The Rev. Dr. C. Edward “CJ” Rhodes II, director of religious and spiritual life at Alcorn State University, has been nominated for induction into the MLK Jr. Board of Preachers during the 41st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers & Laity ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
The ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College. The event will be livestreamed on the Morehouse College YouTube channel, and the Morehouse College Glee Club will perform.
Honorees must be present to receive the distinction.
The invitation was extended on behalf of Morehouse College President F. DuBois Bowman ’92.
Inductees are recognized for exemplifying “the prophetic witness, moral courage and unwavering commitment to justice” that Morehouse College promotes.
“I am honored to be part of this class, as it is the last class for the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Carter, the retiring founding dean of Morehouse’s Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel,” said Rhodes. “This is also like a full circle moment for me because I had always wanted to attend Morehouse as an undergraduate.”
Rhodes also serves as director of the Hiram Rhodes Revels Institute for Ethical Leadership and leads chapel services at Alcorn State for students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community. He has served in his current role since 2010.
“This has been largely made possible because of my pastoral tenure at Mt. Helm Baptist Church and my time at Alcorn as the first rector of Oakland Memorial Chapel and director of religious and spiritual life,” said Rhodes.
Rhodes serves as pastor of Mt. Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss. His ministry focuses on community engagement, social justice advocacy and spiritual formation. At Oakland Memorial Chapel, he oversees religious programming and promotes spiritual development among students, staff and the broader campus community.
