Livingstone College

SALISBURY — A popular Florida bishop whose church has recorded two Billboard chart-topping hits is coming to Livingstone College.

Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick Jr., senior pastor of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church in Jacksonville, Fla., will be the guest preacher for Livingstone’s Spring Revival, sponsored by Campus Ministries, said the Rev. Troy Russell, campus minister.

The revival will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at Tubman Little Theatre on campus under the theme, “Getting on Target.”

McKissick returned to Bethel in 1995 to co-pastor with his father and has since succeeded him as the sole senior pastor. It is the oldest existing Baptist church in the state of Florida.

His church choir, Word and Worship Mass Choir, has produced five CDs, all having received national critical acclaim. “The Right Place” debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard charts and “The Recovery” at No. 2.

In addition to his musical talents, McKissick is a powerful preacher. He has been inducted into the Morehouse School of Religion Board of Preachers, and was a professor at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, as a doctoral mentor.

He is also the author of several books including “God’s Got My Back: Insights I Learned From Spinal Surgery.” He endured 12 hours of spinal surgery that resulted in paralysis of one of his vocal chords. He was told that he would never be able to preach or sing again. In July 2010, that book reached No. 1 on the Independent Publishers Book chart.

McKissick earned his bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University with a double major in music: one in opera and the other in sacred church music with a minor in pipe organ performance. He holds a master of divinity degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Religion at Virginia Union University, and the doctor of ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary.

He was awarded the honorary doctor of divinity degree from Bethune Cookman University, and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., as well as Sigma Pi Phi Boule.

He is married to the former Kimberly Joy Nichols and they have three children.

Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. said, “We are blessed to have someone of his caliber and talent to come to our campus and deliver a powerful message to our students. It is part of our holistic approach to address the whole student.”