THE INAUGURATION OF DR. DEE MCDONALD

In a meaningful ceremony filled with worship, Dr. Dee McDonald was inaugurated as the ninth president of Bethel University. On Friday, November 14, 2025, during the normal chapel time, faculty, staff, students, delegates and honored guests gathered to welcome McDonald in a celebration that aimed to spark revival.

It opened with a powerful ballad, “Lord, You’re Holy,” followed by special music with the University Choir: “Goodness of God” and “More than Able.”

“We’ve been to church!” former Bethel President Dr. Steve Cramer ’75 exclaimed as he took the stage for the welcome. He spoke of Bethel being founded on and sustained by faith over 78 years, earning the nickname “the Miracle on McKinley.”

“Now Dr. McDonald, we know that in the days to come, you will be upheld in prayer, empowering that same vibrant faith [that founded Bethel] as you seek to move Bethel beyond the Miracle on McKinley and become the Legacy on Logan,” Cramer said.

Rev. LaMorris Crawford, chaplain of the Carolina Panthers NFL team, gave the inaugural address: “You are the one. This is the place. And now is the time.” He shared a message focused on vision and purpose found in Christ. McDonald specifically chose Crawford to speak on his behalf rather than give the address himself.

“From my initial appointment as president, my wife Amanda and I felt compelled to have the inauguration be about revival and point people to Jesus,” McDonald explains. “LaMorris and his wife Megan were our prayer partners through the whole discernment process, and God prompted us that he was the person He wanted to speak. I wanted to draw the attention to Jesus where it should be, which fits with Bethel’s motto – with Christ at the Helm.”

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(1) McDonald (second from right) with former Bethel presidents, from left, Dr. Steve Cramer, Dr. Barb Bellefeuille and Dr. Gregg Chenoweth. (2) After the luncheon, the McDonalds greeted students, faculty and staff at an afternoon tea, where attendees got to take home a souvenir tea cup and saucer, donated by alumnus Jeff Ziegler ’80. (3) McDonald greets his son, Ell, at the inauguration. (4) The McDonalds give students high-fives after the ceremony. (5) LaMorris Crawford, chaplain for the Carolina Panthers NFL team, gives the inaugural address. (6) Dr. Emile Hawkins prays over the McDonalds, along with the platform party, during the inauguration ceremony. (7) McDonald with daughter Maelee, who opened the luncheon in prayer.

The ceremony included friends and colleagues from McDonald’s life and work. Dr. Don Reddick, Rev. Jasper Taylor and Sharon Norman provided the music; the invocation and benediction were given by Rev. Kevin Jack; the ethos of the president was given by Dr. Andrew Denton (president, Crown College) and Dr. Simone Twibell (associate professor, Olivet Nazarene University); and the dedicatory prayer was given by Dr. Emile Hawkins (professor, Southeastern University).

Rev. Bill Hossler provided greetings from the Missionary Church; Bethel Alumni Board Chair Octavian Sayumwe ’18 provided greetings from the alumni; and Bethel Vice President for Spiritual Life and University Affairs Dr. Shawn Holtgren led the university hymn, “To God Be the Glory.”

Following the ceremony, McDonald addressed guests at a luncheon.

“My prayer is that Bethel would thrive in pointing people to Jesus. My vision is for Bethel to thrive financially and feel the manifest presence of Jesus. I want to see God do something new and different … something only He can do.”

About President McDonald

Dr. Dee McDonald began as Bethel’s ninth president on July 1, 2025. He is in his 20th year of leadership in Christian higher education, previously serving as Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn. He has a history of strong enrollment growth and building high-performing teams at the four CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities) institutions he’s served (in addition to Crown, Southeastern University, North Central University and Olivet Nazarene University). He earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Southeastern University, studying the relationship between authentic leadership, authentic followership and organizational commitment within Christian higher education; an MBA from Olivet Nazarene University; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science Education, also from Olivet. He and his wife, Dr. Amanda McDonald, have two children, Ell and Maelee. Learn more at BethelUniversity.edu/McDonald.