and Dr. Tara Kishbaugh presented the graduates. Dr. James Rosenberger ’68, member of the EMU Board of Trustees, led the opening prayer of invocation. Sarah Witmer Lehman, mother of Meredith Lehman ’25, delivered the commencement blessing. The ceremony featured singing by Reah Clymer ’25, accompanied by Dr. David Berry, associate professor of music, on piano.
View the photo album from the event.
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