Participants will include 198 graduates of the bachelor's degree completion program, 100 graduate students (including five from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary) and 89 from the traditional undergraduate program. There will be two ceremonies, both in the Special Events Center on the main FPU campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno.
The first ceremony will be at 10:00 a.m. for the traditional undergraduates, graduate students and seminary. The degree completion ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m. Degree completion and some master's degree students study at one of four regional centers in Merced, North Fresno, Visalia and Bakersfield. Traditional undergraduate and other graduate and seminary students attend the main campus of FPU and Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary in Southeast Fresno.
The main speaker for both ceremonies will be Paul Lawrence Binion II, senior pastor of the Westside Church of God, Fresno. A native of Fairfield, AL, Binion graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor's Degree in History, and Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master's Degree in Divinity. The Southern California School of Ministry conferred the Doctor of Divinity upon Binion. Since coming to Fresno in 1977, Binion has been involved in organizations including Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership, West Fresno Ministerial Alliance, Prison Fellowship–Central California, Evangelicals for Social Action, No Name Fellowship, City of Fresno Police Advisory Council, Bringing Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life, Faith & Community, Relational Culture Institute and West Fresno Healthcare Coalition. Binion and wife Valarie Jean Metoyer Binion have three daughters, one son, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law and three grandchildren.
Other speakers will include President Richard Kriegbaum, Ph.D.; Stephen Varvis, Ph.D., provost/senior vice president; and John Thiesen, chair of the FPU Board of Trustees.