Hood Theological Seminary Class of 2025 Commencement participants stop for a photo after the ceremony on Saturday. - Submitted

Hood Theological News Service

SALISBURY — Hood Theological Seminary celebrated its 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday at Varick Auditorium on the campus of Livingstone College.

Bishop Darryl B. Starnes Sr., the senior bishop of the A.M.E. Zion Church and the presiding prelate of the Piedmont Episcopal District, was the 2025 commencement speaker.

Starnes had three points to make during his speech. He used Psalm 78: 70-72, KJV and 1 Samuel: Chapter 16, verse 13, NLT. He discussed how to be shepherds for God’s people. The first point was that “being shepherds for God’s people entails feeding them, according to the integrity of our hearts,” and he stated that “shepherds must feed the sheep.” The second point was that being shepherds for God’s people entails leading them by the skillfulness of our hands. The third point was that “being shepherds for God’s people entails tending the sheep by means of the anointing on our heads.”

Several awards were also given. Bishop William O. Gregg received the Teaching Excellence and Service Award. The Administrative Excellence and Service Award was given to Donna Wilson Cuthbertson and Kelly M. Bryant. The President’s Leadership Legacy Award was given to Donald Wayne Clodfelter and the Distinguished Trustee Award was given to Rev. Dr. Randell A. Cain Jr. 

Hood awarded four honorary degrees. Nancy Baker received the doctor of humane letters and Starnes received the doctor of divinity as the commencement speaker. Rev. J. Gentile Everett, Ph.D., lead pastor and media innovator in the South and Eastern North Carolina Region of the U.S. and Joseph King Davis Jr., president of the International Connectional Lay Council of the A.M.E. Zion Church, also received the doctor of humane letters.

Hood Theological Seminary graduated 20 students. Nine students received a doctor of ministry (DMin) degree, nine students graduated with a master of divinity degree (MDiv), and two students graduated for the first time with the master of arts in chaplaincy (MAC) degree.