Senate Chaplain Dr. Barry Black Is Pillar College Commencement Speaker

By Candance Waller, Pillar College

U.S. Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black was the keynote speaker at the Pillar College commencement on May 15.

Dr. Black was elected the 62^nd Chaplain of the Senate in 2003.  He also served in the U.S. Navy for 27 years cumulating his career as Chief of Navy Chaplain and has written five books the latest, Make Your Voice Heard in Heaven, published in 2018.

Dr. Wayne Dyer, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Pillar, said, “It is our honor to have Dr. Barry C. Black as our Commencement speaker.”

“He is a pastor to lawmakers with the goal to increase the number of people on Capitol Hill who will be salt and light to their generation. Chaplain Back is Exhibit A attesting to the value of a Christian education. He started in a Christian school in first grade and continued on through seminary.”

VIDEO OF DR. BLACK’S SPEECH AND PILLAR COLLEGE’S 2021 COMMENCEMENT BELOW

As Chaplain, Dr. Black provides many duties to U.S. Senators including opening each day in prayer, counseling and providing them with spiritual guidance, assisting with research on Biblical questions and facilitating small group discussions with Senators and staff.  He also officiates weddings an provides marriage counseling and conducts funeral and memorial services. 

“I see my role as the chaplain to be confidential counselor, spiritual advisor, scripture teacher, intercessor and friend to the Senators, their spouses, and the Senate staff as they seek to discover and live God’s wonderful plan,” said Dr. Black.

Pillar College is the only accredited Evangelical Christian college in New Jersey and was ranked among the top 50 colleges in the state by Intelligent.com in their 2021 listing.  LEAD (Life Enhancing Accelerated Degree), one of its premier programs, is hailed as best in the state. LEAD gives adults who have some college credit the opportunity to complete their bachelor degree in 18-20 months. The BLEND (Bi-Lingual Entry Degree) program allows Spanish speakers to take college classes in their native language while taking ESL classes. These unique programs have made the school standout.

“Pillar College sees itself as a practical Christian college,” said Pillar College President David Schroeder. “We are designing new career-friendly majors so that graduates will be able to get jobs right out of college.”

About Pillar College

Pillar College is a comprehensive institution of higher learning, providing a Christ-centered education. Pillar College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and licensed by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). Pillar College offers Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs. Pillar College educates, inspires and equips students for excellent scholarship, service and leadership. Rooted in and committed to Christian faith, Pillar College fosters intellectual, spiritual and social development among its diverse student population. Pillar College has locations in Newark, Somerset, Paterson and Plainfield, New Jersey. Founded in 1908. For more information about Pillar College, visit https://pillar.edu