Thursday, September 13, 2012
SC State University will officially welcome new students during its annual Fall Convocation on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 at 3 p.m. in the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. As a symbolization of the University’s official opening of the new academic year, the 2012-2013 Fall Convocation theme for the Class of 2016 is “Transforming Our Community and World Through Knowledge, Duty and Honor.”
This year’s conovcation speaker is Rev. Charcey Priester, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church in Rowesville, S.C. Priester’s mission is to empower people spiritually, develop them educationally, expose them culturally, activate them politically and strengthen them economically.
Under Priester’s leadership the church has expanded in phenomenal growth. The church has purchased 46 acres of land at 2259 Rowesville Road, built a new 700 seat sanctuary equipped with offices, classrooms and a fellowship hall that seat 300 persons, implemented two services preached on Sundays (8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.) and added 20 different ministries.
Priester serves as a board member of the Labor Relations Department for The National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. He is the Chaplin for Orangeburg Public Safety. He served as moderator of the Old Ashley Baptist Training Union. He also served as Chaplin and encourager for the incarcerated persons at The Allendale County State Prison in Allendale, S.C. Priester has hosted his own radio talk show on SC State University’s radio station, WSSB 90.3 FM: “Changed by The Word.”
Priester attended South Carolina State University and furthered his education at William-Clement Davis Seminary.
He is married to Minister Sarah Priester and they are the proud parents of Charcey Jr. and Majesty Priester.
