Special Events 2008
Banquet Speaker
Major General Cecil R. Richardson
Major General Cecil R. Richardson will be the speaker for the Saturday
evening Homecoming Banquet. Last December, he was nominated by
President George W. Bush for the position of Chief of Chaplains for the
U.S. Air Force. In May, Chaplain Richardson assumed command of that
post and was promoted to Major General. He has received numerous
awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal,
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit and
Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
As Chief of Chaplains, he is the senior pastor for more than 800,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. He also leads the Air Force Chaplain Service of approximately 2,200 chaplains and chaplain assistants. As a member of the Armed Forces chaplain board, he and other members advise the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical, and quality of life concerns.
Richardson graduated from Evangel University in 1973 with a B.A. in Biblical Studies and graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Ill., in 1976 with an M.Div. in Hebrew Studies. He was also Evangel’s 2002 Distinguished Alumnus. Marty Magehee ’86 is the featured soloist. As a former member of 4Him, he is a nine-time Dove Award winner and Grammy nominee.
Chapel Speaker
2008 Distinguished Alumnus
The Honorable Sam Der-Yeghiayan
The Honorable Sam Der-Yeghiayan, 2008 Distinguished Alumnus, will
be the featured speaker during the Thursday morning chapel service. He
graduated from Evangel in 1975 with a B.A. in Political Science.
In 1978, he received his juris doctorate from Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, N.H. As an honor law graduate, his legal career was launched by serving as an attorney for the United States Department of Justice under the United States Attorney General’s Honors Program.
He spent the next 23 years as an attorney or judge with the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Justice Department’s Chicago District with jurisdiction over Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. His various positions included trial attorney (1978-1982), district counsel (1982-2000) and acting district director (1986-1987).
Der-Yeghiayan was later nominated by President George W. Bush to be a Federal Judge on the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago. He was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2003, making him the first Armenian immigrant federal judge in the history of the United States.
Reunions Galore
Cluster, Class, Basketball, First Residents of Spence Hall
Cluster and class reunions for a host of alumni are the main reason for attending homecoming, and reuniting with classmates provides numerous opportunities to relive those wonderful college days. See the schedule for the honored years.
Celebrating a rich tradition of outstanding Crusader basketball, former players and coaches are invited to reunion events that will recognize and honor our men’s and women’s programs. In addition, the first residents of Spence Hall are invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its opening in 1968.
Homecoming Recital
Alumni Matt Moore and Darren Eddington and EU Brass Choir
The Homecoming Recital will feature alumni Matt Moore ’01 and
Darren Eddington ’05. The EU Brass Choir will also perform under the
direction of Tim Wootton.
Moore plays trombone and is currently the manager/audio engineer at Music Precedent in Springfield.
Eddington plays trumpet and is the band director at Jarrett Middle School in Springfield.
Homecoming Concert
Alumnus Michael Neale and EU Jazz Ensemble
Michael Neale, 2006 Dove Award nominee, will headline the
homecoming concert. As the worship pastor for The People’s Church,
in Franklin, Tenn., Michael Neale divides his time among mentoring,
songwriting and teaching/leading at conferences around the country.
Michael’s latest album, “No Greater Audience,” was released in July 2007, featuring hit worship songs “More and More” and “You Amaze Me.” His Christmas collaborative album, “Heaven’s Light,” was released in 2006, featuring Paul Baloche and Ross Parsley.
In 2005, “Bigger Than Life” became a top resource for the modern,
worshipping choir. The album was nominated for a 2006 GMA (Dove)
Award in the “Choral Collection of the Year” category.
Michael and his wife, Leah, are both 1994 graduates of Evangel. The Evangel University Jazz Ensemble will also be performing at the concert.