Students Hear a Challenging Message as They Remember the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Through the years, Wesleyan has been blessed to have phenomenal speakers to share with our students in the weekly chapel services.

In this week’s middle school and high school chapels, Rev. Santes Beatty, Director of Multi-Ethnic Ministries for the North Carolina East District of the Wesleyan Church and the Wesleyan denomination shared a timely message as next Monday America will remember and celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Rev. Beatty reminded the students just how much God cares about people and their relationships with others.  He so eloquently drew a picture of what God desires and even expects from all of us.  He led the students to Scripture that delivers a very clear message of how Jesus often interacted and even shared meals with those who the Pharisees treated with great contempt.  Rev. Beatty challenged the students to examine Jesus’ earthly life, as His life shows that “He did more at a dinner table than He ever did in a synagogue or temple.”  He reminded the students that they have a table of their own and asked them, “when the culture says ‘no’”  to building relationships with your fellowman, “will you say ‘yes’?”  Rev. Beatty so movingly asked, “All of us have a table; what does your table look like?”        

This timely message brings us to the words and admonitions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as he once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”  As we read the history of Dr. King’s life, we see his desire for living a life for a greater purpose that would have eternal value as he prayed, “Use me God.  Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.”   In the chapel services, Rev. Beatty admonished the students to be sensitive to the voice of God and to have a different voice than those of their culture so that they can transform their community and world.  This may mean reaching out to someone of a different race or ethnicity or simply getting rid of various stereotypes and snap judgments that we all tend to place upon people who may not be like us.  

We thank Rev. Beatty for sharing this powerful message with our students and staff.  May we all be like Jesus and take time to get to know and love everyone that the Lord places before us.  May our Lord be pleased with how each of our tables look.

The academy will be closed on Monday in recognition of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  All-day SAEC will be available to those who need it.  We hope that you and your family have a wonderful extended weekend.

WCA Administration

“Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.