The public is invited to join the Concordia College community in observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19, with a keynote address by Dr. Wylin Wilson, a Martin Luther King Jr. chapel service with the Rev. Lamont Wells as guest of honor, and a variety of concurrent sessions focused on related topics.
The theme for the 2026 event is “A dream bigger than him, bigger than us,” reflecting celebration and challenge — the Concordia community honors the remarkable strides made toward realizing King’s dream while recognizing that the pursuit of justice is far from complete. The theme also serves to remind people that the dream belongs to everyone.
Wilson is associate professor of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School, where she teaches within the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative. Her teaching and research are at the intersection of bioethics, gender, and theology. She is currently principal investigator for the Bioethics and Black Church: Addressing Racial Inequalities and Black Women’s Health in North Carolina research project, which examines the potential of the Black church as a resource in addressing the Black maternal health crisis in the U.S.
Wilson earned her doctorate in religion, ethics, and society from Emory University; her Master of Science degree in agricultural, resource, and managerial economics from Cornell University; and her Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center.
Wilson’s keynote address will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Centrum of the Knutson Campus Center at Concordia.
Wells is the executive director of the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities, which includes Concordia as well as 27 other institutions. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in sociology and religion from Morehouse College, Atlanta, and Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education degrees from Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta.
MLK Jr. Day Schedule
9:30-10 a.m. Coffee hour | Atrium, Knutson Campus Center
10-10:45 a.m. Chapel — MLK Service | Centrum, Knutson Campus Center
11-11:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions 1 | various locations on campus
Noon-1:15 p.m. Break for lunch
1:30-3 p.m. Keynote Address | Centrum, Knutson Campus Center
3:15-4 p.m. Concurrent Sessions 2 | various locations on campus
For more information, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/MLK.