SAU president first HBCU President to preach at Washington Cathedral

Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail, President of Saint Augustine University (SAU), has made history as the first president from an Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) to be selected to preach for the Washington Cathedral’s fourth annual Holy Eucharist & Annual HBCU Welcome Sunday. The service will take place in Washington, DC on February 19, 2023.
SAU President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail stated that “HBCU history is black history.” “It is an honor for me to establish a path that increases the importance of HBCUs in the present day.”
Founded in 1867 by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, SAU is the oldest and largest Episcopal HBCU, as well as one of two HBCUs affiliated with The Episcopal Church. SAU, with an enrollment of around 1,200 students and 11,000 living alums, is one of The Episcopal Church’s biggest Black institutions in the United States.
Katharine R. Henderson, President of Auburn Seminary
The Rev. Katharine R. Henderson, President of Auburn Seminary, stated that Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail has led the University into an increasingly dynamic and generative partnership with The Episcopal Church, building upon the legacy of SAU alumni and former leaders such as Anna Julia Cooper, Bishop Henry Beard Delaney, and John Hope Franklin. Stephens, SAU’s Dean of The Chapel & Spiritual Life, is Hershey Mallette. ”
Dr. McPhail preaching at the Washington National Cathedral on HBCU Sunday is an appropriate and exciting honor, as he is the leader of the largest Black institution affiliated with The Episcopal Church in the United States. I am excited to once again bring a group of Chapel students to Washington D.C. to take part in this cherished tradition.
Forty years after the founding of The Episcopal Church, President Theodore Roosevelt helped lay the foundation stone of The Washington National Cathedral in 1907, signifying its construction. State funerals, memorial services for US Presidents, and presidential prayer services for inaugurations have all been hosted at the Cathedral. Martin Luther King’s last speech
The Cathedral has also hosted numerous historical events, including Rev. Martin Luther King’s last speech. On his final Sunday sermon before his assassination in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke.
For Black History Month, The Washington National Cathedral will be hosting the Holy Eucharist & Annual HBCU Welcome Sunday this weekend, inviting alums, organizations, families, and communities representing the HBCUs. The Cathedral musicians will be joined by the choir of Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest HBCU, in a service that includes music and prayers celebrating HBCUs.
Dr. McPhail, a nationally recognized thought leader in higher education, served as President and CEO of the McPhail Group, LLC prior to joining SAU. At Morgan State University, She is the founding professor and director of the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program. Dr. McPhail is also the former president of Cypress College in California. Since she arrived at SAU in 2021, Dr. McPhail’s leadership has resulted in a 10-year high in Fall Enrollment, record-breaking alum giving, federal funding to cover student account balances, preservation and repurposing of historical buildings, expansion of broadband access, and reopening of campus and community educational centers. Dr. McPhail’s administration has, furthermore, provided educational access to students in communities without HBCUs, and has utilized the university’s resources to broaden its revenue sources.
The Washington Cathedral’s Holy Eucharist page and YouTube channel will stream this service.
For more information about Washington Cathedral’s fourth annual Holy Eucharist & Annual HBCU Welcome Sunday, click here.