Austin College will host a Virtual Baccalaureate at 7 p.m. on May 16, coinciding with the originally scheduled Baccalaureate service for the Class of 2020 on campus. All are welcome to participate in the service live on Facebook.
After opening remarks from Austin College President Steven P. O’Day to seniors and families, another welcome will be offered by Dr. Rod Stewart representing his Golden ’Roo Class of 1970, commemorating 50 years since his class members graduated.
The Reverend Amy Poling Sutherlun, co-pastor of First Presbyterian Church of San Marcos, Texas, will present the Baccalaureate sermon, “Benediction.” She graduated summa cum laude from Austin College in 2000 and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree through Austin Teacher Program the following year.
Throughout the Baccalaureate service, Sallie Majors Religious Life Internship Program seniors will offer prayers, scripture readings, and introductions. Those seniors are Spencer Dirk, Emma Page, Lois Bronaugh, Addie Pederson, and Santos Botello.
The service also will include recorded music presentations by the Austin College A Cappella Choir, directed by Dr. Wayne Crannell. Dr. John Williams, Austin College chaplain and 1984 graduate of the College, will offer the benediction. Prelude and postlude selections will be presented by by Dr. Lisa Thomas, Austin College organist.
About Amy Poling Sutherlun
Amy Poling Sutherlun is co-pastor, of First Presbyterian Church of San Marcos, Texas, sharing her ministry with her husband Josh ’01 They met at Austin College, where Amy graduated summa cum laude with a major in English in 2000 and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 2001. She was a Sallie Majors Religious Life intern and Activator at the College.
Though she deviated slightly from her family’s six-generation tradition of pastoral ministry; she served elsewhere, spending two years teaching in inner-city Dallas schools. She traveled to Malawi, Africa, for mission work and served churches in Texas and Oklahoma before she and Joshua attended Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. While in seminary, Amy was director of youth and family ministries at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church.
Amy earned a Master of Divinity degree and the Senior Preaching Award at Princeton’s seminary. Upon their ordination, Joshua and Amy moved to West Virginia, and Amy spent eight years as associate pastor of young adults at First Presbyterian Church of Huntington.
The next move for the family was to San Marcos in June 2013, where Amy continues her ministry. She says her passion in ministry is exploring and witnessing the intersection between people’s stories and the unfolding story of God’s work in the world.
Amy and Joshua have four children. Amy says between pastoring and parenting, their lives are filled with laughter, liturgy, and laundry.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.