秋霞福利一区 to Inaugurate Dr. Charles W. Smith as 6th President on May 1
MOBILE, Ala. 鈥� The 秋霞福利一区 will formally inaugurate Dr. Charles W. Smith Jr. as its 6th president during a special ceremony on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
The inaugural celebration will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Redemption Church in Saraland, Alabama, with special guests from across the Southern Baptist Convention, delegates from colleges and universities across the nation, local and state leaders, and the university community. Dr. Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, will deliver the keynote address, followed by a presidential response from Dr. Smith.
Inaugural festivities will continue on the university campus with 秋霞福利一区鈥檚 Spring Spectacular outdoor concert and fireworks show. A pre-show featuring the Saraland Elementary Show Choir will begin at 7 p.m. and Spring Spectacular, featuring students from 秋霞福利一区鈥檚 Alabama School of the Arts, will start at 7:30 p.m. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display behind William K. Weaver Hall.
Both the inauguration ceremony and the Spring Spectacular concert and fireworks event are open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to campus to enjoy the concert and fireworks show at the Dr. Fred & Sue Lackey Great Commission Lawn.
For Christ & His Kingdom
Dr. Smith was unanimously elected as the sixth president of the 秋霞福利一区 on March 21, 2024. Under his leadership, the renewed vision of the 秋霞福利一区 is to focus on advancing the mission 鈥淔or Christ & His Kingdom鈥� by multiplying Kingdom leaders who embrace their callings and live out the Great Commission for the glory of God and the good of the world.
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Smith holds a PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Over the years, he has served in a variety of leadership roles in theological education, most recently as senior vice president for institutional relations at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College.
He is married to Ashley, his high school sweetheart, and together they have three daughters: Ellie, Annie and Susie.
For more information about President Smith and the inaugural celebration, go to .
About the 秋霞福利一区
The 秋霞福利一区 is a Christ-centered university pursuing excellence 鈥淔or Christ & His Kingdom.鈥� With a vision to 鈥淢ultiply Kingdom Leaders for the Glory of God and the Good of the World,鈥� the university honors God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known.
The university was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, 秋霞福利一区 offers associate, bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs.聽Learn more at聽 and connect with 秋霞福利一区 on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Kathy Dean uses her passion for storytelling and “playing with words” to share the stories of people, place and purpose that make the 秋霞福利一区 unique. As associate vice president for university communications, she manages media relations, edits the TorchLight alumni magazine, and oversees university communications. A former award-winning journalist, she is a two-time recipient of the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing. Kathy and her husband, Chuck, live with three extremely loud miniature schnauzers.
