By Lucas Pennington, student news writer

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.— Dr. John V. Upton Jr., president of the Baptist World Alliance and director of the Virginia Baptist Convention, will speak at Campbellsville University's weekly chapel Wednesday, April 3 at 10 a.m.

Chapel is held in Ransdell Chapel located on the main campus of Campbellsville University at 401 N. Hoskins Ave., Campbellsville. Everyone is invited.

Upton is currently serving a five-year term as president of the Baptist World Alliance that began July 31, 2010, with his election at the 20th Baptist World Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii. As president, Upton travels the world representing over 41 million Baptists and sharing the message of the redeeming love of Christ.

Upton was elected executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Virginia Baptist Mission Board during their annual meeting of the General Association in November 2001.

Upton received a bachelor of arts from Averett College. He then attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and received his masters in divinity. Upton also attended the Taiwan Language Institute. He received his doctorate in divinity from the International Baptist Theological Seminary in India.

Upton is married to Deborah, associate pastor for spiritual development at Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. The couple has three children, Christopher Upton, Richard Upton and Emily Jacobs.

Upton and his wife have both served as missionaries in Taiwan through the Southern Baptist Convention's Foreign Mission Board.

All chapels are open to the public free of charge and are televised live on WLCU (Comcast Cable channel 10).

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,600 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.