On Monday, August 25, the Fall 2025 semester began with Cairn students, faculty, and staff gathering together to celebrate the start of another academic year.
Continuing University tradition, the University faculty, donning their regalia, began the procession into the gymnasium. The freshman class then entered Convocation two by two, receiving a warm welcome of applause from the faculty, staff, and upperclassmen. This marks the beginning of an academic journey for over 160 new students who started their studies on campus this fall. The next time they take part in a procession into the gymnasium, it will be for their graduation.
After a time of song, Dr. Todd J. Williams, president, addressed the student body. He spoke on this year’s “One Scripture, One University” verse, a selection made by the Spiritual Life Committee ahead of the start of each academic year. This year’s verse is Deuteronomy 13:4 “You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”
Dr. Williams told the students that this verse has made commands and that they perhaps can all be summarized by the final command to “hold fast”—a command included through Scripture “because we are prone to let go.” His charge to the students to, at the beginning of a new academic year, is to “pay attention to your walk and desire to follow after God.” The time spent at a Christian university should not be incidential but intentional, and one’s spiritual walk requires daily attention.
As the University closed in prayer and the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” students, faculty, and staff began the new year with renewed determination to walk after God, fear him, keep his commandments, obey his voice, and hold fast to him.
Welcome, class of 2029!
