Gardner-Webb Celebrates Veteran’s Day with Service on Nov. 10

Guest Speaker, Col. Jim Davidson is GWU Alumnus and State Chaplain in the S.C. National Guard

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb University will host a Veteran’s Day Service on Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. in Dover Chapel. Col. Jim Davidson, an alumnus who serves as state chaplain in the South Carolina National Guard, will be the guest speaker.

Gardner-Webb hosts an annual celebration of Veteran’s Day to honor students, alumni and friends of the University who answered the call to serve their country.

President Dwight Eisenhower established Veteran’s Day as a national holiday on Nov. 11 in 1954. Before then, Nov. 11 was known as Armistice Day, which was proclaimed in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate the month and day (11/11) and time (11 a.m.) in 1918 when fighting ended in World War I, and the United States and its allies emerged victorious.

Davidson obtained his undergraduate degree in 1996 and Master of Divinity degree in 1999 from Gardner-Webb. He also serves as the pastor of Pleasant Valley Church in Indian Land, S.C. He was born and raised in Indian Trail, N.C. He accepted the call to ministry as a teenager. Davidson and his wife, Jennifer, have been married since 2005 and they have one daughter, Bella Grace. In his free time, Davidson enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, playing golf and watching sports.

The Gardner-Webb ROTC will present the colors to begin the service. The GWU Concert Choir will sing an arrangement of the national anthem by Reuben Burrows. Gardner-Webb President Dr. William Downs will provide greetings and the invocation. The Old Testament reading will be given by Norma Mott, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and the New Testament scripture will be read by Nate Evans, also a U.S. Air Force veteran.

After Davidson’s message, the Concert Choir will perform America the Beautiful, and Vice President and University Chaplain for Christian Life and Service Dr. Josh Parrott will have the closing prayer. 

Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 10 working days prior to the event.  Please call 704-406-4270 or email [email protected] with your request.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.