- Florida Memorial University Welcomes Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie to Keynote its Spring Commencement -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – MIAMI GARDENS, FL (May 6, 2011) – The heavens and earth bear witness; there is only one Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie. Bishop McKenzie will journey to south Florida to salute Florida Memorial University’s Spring 2011 graduating class. The spiritual leader will serve as keynote speaker during the university’s Spring Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 8:30 am. This event will be held at the A. Chester Robinson Athletic Center.

Bishop McKenzie, the titular head of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, has spent her entire ministerial calling sharing the gospel around the globe, nourishing souls, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. All while making history, exceeding expectations and shattering glass ceilings. She will encourage more than 150 graduates to do likewise.

The event marks Dr. Henry Lewis, III’s first commencement as FMU’s president. The graduation continues FMU’s tradition of transforming learners into leaders. For more information please contact Joyce Forchion or Zachary Rinkins in the Florida MemorialUniversity Office of Public Affairs at 305-626-3624.

About Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie

Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie serves as the 117th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Her historic election in the year 2000 represents the first time in the over 200-year history of the A.M.E. Church, in which a woman had obtained that level of Episcopal office. This year, she again made history becoming the first woman to become the Titular Head of the denomination, as the president of the Council of Bishops, making her the highest-ranking woman in the predominately Black Methodist denominations. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park; holds a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity and has earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She is the wife of Stan McKenzie. Together, they have three children.

About Florida Memorial University

Located in the City of Miami Gardens, Florida Memorial University is a private, historically Black institution offering 42 undergraduate degree programs and 4 graduate degree programs to a culturally diverse student body. Since its inception in 1879, the University has upheld a commitment to providing a solid foundation for thousands of young people and opening doors to educational opportunities that may have otherwise been closed to them. As South Florida’s only Historically Black College or University (HBCU), it is widely recognized for being the birthplace of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and the home of student Barrington Irving, Jr., the first pilot of African descent and youngest pilot ever to fly solo around the world. Dr. Henry Lewis, III, PharmD, is the university’s twelfth president. For more information, please contact the Office of Public Affairs at (305) 626-3624 or visit www.fmuniv.edu.