Jarvis Christian University to Host J.N. Ervin Founders Convocation
Jarvis Christian University will celebrate its heritage, faith, and enduring mission during the upcoming J.N. Ervin Founders Convocation, to be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Smith-Howard Chapel on the Jarvis campus. The annual convocation is one of the university’s most meaningful traditions, honoring the founding vision and legacy that continue to guide Jarvis today.
The Founders Convocation serves as a time for the campus community to reflect on the university’s history, give thanks for those who laid its foundation, and recommit to the mission of educating students for lives of service, leadership, and impact. As part of the Homecoming celebration, the event brings together students, alumni, faculty, staff, clergy, and friends of the university in a shared moment of remembrance and renewal.
This year’s convocation speaker will be Rev. Clarence L. Johnson, senior pastor of Mills Grove Christian Church in Oakland, California. Rev. Johnson is widely respected for his pastoral leadership, preaching, and commitment to strengthening both congregations and communities. His message is expected to inspire attendees to reflect on the spiritual foundations of Jarvis Christian University and the responsibility of each generation to carry that legacy forward.
University leaders emphasize that the J.N. Ervin Founders Convocation is more than a ceremonial gathering—it is a reaffirmation of the values that have sustained Jarvis for generations. Named in honor of one of the institution’s early leaders, the convocation reminds the campus community that Jarvis’s strength lies not only in its history but in the people who continue to invest in its future.
The setting of Smith-Howard Chapel underscores the spiritual roots of the university and its longstanding connection to faith-based education. The convocation provides students, in particular, with an opportunity to witness the continuity between Jarvis’s founding vision and its present-day mission to educate the head, heart, and hand.
As the university prepares for Homecoming 2026, the Founders Convocation stands as a cornerstone event—anchoring the celebration in reflection, gratitude, and purpose. It serves as a reminder that the story of Jarvis Christian University is still being written and that each member of the community plays a role in shaping its future.
Members of the Jarvis family and the broader community are encouraged to attend this special gathering as the university honors its past while looking boldly toward the future.
For more information about the J.N. Ervin Founders Convocation or other Homecoming events, individuals may contact the Division of Institutional Advancement and Development.