Holy Eucharist and Annual HBCU Welcome Sunday
During this Sunday’s principal Holy Eucharist, the Cathedral welcomes alums, organizations, families, and communities representing the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as part of Black History Month. The Rev. Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert, Dean and professor of homiletics at Howard University School of Divinity, preaches. The service includes music and prayers celebrating HBCUs with the Winston-Salem State University Choir – Singing Rams, joining the Cathedral musicians.
Cathedral worship services are free and open to the public. All who seek a deeper relationship with God in Christ are welcome to receive Communion.
About the rev. Dr. Gilbert
The Rev. Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert is the Dean and professor of homiletics at Howard University School of Divinity is a nationally recognized expert on African American preaching. After graduating from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1996, Gilbert enrolled in Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. in practical theology (homiletics).
As an ordained Baptist minister, he served congregations in Texas, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Kenya before landing at Howard University in 2006. A prolific writer and oft-featured expert on Black preaching, civil rights, and social justice, Gilbert has authored countless sermons and classroom lectures, as well as four books: Exodus Preaching: Crafting Sermons about Justice and Hope; A Pursued Justice: Black Preaching from the Great Migration to Civil Rights; The Journey and Promise of African American Preaching; and Just Living: Meditations for Engaging our Life and Times. His writing has also been featured by such outlets as PBS NewsHour, Sojourners, Word & Way, and The Conversation.
In 2011, Dr. Gilbert launched The Preaching Project, a ministry aimed at equipping ministers to better serve African American churches and communities. Dr. Gilbert is Director of the Equipping the Saints: Black Congregations Online Resource Center at Howard University; General Editor of the forthcoming Preaching, Theology, and Culture book series (Fortress Press); a member of the editorial board of Homiletic, a peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the Academy of Homiletics; and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In 2022, Dr. Gilbert was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. International Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College. Dr. Gilbert is married to Dr. Allison Blow Gilbert, a pediatrician. The Gilberts have three daughters: Olivia, Ella, and Ava.
About HBCU
More than 100 HBCUs exist in the United States. Most were established in the South after the American Civil War, often with the assistance of religious missionary organizations based in the northern United States. HBCUs opened the door of educational opportunity for many African Americans who were once legally denied an education. Additionally, these schools have provided African American students a nurturing environment to explore their collective identities and cultures. HBCUs have played a vital role in the education of many individuals and communities and in strengthening this nation.
Last Sunday after the Epiphany
Guest Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert
Presider: The Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan
Join us in-person, or watch the livestream on our Holy Eucharist page or on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel . ASL interpretation is offered for this service.
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