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MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Oct. 18, 2024) – Dr. Stephen Waers will be inaugurated as the university’s 16th president on Friday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. inside the Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger Memorial Chapel. All guests are encouraged to be seated by 1:45 p.m. as the academic procession will begin promptly at 2.
The inauguration will celebrate Milligan’s rich heritage and future vision, welcoming inaugural delegates from more than 25 educational institutions and associations from across the nation, who will join the university’s faculty, students, staff, board members, alumni and supporters.
Waers was named Milligan’s 16th president on Jan. 9, 2024. He assumed office on Aug. 1, 2024, upon the retirement of Milligan’s 15th president, Dr. Bill Greer, who is now serving at Milligan’s president emeritus and chancellor. Waers most recently served as chief academic officer and chief information officer at Point University in West Point, Ga.
Waers, who earned his Master of Divinity from Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan, is an ordained minister in the Independent Christian Churches. In his inaugural address, Dr. Waers will share his reflections on Milligan’s mission and outline his vision for the university’s future through the lens of scripture.
“The inauguration is a brief, albeit important, moment in the life of the university,” Waers said. “It allows us to gather together and acknowledge that we are beginning the next chapter in Milligan’s history. At the same time, as a community we will affirm that this new chapter will be rooted in the same Christ-centered mission as those before it.”
The tone of the service will echo Milligan’s commitment to faith and service, rooted in its mission to “honor God by educating men and women to be servant-leaders.” The ceremony will bring together the broader Milligan community and supporters as the university enters this new chapter in its 157-year history.
The congregation will join in singing the hymn Fide et Amore: Go with God in Faith and Love, which was written by Milligan alum and retired professor Dr. Lee Magness for the occasion of Greer’s inauguration in 2011. Additional music will be provided by Milligan organist Rebecca T. McClain, the Milligan orchestra under the direction of Kellie Brown, and the Milligan concert choir under the direction of Noah DeLong. For more information on the inauguration ceremony, please visit www.milligan.edu/inauguration.