THE REV. DR. OTIS MOSS JR. TO DELIVER ITC COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS MAY 13

(ATLANTA)—World renowned theologian, preacher and civic leader The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr., will deliver the keynote address at the Interdenominational Theological Center’s (ITC) Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 13 at 8 a.m. in the Martin Luther King Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College, 830 Westview Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA, 30314. Masters and Doctoral degrees will be conferred on approximately 70 students.

A native of La Grange, Georgia, Dr. Moss is a graduate of Morehouse School of Religion at ITC. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH. Dr. Moss served as pastor at Old Mount Olive Baptist Church in La Grange, GA; Providence Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA; Mount Zion Baptist Church in Lockland, OH; and as co-pastor with Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA. In 2008, he retired as pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio after more than 30 years of service.
Dr. Moss’ life and ministry is distinguished by his advocacy in education, civil and human rights and social justice. He has served on the boards of The Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Foundation. Dr. Moss served as the Chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees for more than 10 years. He was a board member and Regional Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tenure as founding president. He also served as a national board member and trustee of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change.

His work in the international community has taken him to Hong Kong, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, West Africa, South Africa, Israel, India and Switzerland.

Dr. Moss served as an advisor to former President Jimmy Carter at Camp David and in 1994 he was the special guest of former President Bill Clinton at the Peace Treaty signing between Israel and Jordan. He formally served on President Barack Obama’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership Council. In 2009, Dr. Moss co-lectured with Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, during a multi-city tour of India illuminating the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

Dr. Moss is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Role Model of the Year Award from the National Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Development in 1992 and the Leadership Award from the Cleveland chapter of the American Jewish Committee in 1996. He was inducted into the 2007 Class of the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. In 2004, Dr. Moss was bestowed the unique honor of the Lyman Beecher Lectureship on Preaching at Yale University. He was twice named by Ebony Magazine as one of “America’s Greatest Black Preachers.” In 2012 he was inducted into the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Dr. Moss also holds eight honorary degrees from colleges and universities in Ohio, Georgia and Arkansas. Morehouse College named their newest dormitory suites in his honor.

Dr. Moss is a life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Boulé), to name a few. He has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to discuss Current Trends in Religion. In 1997, in conjunction with University Hospitals Health System and Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, Dr. Moss provided the vision to establish the Otis Moss, Jr. – University Hospitals Health Center that offers a wide range of medical services to the greater Cleveland community.