Center for Urban Biblical Ministry commencement

Vivian Hewitt will speak at the ceremony on May 7.

BEAVER FALLS, PA (04/26/2012)(readMedia)-- Commencement for the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry (CUBM) will be Monday, May 7 at 6 p.m. The ceremony will take place at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 North Highland Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206.

Since 1988, CUBM has partnered with Geneva College in equipping students with a Christ-centered education that will help them do God's work. The mission of the center is "to glorify God by educating urban students in southwestern Pennsylvania for effective service in their local communities." Students at CUBM may pursue Geneva College associate of arts degrees in Christian ministry, business administration and human services. These degrees are designed for individuals aspiring to be hardworking urban church leaders, future leaders and persons called but with little or no college experience.

The keynote speaker for the event is Vivian Ann Davidson Hewitt. Hewitt is a New Castle native and Geneva graduate. Over the years, she has donated 40 pieces of original Haitian and other African-American art to Geneva. In addition, she and her late husband, John, amassed one of the most renowned collections of African-American art, which today serves as the cornerstone of the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture in Charlotte, N.C.

Hewitt was the first black librarian in Pittsburgh and the first African-American president of the Special Libraries Association (1978-1979). She has also been chief librarian for the Rockefeller Foundation, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Council on Foreign Relations. She recently published The One and Only, an autobiographical history of her life.

Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College's philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education. Geneva is a founding member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU).