Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Beginning Sunday, August 23, Tuskegee’s University Chapel will begin service later in the day on Sundays. Services now start at 1:30 p.m. a change from the long-standing 9:30 a.m. start time.
“It’s a new time with the same mission,” says Dr. Cecil A. Duffie, Dean of the University Chapel. “We remain committed to making this a welcoming space for any and all who are curious and who seek connection and community.”
Feedback from Tuskegee students and from members of the Tuskegee community led to the time adjustment.
“Both groups shared that they want the Tuskegee University Chapel experience on Sundays. For students, their increasingly tighter academic schedules warranted a later start time and for the community, the new time provides the chance to attend regular church service in addition to the chapel experience.
The University Chapel continues to evolve under Duffie’s leadership which began last summer.
August 18 marks one year of “Prayer Nite,” a contemporary worship service held on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. that was the brainchild of students and is student-led each week. Duffie has made student leadership a focus of chapel priorities, which aligns with Tuskegee’s overall mandate to provide students with real-world opportunities to develop the skillsets they will need to compete in a global economy.
“Leadership is a learned behavior and we welcome the opportunity to make the Chapel a space for both worship and workforce readiness preparation,” he said. “Chapel is a space where we make room for learning through worship and for everyone to feel welcomed on their own terms.”
This week’s Prayer Nite will feature musical guest, Antwaun Cooks, the Director of Worship and Arts at Spirit and Truth Church in Atlanta.
Minister Cooks is known for his unique worship style which blends traditional and contemporary worship, bridging generations. He has been instrumental in reshaping the sound of praise and worship, leading a movement that invites authenticity, and freedom.
We look forward to another opportunity to gather as one Tuskegee for a time of worship and stillness, especially as we enter the academic year,” said Miles Douglass, a junior Computer Science major and student leader in the chapel.
© 2026 Tuskegee University
