Bethel University is excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins as the speaker for its 79th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Author of the Left Behind novel series and The Chosen novels (based on the TV series created by his son Dallas Jenkins), Jenkins has made a significant impact on Christian literature through his extensive body of work, which includes more than 200 books and 73 million+ copies sold.
“We are truly honored to welcome Jerry B. Jenkins as our commencement speaker this year,” says Dr. Dee McDonald, president. “Few writers have shaped Christian thought and imagination as powerfully or as faithfully as he has. His life’s work stands as a testament to courageous storytelling and unwavering conviction. I am confident our graduates will leave not only stirred by his journey but inspired to pursue their own callings with greater faith, creativity and purpose.”
Jenkins assisted Billy Graham with his memoir and has written the biographies of more than a dozen superstar athletes, including Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Nolan Ryan. He is an inductee in the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame. He is also the former Vice President for Publishing at Moody Bible Institute, where he later served for 18 years as a member of Moody’s board of trustees, seven years as chairman. He is now a member of the board at Colorado Christian University.
The Jenkins family’s ties to Bethel run strong. Jerry’s wife Dianna grew up in the Missionary Church and served on Bethel’s Board of Trustees. Their son Chad played baseball for the Pilots and graduated from Bethel in 2002. Jenkins Stadium – the home for Bethel Pilots baseball – is named after the family because of a generous gift. And Chad’s son Isaac is a current freshman at Bethel. Jenkins was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Bethel in 2003.
“With so many long-term ties to Bethel,” Jenkins says, “it’s always a pleasure to be on campus. I’m honored to have been invited and very much look forward to reuniting with many old friends and helping launch a new generation into this new season of their lives.”
Bethel University expects more than 300 students to graduate in a single ceremony that will include traditional undergraduate, adult and graduate programs. Graduation day activities will begin with a nurse pinning ceremony at 10 a.m., in the Everest-Rohrer Auditorium and a traditional procession through Bethel’s campus at the start of the commencement ceremony, as well as a 50-year reunion for the class of 1976. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. and will be livestreamed on Bethel’s website, BethelUniversity.edu.
For more information about the weekend’s graduation activities, visit BethelUniversity.edu/Commencement.
About Our Speaker
Jerry B. Jenkins is the author of more than 200 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers, with more than 73 million copies sold. He is most known for the Left Behind novel series and The Chosen novels, based on the TV series. Jenkins assisted Billy Graham with his memoir and has written the biographies of more than a dozen superstar athletes, including Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary and Nolan Ryan. He is an inductee in the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame.
He is the former Vice President for Publishing at Moody Bible Institute, where he later served for 18 years as a member of Moody’s board of trustees, seven years as chairman. He is now a member of the board at Colorado Christian University.
Jerry and his wife Dianna, who grew up in the Missionary Church and once served on the Bethel University Board of Trustees, live in Colorado and have three grown sons, including Dallas — the creator of The Chosen; Chad, an alumnus of Bethel and sports information director at Mid-America Nazarene University in Kansas; and Michael, a graduate of Colorado Christian University.
Jerry and Dianna also have eight grandchildren, including Isaac Jenkins, a current student and soon-to-be sophomore at Bethel.