Pictured is a Chapel service with Markus McFolling during Duremdes Christian Emphasis Week in 2025.
Bluefield University will host its 35th Annual Duremdes Christian Emphasis Week, September 21-25, 2026. The week builds on regular ministry events with added opportunities for students to engage with God’s Word and Christian community.
This week will explore the university’s theme for the academic year, “Harvest,” based on Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (NIV). Pastor and evangelist Danny Morales will serve as the speaker for this week’s three Chapel services.
The Christian Emphasis event was created in 1992 by Drs. Gene and Jane Duremdes of Princeton, West Virginia. Thanks to their faith and generosity, hundreds of BU students have made professions of faith and been baptized over the past three decades.
Sensing a special calling to “share with the students of Bluefield University some of the blessings they have received from the Lord,” the Duremdes created the event with BU leaders to allow students and the public at-large to “examine their spiritual lives” and to “seek answers to life-impacting questions.” Now, the university sets aside a week each school year for students and members of the community to focus on their faith.
Our student ministries team will kick off the week on Monday night with their regular Home worship service at 7:30 p.m. While normally held in Harman Chapel, this week’s service will be held in the Quad, weather permitting. These services, consisting of student-led worship music and a message from a BU student or alum, aim to make students feel truly at home in the presence of Christ.
The university will host its weekly Chapel service on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Harman Chapel, the first of three services with Danny Morales. Additional Chapel services will be held on Thursday and Friday mornings.
Roots Night will begin on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Jack Marcom Student Center of Shott Hall. Roots is the university’s discipleship initiative, enabling students to join small groups and become more deeply rooted in their faith.
Thursday night will be a worship and baptism night in Harman Chapel. Students who feel led to demonstrate their faith through baptism should contact Campus Pastor Mason West at [email protected] or Campus Ministry Assistant Ashlyn Newman at [email protected].
After Chapel on Friday, students will engage in outreach and evangelism activities. More details will be shared by @bu_campusministries on Instagram.
For media inquiries, please contact the Office of Public Relations and Marketing at [email protected].