James Winkler, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society for the United Methodist Church, will give the 2008 commencement address at Southwestern University. The ceremony will be Saturday, May 10, at 2 p.m. in the Corbin J. Robertson Center.

The General Board of Church and Society is the international public policy and social justice agency of the United Methodist Church. Winkler has been the chief executive of the board since November 2000, overseeing a staff of 26 with offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and in New York City across from the United Nations.

Winkler has led delegations to the Middle East, Iraq and Germany, working for peaceful public policy in the midst of global conflict. He also has traveled throughout Africa, Asia and Europe promoting the justice work of the United Methodist Church. He is a frequent spokesperson to national and international media about the justice work of the United Methodist Church.

“Jim Winkler is one of the bravest voices in the worldwide United Methodist Church,” said Southwestern University President Jake B. Schrum. “The agency he heads is concerned with some of the greatest social issues of our time.”

Two hundred forty-seven May graduates and 25 August graduates are expected to receive degrees at the ceremony.