Liberty Journal Fall 2020

Training Champions for Christ IN A TIME OF TRANSITION, THE MISSION REMAINS UNCHANGED

Meet Jerry Prevo, LIBERTY’S NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT

FA L L 2 0 2 0

INSIDE this ISSUE

S E N I O R M A N AG I N G E D I TO R Mitzi Bible GRAPHIC DESIGNER Carrie Mitchell

JERRY PREVO: A CHAMPION FOR 2 | CHRIST 14 | LOVING THY NEIGHBOR AND FOR LIBERTY

CO N TR I B U T I N G E D I TO R S Kristin Conrad Ron Kennedy Scott Lamb Jerry Prevo Amanda Stanley

President Jerry Prevo is a retired pastor and longtime member of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees. Get to know the man who is carrying LU into the future and read about his heart for training and leading Champions for Christ.

W R I T E RS Ted Allen Mitzi Bible Heather Bradley Jacob Couch Natalie Dyess Ryan Klinker Garold Smith Logan Smith

10 | TOGETHER AGAIN

Kicking off a new school year may have looked a little different this time, but from the first classes to the first Convocation, Campus Community, and exciting social events, students are feeling right at home.

P H OTO G R A P H E R S Luke Bobbey Joel Coleman Chase Gyles Joel Isememe KJ Jugar Ross Kohl Jenna McKenney Ellie Richardson Andrew Snyder C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Josh Rice A RT D I R E C TO R Rachel Dugan STA F F Rebecca Beem Ashley Deanda Kerry Hogan Dawn Neal Kim Smith

O N T H E COV E R

For more information about the Liberty Journal, email news@liberty.edu, call (434) 592-4955, or write to: Liberty University Office of Communications & Public Engagement 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, Va. 24515 View the digital version and past issues at Liberty.edu/LibertyJournal.

For information on Liberty’s academic programs, the admission process, alumni, or athletics, call (434) 582-2000.

Liberty University is not affiliated with the Department of Defense or any military service.

Liberty University does not engage in unlawful discrimination or harassment because of race, color, ancestry, religion, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, or military veteran status in its educational programs and activities. Liberty University maintains its Christian character and reserves its right to discriminate on the basis of religion to the extent that applicable law respects its right to act in furtherance of its religious objectives.

R OSS KOHL

A socially distanced Campus Community service takes place at Williams Stadium on Sept. 2. The weekly Wednesday night Bible study is hosted by the Office of Spiritual Development.

Photo by Elliot Miller and Joel Coleman

In the midst of a global pandemic, students, faculty, and staff seized the many opportunities to help others and continue Liberty’s longstanding tradition of service.

IN FOCUS: 20 | FAITH A LEGACY FOUNDATION After nearly four decades of serving Liberty’s religious studies and ministerial training programs, Dr. Ed Hindson retired as dean of the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity in December.

22 | KNOWING WHERE TO TURN

Liberty University has created a wide wellness and safety net for students’ mental and spiritual health throughout campus — in the places where they live, study, and interact with their peers.

26 & 29 | A LIBERTY FAMILY

Meet the new faces on Liberty’s Development and Alumni Relations teams who will help you stay connected with a growing family of alumni, friends, and supporters who want to ensure the true mission of LU continues for future generations.

TOPPING OFF THE VINES Crews began deconstructing the old Vines Center roof in April and are now close to completing a new roof that is 30 feet shorter than the old one and better complements the architecture of the new campus buildings. The roof will also improve the building’s acoustics. The 10,000seat Vines Center will continue to be used for Convocations, concerts, and other large campus and community events.

Alumni: Do you remember calling the old iconic silver dome that once loomed over campus the “Furnace”? View a timeline of key moments in the Vines Center and read reflections from alumni on Page 18. Read about other construction projects around campus on Page 19.

Are we hitting the mark?

Let us know what kinds of stories around Liberty interest you. Have a story idea of your own? Share it with us. Send your feedback to the Liberty Journal staff at news@liberty.edu.

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WELCOME PRESIDENT PRE VO

“No single person is Liberty University. It is bigger than one person — it always has been.

Liberty is God’s university, and He is forming it out of all of us.”

JOEL COL EMAN

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SEASON of RENEWAL

N EW P R ES I D ENT UP HOLDS H IS PROM ISE TO CARRY OUT T H E O R I GI NA L GOA L — TRA INING CH A M PIONS FO R CH RIST The IT tech stood quietly in the doorway, fidgeting with his mask and waiting. Jerry Prevo saw him and smiled.

The tech took a small step in.

“I just wanted to let you know I finished.”

“All right, thank you,” said Prevo. “I’ll probably be calling you again.” He turned back to the table and explained, “They’re trying to get me trained on a new system.

I’ve got the old system.” He chuckled.

“It’s hard for the old guy to give up the old things.”

This can’t be the retirement he had planned.

It was Prevo’s third week as Liberty University’s interim president, and the bush pilot, outdoorsman, and recently retired pastor of 47 years was about as far from relaxing in his home on the Alaskan frontier as he could get. But Liberty, he said, was worth it.

Because telling people about Jesus and training young people to live for the Lord is in his blood.

Like Liberty’s founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., Prevo attended Baptist Bible College in Missouri and began a ministry in 1971 that far surpassed anyone’s expectations. With three years of experience as a Tennessee pastor under his belt, Prevo and his wife, Carol, moved to Anchorage in ’71 to join a small mission.

That small mission became Anchorage Baptist Temple (ABT), and under his leadership grew into one of the largest churches in Alaska; services drew an average of more than 2,000 people per week with a peak attendance of over 6,300 one Sunday. Recognizing a need to spread the Gospel even further, Prevo purchased a television station from Alaska Southern Baptist

Convention for ABT and launched Christian Broadcasting Inc., a media group that now sends the hope of Jesus Christ across the state through three radio stations.

Prevo and ABT also founded Anchorage Christian Schools, the first K-12 Christian school in Alaska. Today

“We don’t need to rebuild. We simply need to reveal what God is doing and has been doing from the beginning through faithful servants like these.”

J E R RY P R E VO

700+ students attend, and other churches have followed suit. But when parents or high school students asked his advice on where to attend college, Prevo always had one answer: Liberty University.

He’d first encountered Liberty when attending Super Conference, Thomas Road Baptist Church’s annual gathering of pastors and ministry leaders, in the ’90s. It was there he met and became friends with Falwell Sr. and was invited by him to join Liberty’s Board of Trustees in 1996. Since then, Prevo has had a front row seat to Liberty University’s progress, serving as chairman of the board from 2003 until he stepped away from the role to assume his new one as Liberty’s interim president in early August.

“Whenever someone asked me to sign their Bible,” he said, referring to his students at Anchorage Christian Schools, “below my name I always wrote

Romans 12:1-2: ‘… Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ And I always had confidence that if our graduates attended Liberty University, they’d continue to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.”

Renewal is on a lot of people’s minds today as Prevo faces what many see as an uphill battle. Recent events involving Liberty’s fourth president, Jerry Falwell Jr., have broken trust for most in Liberty University, and some question Liberty’s commitment to its nearly 50-year mission of Training Champions for Christ.

Prevo acknowledges their frustration.

Then he shifts the focus.

“Someone asked me if we’re going to rebuild,” he begins, “And I said, ‘I don’t want to use that word.’ When you rebuild, it’s because something has been destroyed, and Liberty University has not been destroyed.”

Right now, he said, he spends most days “listening to people here, trying to understand how things work so I can fit in and contribute by encouraging them.

And as I’ve spoken to professors and met with university leaders, I’ve been so impressed by their spiritual maturity.

Every one of them is here because they love the Lord, and they deeply believe in Training Champions for Christ.” A pastor’s passion grows in his voice.

“We don’t need to rebuild. We simply need to reveal what God is doing and has been doing from the beginning through faithful servants like these. Like the church, Liberty University is not a building — it’s not even a campus full of buildings. It’s people. Our people — faculty members, staff members, students, pastors, coaches — are the heart >>

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WELCOME PRESIDENT PRE VO

>> of Liberty University, and that heart has never changed. Many have made the mistake of thinking that the loudest voice speaks for all of us, and that’s just not true. The only name that should define Liberty University is Jesus Christ.”

This is his comfort zone. An evangelist at heart, Prevo has led over 40,000 people to the Lord, and John 3:16 reverberates with fervor when it rolls off his tongue — like he’s amazed by the Gospel again every time he says it.

“When I pray for Liberty University, I pray first of all that every person here would know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Secondly, I pray that our atmosphere at Liberty, from the classrooms to the football field to the basketball court, would be such that every person on this campus and studying online would see what the Christian life

Top: Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell greets Jerry Prevo at a 1983 Convocation.

Middle: Prevo and his wife of 56 years, Carol, ride through the Alaskan landscape on an ATV. Bottom: Prevo (second from left) stands with Falwell and other members of LU administration at the Alaska Pipeline; Prevo enjoys a game with fans at Anchorage Christian Schools.

looks like and would be challenged to really live it.”

Some have voiced concerns that Prevo had worked too closely with Jerry Falwell Jr. in the past to lead Liberty University well today, but it’s clear he’s his own man, and his first priority is to honor God. One of the leading forensic teams in the world has been retained by the Board of Trustees to conduct a thorough investigation into university operations during Falwell Jr.’s tenure as president (See Page 9). Prevo is ready for it.

“I’ve been a part of this university nearly half its life. And when I got appointed as chairman of the board, Dr. Falwell told me, ‘Now, Jerry, when I’m gone, I want you to do all you can to keep this university carrying out my goal. You keep Training Champions for Christ.’”

Prevo nods. “I gave him my word. This

Uns YO Champio

are the for Christ we point to when students and parents want to see what Liberty University does.

J E R RY P R E VO

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is God’s university. It always has been, and it always will be. Yes, we’ll keep training students to become champions in their vocations and workplaces because the world needs gifted professionals. But more importantly, we’ll keep Training Champions for Christ. That’s been the mission of Liberty University since the beginning, and it’s not going to change.”

No, after nearly 50 years of ministry, this wasn’t the retirement he had pictured. It’s not fishing or hunting or relaxing with family. It’s learning new systems and procedures, new building plans, academic plans, strategic plans. It’s getting up to speed as fast as he can so he feels equipped to lead Liberty University wisely and well.

Mostly, it’s telling people about Jesus and training young people to live for the Lord. That’s one old system he’s not willing to give up.

KJ JU GAR

Dear Liberty Community...

it’s always Liberty University for 24 years, Although I’ve been involved with ils and deta ileged to dive into the day-to-day been at a high level. Now I’m priv . love ity so many of you know and get to know the Liberty Univers ity stands cerns about what Liberty Univers I understand you may have con on this ng taki e sinc red ove you what I’ve disc for today, so let me share with new role:

To ou r alumni:

y faculty business of changing lives. So man Liberty University is still in the y, and toda g doin ’re me about the work you members have shared stories with an hum ting figh ’re You . n they talk about you I hear pride in their voices whe of s ition pos ing hold ’re for the future. You trafficking. You’re innovating on. cati edu and t, healthcare, leadership in ministry, governmen parents we point to when students and ist Chr for ons mpi Cha You are the r the ove all ity does. You’re changing lives want to see what Liberty Univers so proud of you. world for Jesus Christ, and I am still here. most about your alma mater are I assure you, the things you love Liberty m war the marks may be gone, but Yes, some of your beloved land ally tinu con pus cam of e While the landscap community you knew is not.

— ist Chr for ons mpi Cha g mission of Trainin changes, its foundation — our elopment, focus on spiritual growth and dev never will. And as we renew our and women of developing Christ-centered men it’s because Dr. Falwell’s vision going. you today, it’s where we’re still is where we started. I commit to

WELCOME PRESIDENT PRE VO

K J JUG AR

you ver I get the privilege of talking with I praise the Lord for you. Whene ays alw “We d: min to es com n ns 1:2-3 ofte or I think of you, 1 Thessalonia We ers. pray our in you tion men tinually thank God for all of you and con , your er your work produced by faith Fath and God our re befo remember Lord our in e r endurance inspired by hop labor prompted by love, and you Jesus Christ.” reasons. s have not been easy — for many I understand these last few year I and red assu be en, ership has been brok And if your trust in Liberty lead restore it. many others will be working to and you because you love our students, on sed pres fully You have faith Over ist.

Chr for ons mpi Cha ning d by Trai believe the world can be change d acte imp ents’ lives have been forever and over I’ve heard how our stud es hom r you sted in them — even shared because you prayed with them, inve with them. ’ve been who they are today because you Liberty students and alumni are uced prod k wor r You .

50 years. Thank you loving them like Jesus for nearly real the is e hop by ired insp , and endurance by faith, labor prompted by love . here d nge cha are s live on the real reas power driving this university and for you I’m so grateful for you. Thank I see you and all you do, and your faithfulness.

“We’re training leaders here at Liberty University —

LUKE BOBBEY

CHAMPIONS — and the most important qualities in any leader are integrity and character.”

J E R RY P R E VO

JOEL COLEM AN

Prevo with his grandson, Brittain, who is about to graduate from Liberty. Brittain recently received his pilot training at LU and is currently a pilot for Samaritan’s Purse.

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You are the heart and so ul of this u I’ve been im niversity. A pressed by s I’ve spoke your maturi have to tran n with man ty, your hon sform this w y of you, es ty , and the pow o rl d for Christ I know you erful poten . came to Lib tial you erty Univer maybe you want to bec sity because ome a docto yo u you for a un h ave a career r or a senato ique purpo in mind — r or a musici se, and here preparing fo an. I believe at Liberty yo r both your G od created u ’ll career and learn to fulf As we refo your calling. ill that purp cus on the ose by spiritual hea that academ lth of our u ic excellence n iv er will remain sity commu Christian ed a cornersto nity, be assu ucation is vi ne of this in red tal to our so intellectual stitution. W ciety becau ly, socially, e believe se students and spiritu better place like you wh ally are bes . o thrive t equipped You are the to make our hope for tom w orld a orrow, and to future ge you are the nerations. Y o ou are the re nes who wil — and why l pass the G ason the rest we will keep ospel on of us are her doing what years to com e at Liberty ever it take e.

University s to Train C hampions fo r Christ for

KJ JU GA R

g your eginnin b t u o b rough ing a vance th e think d ’r a u o r to y t r n ny othe hethe ou wa t from a . And w dy in a career y s n r e e r tt fe a if d em lrea ersity is u becom pus or you’re a ost rty Univ e Who yo m ib a L c d the m y n ou wh ns — an areer o y c io m, ll e e p g te m th e a ll e co — ch let m ithout y , s it W e s s r s r. e la iv te Un all or arac ring. online c ct fastb conside t Liberty tegrity and ch fe a e r e ’r e r p u e o a h y ers row e in ple will school ing lead ader ar on or th cter, peo in le a m a r r tr a e y s h n e c a ’r d d We goo ties in grity an reach a nt quali ur have inte ’t u can p n o o y d importa lead yo if u r arn to n. If yo matte . o le u ’t ti o l nd n a y ’l s a t u iz , e c s o n o it d orga ity, y narie respe , missio y won’t Univers d a large s e r nt n h e a ty to r T s m m e . a e u m p ib c co enfor e in yo needs y at L c d w n ld la e r tu , s o d s fi e w u e the urs t yo The lose con who lov pilots, n er wha aracter. s tt ld h d a e c e fi e m d n r n o e a o ivilege care rity t als So, n ’s our pr ith integ hoolteachers. I in every it w , le n p ty r o io e e s c nd p t Lib profes ristian s rtists, a work. A to lical Ch icials, a er they ff v o e r t e n ite you Evange h e vernm Him w en I inv o r g th o at , n s r, r th o e fo h ll offic and king ing a s Christ u’re loo d to see u o r s y a e t. n w J a r o d ti r fo th Lo ok do duca rist. I lo re you to e the kind of e s for Ch n k to prepa io li p s d m oun Cha among If that s ce here la p r u o find y e. l becom you wil

To our L iberty su pporters :

Parents, d onors, ch urch lead light in a ers, frien dark worl ds — Libe d for man us. But to rty Unive y years be day you m rsity has cause you ight not b been a be Some of ’v e e prayed fo su re where acon of you have r us and p you stand my heart told me artnered . . you’ve b with e e n mocke Let me sa d for you y it clearl r su p y: I am n No single port. Th ot Libert at breaks person is y Univers Liberty U been. Lib it y. n You are n erty is Go iversity. It d’s unive ot Libert is bigger As we m rsity, and y Univers than one ove into He is form ity. person — the future for Christ ing it out it always h with a re , let me o f a as ll n of us. regain yo ewed com Universit ur trust mitment y, we will by assuri to continue Training ng you o to: Champio f a few ns things. A • Ground t Liberty our cours es in bibli • Serve o cal truth ur comm and teach unities as • Collabo from a C the hand rate with hristian w s a nd feet o li k e -minded Franklin orldview f Christ Christian Graham s and min and Sama istries lik ritan’s Pu e my frie rse And we w nd ill contin ue to dep and the n end on yo eed for a ur prayers beacon o world, an f light ha for us. Th d I hope s never b e world is you’ll kee who will e e n getting d g re p ater. Jesu partnerin carry tha arker, s is the tr g with us t Light in u e Light o to the da a s w e Train C f the rkness. hampion s for Chri st KJ JU GA R

WELCOME PRESIDENT PRE VO

To the evangelical community: Liberty might only know the name of You might not know me. You broken It’s . you d ene in the news has sadd University, and what you’ve seen s. our like ion itut big Christian inst any trust you may have had in a outside. when you’re looking in from the ions mpt assu e It’s easy to mak are. ly real we is not who But what’s been in the spotlight s, but as vision of this school for decade and sion mis the in eved I’ve beli t now, righ staff, and students who are here I’ve gotten to know the faculty, are they w kno to ity today, I want you who make up the Liberty commun love y The . ther ano ther. They pray for one extraordinary. They serve one ano each other. love they the Lord Jesus Christ, and it’s ming the church of tomorrow. And beco y toda of rch They are the chu such a privilege to know them. and to ions about Liberty University exp So please don’t let your assumpt it. include them — they don’t deserve ut the to be ashamed or embarrassed abo se refu “I te, wro na alum one As of the use beca me blessed me, and changed place that formed me, grew me, ple peo le edib incr y ty is made up of so man actions of one man. That universi was I k. wor and ents souls into their stud who have poured their hearts and create most beautiful friendships and the of e som form beyond blessed to rty Libe the is t Tha n. ntai mou ories on that some of my most cherished mem University legacy for me.” t of this fight for as long as I am presiden That is the Liberty legacy I will Where . ling age, we will work toward hea university. Where there is dam in, and give not renew our vision. We will there’s been loss of focus, we will we will not give up. for Christ. And they don’t quit.

Because here, we Train Champions

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K J JU GAR

nts, pastors, e d tu s , s r e b m e embers, staff m m y lt heart has u t c a fa th d — n le a , p y o it e s r “Our p Liberty Unive f o t r a e g that the h in e k th in e th r f a o — e s k coache made the mista e v a h y . The only n e a u tr M . t o d e n g t s n a ju h s never c of us, and that’ ll a r fo s k a e p s sus Christ.” e J is y it s r e iv loudest voice n VO J E R RY P R E fine Liberty U e d ld u o h s t a name th

BOARD OF TRUSTEES NEWS

Liberty University Board pledges full commitment to spiritual mission and launches independent investigation Liberty University’s Executive Committee, acting on behalf of its Board of Trustees, issued the following statement on Aug. 31: This past week challenged all of us to the core. While we had been willing to extend grace and understanding to Jerry Falwell Jr. before, once the revelations about his past personal life came more fully to light, we acted swiftly and decisively to ask for his immediate resignation, which we received.

Some may say that all the signs were there for a long time before last week.

It’s certainly fair to say that there were questionable comments made, worrying behavior, and inappropriate social media posts, but all the signs were not there until the start of last week. While we still didn’t know the full scope of the matter, we have learned enough about the past to know that we had no choice but to take the leadership of Liberty University in a new direction.

We are also committed to learning the consequences that have flowed from a lack of spiritual stewardship

by our former president. One of the leading forensic firms in the world has been retained by Liberty University’s Board of Trustees to conduct a thorough investigation into all facets of Liberty University operations during Jerry Falwell Jr.’s tenure as president, including but not limited to financial, real estate, and legal matters.

Throughout these past few weeks, we knew we were being lifted in prayer by the entire Liberty University community. For this we are especially grateful, as we know it was by the Lord’s grace that we were able to put aside emotion and make the decisions that were necessary and essential for bringing calm to the storm. We thank all those who extended prayerful support!

“Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:26b Of course, moving forward, we are very mindful that we must seek leaders who demonstrate a full commitment to the spiritual mission of Liberty University by words, actions, and

example. That is why, in addition to starting a search for a new president, we are also reviewing options to establish a new role in the top leadership of the University for someone who will serve as a spiritual coach, mentor, and guide to help ensure that every member of the University leadership fulfills his or her spiritual responsibility to live out the Christian walk expected of each and every one of us at Liberty.

Lastly, we are charging Jerry Prevo to use the full range of his presidential authority to implement any changes necessary to improve the ongoing operations of the University and to enrich the spiritual mission of Liberty University, not only for its students but also for every executive, administrator, faculty member, and the entire staff, and for a prospective new president as well.

We ask for continued prayers as we all manage this transition and for a continued commitment by us all to fulfill our spiritual mission here at Liberty University today and always.

Liberty University welcomes Dr. Allen McFarland to serve as Interim Board Chairman Liberty University welcomed the appointment of Vice Chairman Dr. Allen McFarland (D.D., D.Min.), as Interim Chairman of the Board of Trustees on Aug. 18.

“I’m excited about this role,” said Dr. McFarland. “During this interim period, the spiritual health and wellness of our leadership is critical to fulfilling the mission set forth in 1971.”

For over two decades, Dr. McFarland has served residential undergraduate and graduate students as an adjunct professor in the School of Divinity. “The students at Liberty University are our

greatest assets and we must make them proud with the work we are called to as leaders.”

“We are so fortunate at Liberty University to have Dr. Allen McFarland become our Interim Chairman, a man of great faith who follows God’s calling wherever it takes him,” said President Jerry Prevo. “This is a historic appointment at Liberty as Dr. McFarland is a distinguished national leader who will be particularly impactful as we continue to broaden our outreach to the African American community to join our mission in Training Champions for Christ.”

With this appointment, Dr. McFarland becomes the first African

American to chair the Board of Trustees at Liberty University.

Dr. McFarland has served as the Pastor of Calvary Evangelical Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Va., since 1982 and has served on the Liberty University Board of Trustees since 1991.

He is the President of the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia and was honored among the Nation’s 70 Most Influential Black Christian History Makers who are living today by the Black Christian News Network. Dr. McFarland also serves on the Board of Directors for Kids Across America, Baptist Fellowship Association, and the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE).

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Together Again, Training Champions LUK E B O BBEY

FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS RISE ABOVE NEW CHALLENGES TO KEEP LIBERTY AN EXCITING PLACE TO LEARN, WORSHIP, AND GROW The start of a new academic year at Liberty University is always steeped in tradition, from fun Welcome Week events, to the first Convocation, to Block Party. With much creativity and cooperation among all campus departments, the 2020-21 school year kicked off as planned, inviting the Liberty family to once again join for another year of Training Champions for Christ.

At a time of change not only in Liberty’s leadership but also in the dayto-day operations during a pandemic, the university has taken every precaution to ensure that the campus environment fosters health and wellness while still cultivating an exciting and spiritually strong atmosphere consistent with its overall mission. And although things may have looked a little different when in-person classes resumed on Aug. 24 for the first time since March, faculty, staff, and students rose to the occasion, supporting one another and building a strong community as they navigated campus with the new health regulations.

After enduring over five months

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apart from friends and classmates, many returning students said they feel grateful that Liberty has afforded them the opportunity to enjoy the campus that they call their home away from home.

“It is so good to see people that I haven’t seen in a while because of the coronavirus,” said senior William Reynolds. “I worked at Liberty as a student worker last year, so when we lost our jobs because of the coronavirus and many of us left campus, we didn’t really have much social contact, and I was pretty much at home for six months.”

Some students said that even though aspects of life at Liberty have been altered due to the regulations, there is still much to look forward to in the new school year.

“I think this year should pretty much be the same as it always has been, in many ways,” sophomore nursing student Emma Benson said on the first day of classes. “Everyone just needs to wear a mask, and that’s really the biggest change.

It was exciting to see everyone today.”

Students have been spaced apart in classes, and professors have been

teaching behind clear partitions. Benson and her nursing classmates were given clear face shields to wear while in class.

She said professors are giving them generous breaks so they can leave the classroom to grab a snack or drink.

Students also recognized changes at dining locations on campus, as Liberty Dining and the Sodexo team have worked hard to provide safe preparation and delivery of meals with new protocols, including more to-go options and a preorder app to reduce lines.

The dining regulations align with those incorporated last spring when Liberty moved its classes online, but indoor seating is now available at a 50 percent capacity. Indoor and outdoor tables have been spaced out and social distancing signs continue to mark the floors. Due to the success of the take-out option this past spring, The Food Court at Reber-Thomas, Liberty’s main dining hall, is now offering a take-out-only area as well.

Before classes began, freshmen and new students were the first to hear a formal introduction and welcome from

JENNA M CK ENNEY

LUK E B O B B EY

AND R EW S NYD ER JO EL I S I M EM E

JOE L COL E M AN

K J JU GAR

President Jerry Prevo during a virtual New Student Convocation on Aug. 21.

Prevo shared about his family and how he first became connected with the university through visits with Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell. He also shared his favorite Scripture verses, Romans 12:1-2, and used them to encourage the new students to pursue their relationship with the Lord before seeking clarity regarding their futures.

“We are going to encourage you to renew your mind first of all by reading the Scriptures and memorizing the Scriptures,” Prevo said. “And we are going to have our faculty talk about how they can help you renew your mind.

Why? That you can prove what is good, acceptable, and the perfect will of God.” He prayed for Liberty, its faculty, and students to be the best witnesses for Christ that they can be.

Students also heard from new Student Body President Constance Schneider and Vice President Joel Thomas.

On Aug. 26, the Office of Spiritual Development officially kicked off the Convocation season with the Rev. Jonathan Falwell, senior pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, who encouraged students during the virtual

event to start the school year off with the right spiritual focus.

“This place has always been about training young Champions for Christ,” Falwell said. “And as you sit there today, whatever you might be studying, don’t ever forget that you are one of those Champions for Christ, and the only thing that will keep you from changing the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is you. Don’t allow your journey to get sidetracked. Don’t allow your journey and your life to fall victim to the noise and the distraction that is everywhere.”

He set the tone for the first Campus Community of the school year later that night when students gathered, socially distanced and masked, and spread all throughout Williams Stadium for a moving time of worship and Bible study.

(Students had to register early for the weekly event, due to the limited capacity.)

The Liberty Worship Collective took the stage, exciting the crowd who had not worshiped together in person since March. President Prevo also spoke under the stadium lights in his first in-person address to students.

Other Convocation guests this semester have included pastors Franklin Graham, David Platt, Andy Stanley, and

Johnny Hunt. Convocation and Campus Community are streamed on Liberty’s Facebook Page. (Past events can also be viewed on Liberty’s YouTube channel.)

The Spiritual Development team also wasted no time in making sure students got involved in service opportunities, another longstanding Liberty tradition.

During the second week of classes, LU Serve hosted the Serve Expo, where students could participate in activities structured to educate and raise social awareness for causes in the local community. The week was highlighted by a Send Relief: Serve Experience on the steps of the Montview Student Union, where more than 450 students and faculty packed 500 kits for victims of sexual assault and their children in the Lynchburg area.

Liberty’s Student Activities team also played an important role in extending a warm welcome to students at the beginning of the new school year. The staff kicked into high gear even before classes began, offering a blitz of activities as students moved into their residence halls. Welcome Week events included a Back to School Bash, outdoor movie night, bingo night, open mic, and jazz evening. On Aug. 29, students >>

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HEALTH & SAFETY Liberty opened the semester with physical distancing and face mask requirements in all academic buildings and at any official gathering of students, regardless of whether the recommended 6-10 feet of physical distancing can be maintained. The full Campus Operating Plan and additional information on protocols are available at Liberty.edu/COVID19. (The plan was reviewed by the State Council of Higher Education and found to be compliant in containing the required components of the Higher Education Reopening Guidance, which was developed in consultation with the Virginia Department of Health.)

Some of the additional changes at Liberty this semester include: • New instruction protocols, such as the reduction of student occupant capacities in classrooms and additional barriers in instructional labs • Increased hand sanitation with additional stations and NanoSeptic self-cleaning strips on door handles around campus • Social distancing guidelines in all locations, including floor signage and limited occupancy restrictions • Constant communication with local community health partnerships, such as CVFP Medical Group and Centra Health, to provide quality medical services, health promotion, and preventive care • Limited capacity and new procedures for large events, such as face covering requirements and planning for flow adjustments to prevent bottlenecks

QUARANTINE HOUSING

Liberty’s advanced planning efforts and vast resources have allowed students who have recently come into direct contact with someone with COVID-19 to be quarantined at safe and secure off-campus housing facilities. In addition to the Annex 1 facility, Liberty has pledged up to $1 million to expand this service by opening up another nearby facility if the situation warrants.

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>> attended Block Party, a campus favorite that celebrates the end of the first week of classes, and enjoyed carnival rides and games.

Whether it’s for a freshman looking to make new friends or an upperclassman looking to expand their relational circle, Student Activities creates unique events that give all Liberty students the opportunity to participate and become more connected to their campus community and culture. The team plans more than 80 events each year, including concerts with some of the country’s best musical talent, and movie, bingo, and trivia nights. Students can showcase their own talent at open mic nights and Coffeehouse. New this year are pottery, coffee brewing, and cake decorating classes. (View the full schedule at Liberty.edu/SA.) “We work tirelessly all summer long to make sure that these events are able to happen,” said Student Activities supervisor Avery Watts. “We talk with outside vendors to bring them to some of

the events. It takes a few months, but we are really excited.”

Exciting updates also greeted students in their residential and online degree programs. Among the new degree offerings launched this fall are: the Master of Science in Aeronautics and Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management (both offered online); Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology, which combines flight training and maintenance; Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy; Master of Science in Engineering; Doctor of Engineering (Ph.D.); Bachelor of Science in Commercial Music; Doctor of Music Education; Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management; and new concentrations for degrees in the Department of Digital Media & Journalism, including sports journalism, church media production, and music recording.

For more campus news and events, visit Liberty.edu/News.

YOUR FUTURE AND SAFETY MATTER! EXPERIENCE LIFE AT LIBERTY THIS NOVEMBER

Tour model residence halls

Go on academic tours and visit open houses and simulations

Enjoy a student-led campus tour

Meet future classmates at events like bowling and ice skating

No CFAW guests will be housed on campus. To offset any inconvenience, we’ll waive your $50 CFAW fee and provide a list of local accommodations at Liberty.edu/LocalLodging.

JOIN US FOR FREE NOV. 13-14 Just text “LUCFAW” to 49596 to register!

LIBERT Y SEES BOOM IN NEW STUDENTS PURSUING ONLINE DEGREES In the midst of a pandemic, online learning has become more popular than ever. With its long history of providing quality online programs, Liberty University remains a top choice for adults earning their degrees and advancing their careers around the globe.

This summer, Liberty hit the milestone of 50,000 new students enrolled in its online programs for the year. Overall, 108,000 students are pursuing degrees online with Liberty.

From 2019-20, Liberty’s unduplicated headcount (individual student enrollment) for online and residential topped 127,000, and that number is trending 10% higher for next year.

Liberty offers 450+ online academic programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level, training students for in-demand fields such as nursing, business, and computer engineering, all with the same standards of academic excellence as Liberty’s residential programs.

“The average age of our online students is 37, so most of them are working adults who are looking for a program that fits their busy lifestyles as they balance their families and their jobs,” said Ron Kennedy, executive vice president for Enrollment Management & Marketing.

“Our students tell us all the time that they chose Liberty because we provide the flexibility and convenience they need, and at an affordable cost.”

While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.

This enables the school to freeze tuition again through the 2021-22 school year,

easing financial stress for students during what has been a difficult year for many.

Online students — at every degree level — will now enjoy their sixth year of steady tuition. Available grants and loans, as well as scholarships and flexible payment plans that are specifically designed for online students, are helping students reach their educational goals. Special benefits are available for active military and spouses, veterans, first responders, and small business owners. Liberty also accepts corporate tuition assistance.

The distance learning program began in 1976 as the Liberty Home Bible Institute and became Liberty University School of Lifelong Learning in 1985. Through home correspondence courses with VHS tapes sent through the mail, students were able to work while attending school for the first time. The internet boom of the early 2000s made it possible for Liberty to offer Christian college degree programs exclusively online.

K-12 PROGRAM HELPS FAMILIES SEEKING STABLE ONLINE OPTION At a time when online schooling has not only become a convenient option but also a necessity for some families, Liberty University Online Academy (LUOA) is meeting the increasing demand.

The K-12 accredited program has seen an impressive 240 percent rise in applications since last fall. It now serves 11,000 students and is projected to surpass 13,000 enrolled by the end of the year.

“A lot of families, in order to find some stability in these uncertain times, are coming to us and saying, ‘We want to find a quality education for our children, a place where we can plug them right in and know that they can continue to learn without disruption,’” said LUOA Dean Chris Rusk. “COVID, amongst other things, is really propelling families to find answers that are built on solid information and not government

recommendations to schools, which can change weekly.”

As a product of a university that pioneered distance learning, LUOA is known for its strong academics.

“Families who are making the switch from public school systems are amazed at how rigorous our program is,” Rusk said, adding that LUOA erases the stigma of impersonal online learning because teachers and academic advisors give personalized assistance to every student in the program. “We’re working alongside the parents, and we want to see our students succeed as much as they do.”

Students are attending LUOA from all 50 states and over 36 countries.

LUOA offers over 250 distinct K-12 classes, as well as electives such as guitar, public speaking, creative writing, and more. The program has rolling enrollment, with start dates every

GO ONLINE WITH LIBERTY ADULT EDUCATION: Liberty.edu/Online (800) 424-9595

K-12 HOMESCHOOL: LibertyOnlineAcademy.com (866) 418-8741

Monday (except holidays), and provides a 10-month curriculum, so families can decide to go year-round or add in their own breaks.

“It’s very adaptable to family schedules.

We have students who are athletes and travel all over for competitions. We even have students who are actors and actresses,” Rusk said. “The program also helps parents whose jobs can move them all around the country, as well as families who have children with medical conditions that make it hard to attend a traditional school. Our goal is to always help out families, to not only provide the right fit for the students but for all family members. We partner together in the educational pursuit.”

LUOA is also one of the top providers of dual enrollment education nationally, setting up high school students for success in college.

LOVING THY NEIGHBOR PRACTICAL TRAINING Liberty has a In-class University projects and extracurricular opportunities give students from various academic programs the chance to longstanding tradition of test their job skills in real-world settings. community service. When there’s a need, students, faculty, staff, and alumni rise to the occasion to invest in others’ lives and display Christ’s love. The COVID-19 pandemic presented many opportunities for them to share their talents and assist their neighbors during an unprecedented time in our nation’s history.

 Members of the Liberty Worship Collective visited Lynchburg’s Runk & Pratt Retirement Community in April and led worship on the outdoor lawn for residents who were under strict distancing guidelines due to being in a high-risk demographic for contracting COVID-19. The unique setlist of songs consisted of hymns that the residents were sure to recognize. The Collective also delivered gift baskets of handwritten letters, candy, and other small gifts.

 Liberty donated 15,000 KN95 medical masks to local healthcare

 In April, Liberty’s respiratory therapy program lent Centra Health

companies experiencing shortages in late April due to the high demand from healthcare workers worldwide, as well as from members of the general public buying masks for personal protection. Recipients included the CVFP-Medical Group, Johnson Health Center, Physicians Treatment Center, Walk-In Care, Surgery Center, Community Access Network, Blue Ridge ENT, Radiology Consultants of Lynchburg, Central Virginia Imaging, Wyndhurst Family Medicine, and Gastroenterology Associates.

two mechanical ventilators — state-of-the-art machines worth an estimated $30,000 — to help treat patients at Lynchburg General Hospital. In addition to the equipment, program director Dr. Brian Walsh and his staff gave online training to area medical personnel and produced short, informational videos on operating ventilators.

R OSS KOHL

 In early August, Liberty donated 124 laptops and desktop computers to help Central Virginia Community College make the shift to remote learning easier for students who did not have the needed technology at home. The devices will be used as part of the community college’s “loaner” program that will allow students to borrow a computer for a semester or year to complete online schoolwork, organized through the school’s library services.

Liberty also donated 800 flash drives to Amherst County Public Schools in March.

A NDREW SNYD ER

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 Students taking Liberty’s required Christian Life and Evangelism course had to make an adjustment and be creative in order to fulfill their servant evangelism assignments when classes were moved online last spring. Projects ranged from buying groceries for elderly neighbors to writing encouraging notes with gift cards for essential workers, donating blood, providing free child care for families of essential workers, and more. Rising sophomore Hannah Ulrich spent her Easter Sunday filling roughly 100 plastic eggs with candy and printed Scripture verses, then riding around her neighborhood on her bike and hanging the eggs on door handles.

 Liberty University partnered with Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, to donate over $20,000 worth of food to charities in the Lynchburg area. After having already bought food for oncampus dining before the transition to online classes in March, enough for 15,000 residential students, Liberty saw the surplus as an opportunity to serve the surrounding community. Massive amounts of dried goods, produce, meats, dairy products, and other foods, were hauled from The Food Court at Reber-Thomas, Liberty’s main dining hall, to the Salvation Army, Lynchburg Daily Bread, and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

 Multiple alumni of the undergraduate and graduate programs in public health have been actively fighting the spread of COVID-19 in the United States and around the world. Shelby Todd (’19) served on the Incident Management team for Samaritan’s Purse as part of a medical response to those affected in Italy. Justin Hammerberg (’17) worked in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Bureau for Global Health. Shiloh Reeves (’16) set up a COVID-19 hotline in Sarasota County to direct potentially affected people to the proper resources, including testing, and other divisions of the Florida Department of Health.

 Through Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs, faculty and staff across the university gave a portion of their regular donations to local veterans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The office presented $3,500 in gift cards to the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, a local charity committed to identifying and meeting needs within the community, helping veterans find homes, and meeting financial needs.

 Countless members of Liberty’s School of Nursing family have served on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, including alumni Elisabeth Campbell (‘14), left, and Alexandra Dawe (‘16), right, as well as adjunct nursing professor Sarah Smith (‘13), who all shared their personal stories with the Liberty Journal staff. While Dawe works as a pediatric ICU nurse in Atlanta, she joined her fellow nurses in early April for five weeks in New York City, the American epicenter of the virus at the time, to come alongside medical workers understaffed for the influx of patients. Smith and Campbell served closer to their homes, and all three nurses approached their work with compassion, safety, and the goal that all nurses have of seeing their patients recover. (Read more at Liberty.edu/News).

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© 2020 Hendrick Motorsports, LLC

CELEBRATING ONE OF OUR OWN

WILLIAM BYRON TAKES THE LIBERTY NAME TO VICTORY LANE At the end of the first week of classes for the fall semester, the excitement for a new school year continued when William Byron, a junior business communications student at Liberty, celebrated his first NASCAR Cup Series win on Aug. 29 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway — driving the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. “It was pretty cool to have Liberty on the car this past weekend and even Coach Freeze reached out to me and was excited for us,” Byron said, of Liberty’s Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze. “Those things are really special, and hopefully we can continue to carry that into the playoffs.”

The win sealed his second playoff berth in his three seasons in NASCAR’s most elite level of competition. (As of press time, Byron was at 13th place in points standings in the Cup Series playoffs, following his 21st finish at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 12 and fifth-place finish at Darlington on Sept. 6.)

Maneuvering through two on-track incidents in the final 10 laps at Daytona, Byron took the lead coming to the white flag and ultimately crossed the finish line first in overtime in the regularseason finale.

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On campus, students, staff, and alumni shared their reactions.

“I was practically jumping out of my seat the whole time because it’s kind of a breakthrough thing when someone is racing in the Cup Series and gets their first win,” said senior Emily Wildman, who watched the race on television.

“It’s really special to see Liberty being represented on a national stage and also to see someone who is not afraid to talk about their faith and especially being a Christian in NASCAR.” The university has supported Byron as a sponsor since 2014, when he drove late model stock cars, and has been a 12-race primary sponsor since his 2018 Cup Series debut with Hendrick Motorsports. Last fall, Liberty extended the sponsorship for 12 Cup races in 2020 and 2021.

“Liberty University and William Byron pulled me into the sport,” said Andrew Napierkowski (’05, ’16). “As an LU grad, I love it even more that he got the win with the red flames on the car.”

Abby Bowman (’20) met Byron during a freshman meet-and-greet when he was a residential student in 2016 and had interviewed him as a staff member of the Liberty Champion.

“Watching him get the first win at the Cup Series made me ecstatic,” Bowman

said after the race. “It was good to be able to put that personality and face to a connection to my school, because now that he’s going to the NASCAR playoffs, the Liberty University car will be even more in the national spotlight, and he will be able to represent Liberty as a Champion for Christ even more.”

Byron is continuing his studies through Liberty’s online programs and is targeting a 2021 graduation.

“I feel like this year has gone by really fast,” he said. “The online schooling has been perfect because of all that is going on in the world. It has been, for a lot of students, really seamless that Liberty has a platform online that makes things really easy with all of the schedules that come up.”

He said he looks forward to continuing his relationship with the university, potentially even after completing his degree.

“I’ve been with Liberty for a long time, and I’ve learned a lot about the school and all the things they have to offer,” he said. “The school itself is growing so much, the football team and all of the things on the athletics side and academics side. It seems like it changes every time that I go up there, with more things being built.”

‘GAME ON’ RELAUNCHES AS ‘FLAMES CENTRAL’ WITH FOCUS ON LU ATHLETICS’ SUCCESS Liberty University’s sports television show, “Game On,” changed its name on Sept. 1 to “Flames Central” to better convey the program’s in-depth coverage of Liberty Athletics’ ascent over recent years.

The show will continue to produce the award-winning content that it has come to be characterized by.

In August, the show won its eighth Emmy Award. Producer Matt Warner and co-anchors Rett McGibbon and Emily Austen will continue as the show’s on-camera talent.

“The award-winning team at Flames Central will bring Liberty fans the latest and most in-depth coverage of our student-athletes and teams,” said Director of Athletics Ian McCaw.

“We are grateful for their partnership and excited for the year ahead.”

Warner said the show’s strength “is really in telling those in-depth stories, going deeper than just the box score or highlights.”

“We tell about athletes and their faith, seeing how God has worked through them to overcome different things in their life or to come to Liberty in the first place,” he said.

“It’s one thing to talk about an athlete being great in his or her sport, but when you factor in the faith aspect, it adds a whole new layer to their story.”

The program airs on more than 22 affiliate stations across the country, with live premieres Fridays on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. EST. Locally, Flames fans can

watch the show on Sundays on WDBJ at 11:35 p.m. and WSET at 12:30 p.m.

Warner noted that he and his fellow anchors consider the past few years at Liberty to be the “golden age of Flames athletics” based on the football team’s rise to the FBS and its first bowl game victory in 2019, back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids for men’s basketball, and the success of other Liberty squads on a national level.

“To see teams doing this across the board, competing at such a high level nationally, makes our job so much more fun but also so much more important because more eyes are now on Liberty than probably ever before in the school’s history.”

READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? The Flames Football season was scheduled to start on Sept. 19 at Western Kentucky. (This issue was on the press before the season opener; check LibertyFlames.com for game coverage.)

All five of Liberty’s home games are scheduled to be televised on ESPN3

with kickoff at 1 p.m. The viewing platforms for road games have yet to be announced, but additional linear television coverage is possible.

All 10 Liberty Football games can be heard live on radio through The Journey FM’s statewide network and flagship 88.3 FM in Lynchburg, and fans can also listen on the My Journey FM mobile app and online at LibertyFlames.com.

Pregame coverage for games will begin 90 minutes before kickoff.

Liberty Athletics transitioned to a

single-game ticket model for the 2020 football season, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Under the current limitations set in Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s Phase 3 requirements, occupancy at outdoor venues is limited to 50 percent of the facility’s capacity or 1,000 patrons, whichever is less.

Under these restrictions, Liberty Athletics will limit its stadium capacity to 1,000 fans to begin the season at Williams Stadium.

For questions about tickets, call the Flames Ticket Office at (434) 592-5015.

FEELING THE W ARMTH MEMORIES FROM THE FURNACE Since 1990, fans have helped turn up the heat in the Vines Center, fondly called “The Furnace,” cheering on the Flames and Lady Flames basketball teams and women’s volleyball team. The teams will move into their new home, the Liberty Arena, later this fall. Here are some memorable moments inside the iconic silver dome.

Lady Flames to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history.

NOV. 26, 2002 – The Lady Flames basketball team handed No. 23 Virginia a 77-69 loss after LU’s Kristal Tharp hit a three-pointer from the corner as time expired. The overtime defeat of the Cavaliers was the Lady Flames’ first-ever win over a Top 25 team.

Dr. Jerry Falwell (center) talks with the construction and planning crew on May 3, 1990.

MARCH 1, 1996

MARCH 6, 2004 – The top-seeded Liberty men’s basketball team dominated No. 2 seed High Point to capture the program’s second Big South Conference title. Liberty played the game in front of 8,515 fans who stormed the court following the convincing 89-44 victory.

MARCH 12, 2005 – The Lady Flames routed UNC Asheville, 88-41, for the largest margin of victory in Big South Women’s Basketball title game history. The win put the women’s team into the NCAA Tournament where it advanced to the Sweet 16 round on wins over Penn State and DePaul.

MARCH 1, 1996 –The men’s basketball team took on UNC Asheville in the semifinals of the Big South Conference Tournament held at the Vines Center. Dr. Jerry Falwell, one of Liberty’s biggest sports fans, was often seen crowd surfing in the student section.

MARCH 1, 1997 – After finishing the previous season with a 5-22 record, Liberty women’s basketball completed a historic turnaround by upsetting No. 1 seed UNC Greensboro, 89-82, in the Big South Championships title game.

The win gave the Lady Flames their first of 17 Big South Championships and first of 17 trips to the NCAA Tournament.

FEB. 28, 1998 – The Lady Flames basketball team captured the program’s second Big South Conference title and pushed Liberty’s record to 28-0 following a win over No. 2 seed UNC-Asheville. The win propelled the Lady Flames into the NCAA Tournament where they faced eventual national champion and No. 1 seed Tennessee in the first-ever matchup between two undefeated teams in NCAA Tournament history.

NOV. 17, 2001 – No. 3 seed Liberty women’s volleyball team swept No. 1 seed Radford in the title match of the Big South Volleyball Championships. The upset victory gave Liberty its third Big South title and sent the

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NOV. 17, 2007 – Hosting the Big South Volleyball Championships for the second time in program history, No. 1 seed Liberty made the most of its home-court advantage, sweeping No. 2 seed Winthrop, 3-0, to secure the program’s fourth of seven Big South titles.

A LU MN I R E F LECTI ONS “I think the facility in itself is a testament to what Dr. Falwell desired to see happen with athletics. Back in the early years, where we had no facilities, and then to the Vines Center and now anticipating the new facility, it’s exciting.

It’s just neat to watch the progress and the development of the program.”

DA N M A N L E Y First men’s basketball coach (1972-77) “Our first Big South Championship, we were the underdog. We were the sixth seed facing UNC Greensboro who had beaten us twice. We were behind the whole game but made a comeback in the end and beat them. The fans rushed the floor. Dr. Falwell was on the floor. It is an amazing memory!”

SARAH (WILKERSON) ERPS Women’s basketball (1996-2000) “The best memories by far are looking into the stands and seeing Dr. Falwell cheering us on. To see his vision become a reality and to know I had a small part in it is one of my greatest joys.”

ERIN (MCKEOWN) HAGEN Women’s volleyball (2000-04)

FEB. 28, 1998

MARCH 6, 2004

NOV. 17, 2007

MARCH 8, 2020

NOV. 17, 2009 – Hosting a game as part of ESPN’s 24-hour coverage of college basketball to open the 2009-10 season, the Flames welcomed No. 22 Clemson.

MARCH 28, 2018 – Following home wins over North Carolina A&T and Central Michigan, Liberty men’s basketball hosted the “Battle of the Flames” when the University of Illinois – Chicago came to the Vines Center for the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com

Postseason Tournament. The contest between the only two NCAA Division I teams who have the nickname of the “Flames” finished off LU’s back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in program history.

DEC. 8, 2019 – Women’s volleyball played the team’s last game at the Vines Center defeating High Point University 3-1 in the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament.

MARCH 8, 2020 – Men’s basketball defeated Lipscomb 73-57 in front of an ASUN Championship record crowd of 7,728 fans in the final game at the Vines Center. The win made the Flames back-to-back ASUN champions in their first two years in the conference. The team finished its time in the Vines Center on a 22-game home winning streak.

CONST RUC T IO N UP DAT ES

LIBERTY FOOTBALL CENTER

ANDR E W SNYDE R

Liberty Football moved into its newly renovated home in April, and the facility will be fully functioning for this season. The three-story center, with $20 million in recent enhancements and renovations, contains 17 offices, 10 position meeting rooms, and a 147-seat team meeting room. The new locker room provides 122 lockers with an attached equipment room. At the building’s lowest level is a 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art weight room.

INDOOR TENNIS FACILITY

R OSS KOHL

A 48,000-square foot, $7 million indoor tennis facility is currently under construction adjacent to the Cook Tennis Center. It will hold six courts for the men’s and women’s tennis programs, with seating for 120 fans. The building will also house locker rooms, a team room, laundry facility, and concessions area. Liberty is scheduled to host the 2021 ASUN Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships in the spring.

LIBERTY ARENA

KJ JUGAR

The building between DeMoss Hall and the Vines Center is nearing completion and scheduled to be open in time for the 2020-21 volleyball and basketball seasons. The arena will seat up to 4,000 and improve the fan experience for events that are better suited to a smaller space. The wood flooring and videoboards have already been installed, and the bleachers will soon be completed. The new court was recently named the Dr. Orville and Florence Hiepler Court, in memory of two individuals who were moved by the spiritual outreach and ministry focus of the men’s basketball program.

CAMPUS EAST GARAGE

ELL IE RICH ARDSON

Liberty received a welcomed addition to its parking options this fall when a new nine-story garage opened in September. The garage contains more than 2,100 new parking spaces (including service for electric vehicle recharging) and will especially benefit fans who attend events in both the Vines Center and the new Liberty Arena. From elevators in the garage, guests can stop on a level with direct access to the pedestrian tunnel under U.S. 460, which empties next to the arena.

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Dr. Ed Hindson teaches a class inside the old Thomas Road Baptist Church in October 1974, his first year at Liberty.

A LEGACY FOUNDATION BY

Foundations! One of the most critical contributors to the continued growth and flourishing of any organization is its foundation. Once a foundation has been laid, it’s often hard, if not impossible, to see it ever again … unless it fails and needs repaired or replaced. The John W. Rawlings School of Divinity sits on a foundation of giants for the Kingdom of God! These leaders carried the original vision of our founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, with great passion and faithfulness.

Our foundation has remained strong, as it has been built on the immovable truths of God’s Word and sighted on God’s mission. Those who have served faithfully for nearly 50 years in our history have both guarded and built on the foundation that was laid so many years ago. We are more than grateful to them; we are called to be like them for now and for the future.

This past December, we celebrated one of those giants of the faith as he passed the mantle of leadership to the next dean. Dr. Ed Hindson retired as

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DR.

TROY

W.

TEMPLE

Dean of the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity on Dec. 1. He served the mission of Liberty University and the School of Divinity for nearly four decades in various roles. He has been, and will continue to be, a foundation guardian and builder. In more recent years, 2013-2019, he led the merger of the School of Religion and the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, the move to the Freedom Tower, the acquisition of the Keesee Fund Scholarship, and accreditation of several graduate programs in the School of Divinity by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). These achievements were the fruits of leading well, hiring well, and never wavering from the core doctrinal beliefs that have shaped this university.

Dr. Hindson first began teaching at Liberty in 1974. In the summer of 1975, he taught the first one-week intensive course at Liberty, Introduction to Pastoral Counseling. In 1985, he videotaped Liberty’s first distance learning course: Old Testament Survey.

And over the years, he has taught over 100,000 students, residentially and online, and was named Teacher of the Year many times. It’s rare that you get the privilege to not only teach children of your former students but also the grandchildren of your former students.

This legacy of faithfulness has been a deep and rich blessing to Liberty University and the School of Divinity for almost 50 years.

Dr. Hindson will remain on the faculty as Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Religion. He will continue to teach each semester, and he has not slowed down in producing scholarly, published works. Dr. Hindson has written 40 books and edited five major study Bibles, including the bestselling King James Study Bible (Thomas Nelson) and the Gold Medallion award-winning Knowing Jesus Bible (Zondervan). He also serves as the speaker on The King is Coming telecast.

Please join me and the entire School of Divinity family in expressing our thanks

FAITH IN FOCUS

Left, Dr. Ed Hindson takes advantage of the warm weather and teaches class on the lawn in August 1975. Right, Hindson addresses the crowd at the grand opening ceremony of Freedom Tower, home to the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, on Feb. 5, 2018.

to Dr. Hindson for his faithful service to Liberty University and the School of Divinity.

LOVE, LEARN, LIVE, LEAD A new decade stares us in the face, and we are ready to take up the mantle that has been passed. What does the future hold for our school? We have been diligently seeking the Lord and asking Him to paint the picture of a preferred future for the School of Divinity that will invite churches to identify and send students to train here.

We will train leaders for the church who look like the description that we see in Ezra 7:9b-10. As the prophet Ezra made his way to Jerusalem, we read these words,

the truth of God’s Word to resound the answers that are never-failing. We are begging God to have His good hand on our students and shape them to be people who love Him and His Word unashamedly. We challenge them to dive into biblical truth and learn how to apply it to the most difficult questions of our day, and we hold them close as they live out the truths that they have soaked in. We send them across town and to the ends of the earth to lead God’s people.

When these are the students that we send out from the School of Divinity, then we can impact the Kingdom of Christ like we’ve never seen. They will build on the strong foundation that has been laid and further the mission of the Gospel like true Champions for Christ.

… for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

FOR THE NEXT DECADE AND BEYOND The School of Divinity will seize the next decade to champion the call

It has become clearer to us that our students have been called to full-time vocational ministry at a time in history that is more challenging than ever. The questions being raised by this current generation are presenting opportunities for ministry leaders to dig deeply into

EL L IE RIC HA RDSON

Dr. Troy Temple, interim dean of the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, teaches CHMN 489-001, a capstone course in church ministry, inside Freedom Tower.

to full-time vocational ministry and come alongside the local church in its quest to fulfill the Great Commission.

We will seek out strategic partnerships with local churches and Christian organizations that will mentor our students and provide experiential learning opportunities. We will dream of innovative approaches to our curriculum that will equip our students with the knowledge and competencies needed to lead the church through the middle of the 21st century and beyond. We will be the ministry training school of the church and its global mission.

Training leaders for the church is our purpose. Over the next five years, we will work to connect with pastors and their churches personally in Virginia and surrounding states as well as those around the country who have determined to leave a heritage of thoroughly equipped ministry leaders. We want to gather an army of church leaders who can speak into our curriculum and partner with us to produce the most well-trained ministry leaders anywhere. Let’s call out to God to do what we have seen Him do before and trust Him to do it. God, show us great and mighty things that we have never seen!

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K NOWING WHERE TO TURN C A M P U S G R O U P S C O L L A B O R AT E T O O F F E R B R O A D R A N G E O F M E N TA L H E A LT H R E S O U R C E S A N D A S S I S TA N C E BY

The statistics are sobering. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, 50 percent of college students rated their mental health below average or poor, and 75 percent of students who suffer from depression do not seek help for their mental health problems. In addition, 80 percent of college students report they feel stress, and yet only 25 percent seek help. With these numbers on the rise nationwide, and knowing the importance of mental health and its contribution to a successful academic and social life, colleges are striving to put effective counseling and guidance practices in place.

Liberty University acknowledges that college can be a big transition for students, especially when they are dealing with so many life changes away from home, and wants to make sure there are resources in place to provide a holistic approach to mental health. The university has stepped up by creating a broad network of mental health services and awareness programs across campus.

Students have various touchpoints and avenues to seek out and receive help.

The university understands the need for community in a student’s life and

22

NATALIE

DYESS

has created a wellness and safety net for mental and spiritual health in the places where students live, study, and interact with their peers.

On the front line of this network are the resident assistants and resident directors working under the Office of Residence Life, as well as the community group leaders, resident shepherds, and LU shepherds under the Office of Spiritual Development.

These peer mentoring groups help create a sense of community both inside and outside the residence halls and are

a preventive measure for students who may experience loneliness.

Tim Griffin, a director in the LU Shepherd office, said feelings of isolation often become a roadblock in seeking help.

“When you begin to understand that people are people and, by and large, our problems are mostly the same and ‘I am not the only one going through this,’ then people feel better about reaching out,” he said.

Because residential students spend a lot of time in on-campus

“ W H E N YO U B E G I N TO U N D E R S TA N D T H AT PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE A N D, BY A N D L A R G E , OUR PROBLEMS ARE M O S T LY T H E S A M E AND ‘I AM NOT THE O N LY O N E G O I N G T H R O U G H T H I S ,’ THEN PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT R E A C H I N G O U T. ” TIM GRIFFIN

LU S H E P H E R D D I R E C TO R

housing, the Office of Residence Life works diligently to train their staff.

This training encourages them to be observant and to connect and create relationships with students. These relationships become the first line of defense in spotting students who may be struggling and need more help.

“We are here because we love the students and want to help,” said Dustin DuBose, executive director of Residence Life. “We utilize a team approach in responding to ‘How are we best caring for the student?’ We want to

help a student no matter how that looks in terms of which offices or people need to be involved.”

For more clinical assistance, students can visit the Student Counseling Office located in Marie F. Green Hall. The office provides various resources for students who are seeking help for mental health issues or are concerned with their mental wellness.

Student Counseling Services offers one-on-one and group counseling, wellness workshops, assessment and screening, and substance abuse education. Mental health services are also available for commuter students, and there are specific counseling services for veterans, international students, and student-athletes. The office also makes referrals to area health professionals.

The primary pillars of the office are: Promotion, Prevention, Intervention or Treatment, and Education.

“There are two main things that guide Student Counseling services: reduce the stigma associated with mental health and eliminate or reduce as much as possible the barriers to students getting the mental health and support they need,” said Mike Kunzinger, executive director of Student Counseling.

Kunzinger said the office is not an inpatient treatment center, but a resource in guiding students to getting the help they may need long term.

All students are triaged to determine their needs and then are assigned to the next step. For some, he said, that may be crisis intervention. For

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others, it is a scheduled counseling appointment or help with setting up pastoral counseling or other assistance as needed.

“Counseling can be a part of holistic care,” Kunzinger said. “We often conceptualize it as ‘I don’t need help until something is really wrong’ and ‘Only people who have real problems go to counseling.’ This is what adds to the stigma. Students should see getting help as a natural part of overall wellness.”

Liberty has recognized the need for all university departments to work in tandem to provide different avenues for students needing mental health help and has created a CARE Team (Collaborate, Assess, Resource, Empower) to consolidate their efforts.

The CARE Team has two primary functions: threat assessment for campus safety and case management services. CARE case managers work to provide early intervention and advocate for students by helping to remove any potential barriers to their success. The CARE Team advances the well-being and safety of the campus community by educating members about concerning or risky behaviors and offering them a place to refer students who may be struggling.

“The CARE team’s whole mission is to get in early, get in when we are seeing things going on with students so that it doesn’t escalate to something where it becomes a crisis,” explained Dr. Mark Hyde, associate dean of students who serves as CARE Team chair in his role as the executive director for the Office of Community Life. “Everybody is on the same page — we want to love our students well, and that means getting in early.”

Dr. Mark Hine, senior vice president for Student Affairs, said the collaboration is effective.

“I feel like we have a real team approach between the shepherds, resident shepherds, RAs, RDs, the counseling office, and what community life does through CARE. The goal is to identify or assist students who are either in crisis or just want to stay on the right track. That is where the groups come in, and the seminars and services help to educate and build.”

23

KJ JUGA R

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“I definitely wouldn’t be who I am today without the close friendships that I gained and the professors that poured into me.”

KASEY RYPKEMA Strategic Communication

“I’m so grateful for everything this school has been to a firstgeneration college graduate.”

ANNA WALTERS Choral Music Education

ESTHER LUSENGE Business Administration Communications, Digital Marketing & Advertising

“No matter what, I will always be proud to be a part of the Liberty family.”

ZACK BROY Youth Ministries

CHELSEY PALMER

BETHANY LIGHT

Biblical & Theological Studies

Nursing

“I loved how caring and kind all the professors were.”

SELENA TAYLOR Family & Consumer Sciences

“I am a different but better version of myself leaving Liberty than I was when I arrived.”

KATELYN MACMILLAN Strategic Communication

VICTORIA WEEMS Cinematic Arts

“...I will carry the lessons I’ve learned into the next chapter of my life.” “... This journey has been amazing.”

BRANDON SEGRES

STEFANIE MURZA Digital Media, Video

CHASE MARTIN Business Administration

2020 GRADUATES, YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR 2021 COMMENCEMENT, MAY 14-15.

Strategic Communication

CONSERVATIVE VOICES ACROSS AMERICA URGE CHRISTIANS TO ‘GET LOUDER’ IN DEFENDING THEIR FAITH AND FREEDOMS Pastors, political commentators, and Christian leaders participated in the “Get Louder Faith Summit: Fighting for the Soul of America” at Liberty University on Sept.

10, addressing the growing concern of progressive, antithetical ideals squeezing into the Church.

Prominent guests included former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and best-selling author Eric Metaxas.

The event was hosted by the Falkirk Center for Faith & Liberty.

Huckabee boldly set the tone for the Summit, calling on all Christians to be affective citizens by representing Christ in the public sphere.

“The Gospel is not dependent upon the

United States, but the United States is dependent upon the Gospel of Christ,” he said. “Without the spiritual foundation of the Christian faith, this country couldn’t exist. At their hearts, our Founding Fathers believed each person’s value was given by God, not government.”

Other guests included Kimberly Klacik, Republican candidate for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District; Pastor Rob McCoy of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; political commentators David Harris Jr. and Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk; and Falkirk Fellow Jenna Ellis.

Topics ranged from abortion to critical race theory, fundamental liberties, and the Black Lives Matter movement, with panels on how to mobilize the next generation and protecting God-given rights.

“This is an incredible time of challenge, and there’s a lot of uncertainty in our

nation,” said Ryan Helfenbein, Falkirk Center executive director, “but this is also the greatest moment of opportunity. We are building a coalition; we are building a movement. This is about bringing voices together.”

The event was televised nationally through America’s Voice Network and streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.

Charlie Kirk, who helped launch the center last year and is a familiar speaker on college campuses, spoke about the dangerous direction the younger generation is taking and the Church’s essential role in communicating the Gospel to its congregants.

“Please get involved in the public square; do not be absent from these conversations,” he said. “This is when the body of Christ needs to rise up like never before. We have Truth, and we need to proclaim it.”

ALUMNI: YOUR IMPORTANT ROLE IN LIBERTY’S MISSION CONTINUES

Giuseppe Cucci and his wife, Sarah (’13), with their sons, Daniel, 3, and Matteo, 1

“Be who you needed when you were younger.”

I strive to live by that mantra as a Liberty alumnus (shout out to my fellow members of the Class of 2012!) because so many alumni helped me when I was a student. Actually, it was Liberty alumni (my youth pastors in high school) who first introduced me to the school. They had a massive influence on my decision — they showed me how they were living out Liberty’s mission as Champions for Christ at their job, at home with their families, and out in their community. I knew a quality college education was important, but I also knew the spiritual guidance I would receive at Liberty would help me in any direction God would lead me.

Liberty University is such a special

26

place for every one of us: staff, faculty, student, or alum. It is where I became the first in my family to receive a four-year degree (in criminal justice) and later my MBA. It is where I proposed to my wife at Homecoming, on the jumbo screen. It is where I often bring my sons to explore the campus — and meet Sparky, of course!

At Liberty, I have served as an admissions specialist for our online program and was a part of the Career Center staff, where I helped improve relationships with government and educational organizations with the primary goal of hiring our soon-to-be graduates. Most recently, I was the program coordinator for the Washington Fellowship, Liberty’s internship program in the nation’s capital, and saw firsthand how Liberty students are seizing unique

opportunities to impact the world for Christ.

As the new director of Alumni Relations, I’m excited to connect with more of you. You still play a crucial part in carrying out our university’s mission.

We have some exciting opportunities planned for you to connect with students, fellow alumni, and friends of Liberty.

My staff will be working with the Office of Communications & Public Engagement and the Marketing Department to make sure the Liberty Journal meets your needs. We want to keep you informed about important university news but also help you find ways to connect with today’s students and those you made fond memories with during your time at Liberty. The next issue will include a Class Notes section, where we will share some of your career achievements, marriages, births, and other life events. We want to celebrate with you and your families, so please submit those at Liberty.edu/ClassNotes.

To learn how you can “be who you needed when you were younger” by serving the students walking in your footsteps, please call me at (800) 628-7973 or email alumni@liberty.edu.

Go Flames!

Giuseppe Cucci,

Director of Alumni Relations

THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE 2019-20 The President’s Circle recognizes donors whose giving to Liberty University qualifies for one of the following categories.

This list recognizes donors from Jan. 1, 2019-June 30, 2020. $1,000,000 - and above Individuals Peggy Payne* Charles R. Stone* Organizations Rebkee The Rawlings Foundation, Inc.

$100,000 - $499,999 Individuals Steve Brooks Melvin W. Buster* Dan Crockett John K. Day* Virginia I. Erwin* Jerry & Becki Falwell Jonathan & Shari Falwell Gary A. Frame Dan & Karen Haugen Margaret P. Ricks* Jeannie F. Rivers M. Clarke Thomas Dorris D. Williams Organizations BB&T Charitable Fund George Jenkins Legacy Gift

$50,000 - $99,999 Individuals Dorothy R. Benson* Barry & Pam Clarkson Beatrice L. Dickinson* John & Eatha S. Gallagher* Mark & Michelle Hiepler Kenneth E. & Gladys J. Judy* Jon & Margie Lienemann Bonnie T. Noll* Richard & Karin Osborne Brian & Vickie Runk Jimmy & Rhonda Thomas Gilbert & Mary Margaret Tinney Organizations Framatome, Inc. The Gumprecht Law Firm The Tazewell Community Foundation Scholarship Fund

$25,000 - $49,999 Individuals Henry & Doris Bridges Ralph & Joan Campbell Ernest & Amber Carter Jasen & Brandi Cassady Glenn Arlan Bashore* Cindy Goodrich Brent R. Graves Linda H. Handy* Norman K. A. Hoffer David & Lisa Jones Mary P. Slimer Maier* Kim Miner Marlene Senner Todd & Rachelle Sorensen William D. & Sylvia S. Stevens* Glen & Teresa Thomas Organizations AccessLex Institute Anderson Construction, Inc. dba Virginia Siteworks Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC Byrd Enterprises Unlimited, Inc. Patel & Dalrymple Attorneys at Law Permanens Capital

Sodexo, Inc. & Affiliates T. Sherwin Cook Foundation The Bolick Foundation

$10,000 - $24,999 Individuals Roy R. Anderson Tashaa C. Annas Tony & Kellie Bartlett Jeff & Gaye Benson Armand Chenelle Daniel & Cynthia Copp Junessa A. DeBiasi Epperly David & Kristi Dolan Paul M. & Philene M. Ware-Dunn Richard Eng Frederick & Barbara Engstrom Dennis & Sonya Fields Hugh Freeze Douglas & Julletta Hershberger Laura Elizabeth Higginbotham* Carroll & Nancy Hudson Brian & Melissa Hufhand Johnny & Patricia Hunton Daniel & Carolee Jones Linda F. Kay David & Bonnie Keim Reynold F. Keller Dr. John & Mrs. Jennie Kim Louis & Joan LaMay Michael & Christina LaFleur B. A. Langley Paul & Kelli Marten David & Linda Martin Ian & Heather McCaw Jeff McKay Ritchie & Julie McKay Karl & Lynnette Miller Wallace & Mayme Miller* Geraldine E. Moose John & Linda Muckel Daniel & Connie Mueller Gene & Joyce Myers Robert A. Novinger* Edward & Judith Pahl Ben & Donna Patterson John Petrozelli Rachel Polley Syna S. Reid Phillip & Debbie Rine Jim & Patsy Sanders Reagan J. Starner Jesse & Heather Stephens Faron & Linda Thompson Terrance J. Tigges Zach & Lisa Tran Roy Unsin* Lois Wells Webb* Barry & Robyn Woodard Organizations AACC-American Association of

Christian Counselors BB&T Beacon Credit Union L. T. Falwell Blue Ridge Chronic Pain Center Boxley Materials Company Brookneal Poultry, Inc. Carter Bank & Trust Chesapeake RV Solutions Church Mutual Insurance Company Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated CSE, Inc. Kenny & Jennifer

Cobbs-Domino’s Pizza Environmental Options, Inc. Equity Enterprise 1984, LLC Gentle Shepherd Hospice, Inc. Herr Family Foundation Homestead Creamery, Inc. Houston Safari Club Foundation Ignite Men, LLC Jones & Roberts Accounting & Financial Lynchburg Ready Mix Concrete Co, Inc. Mabry Automotive Group Mississippi Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Inc. Nutramax Laboratories Consumer Care, Inc. Peter & John Radio Fellowship, Inc. dba Peter & John Ministries ResCare, Inc. ServPro Of Lynchburg/Bedford & Campbell County SET, Inc. dba Caterpillar Clubhouse Southern Air, Inc. The Boyd & Joan Kelley Charitable Foundation Torrence, Read, & Forehand Auctions Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment, LLC W. P. Malone, Inc. WACH Marketing, Inc. Watt Foster Family Foundation Wired Ministries, Inc.

$5,000 - $9,999 Individuals Carla Allen Anonymous Carter County OK* Jay & Mary Bachar Billy & Jane Belcher David & Lori Benham Jason & Tori Benham James D. Berens Frederick D. Bornman* Andy & Linda Bowling Sheldon & Shannon Bream Tony & Polly Byrd Cole Candler Tim & Julie Clinton Ron Cooper Joseph Copeland Johnny & Anne Crist Chris & Cindy Cruz Mark L. D’Arezzo Bob & Sandra Day Andrew & Karie Dickinson Olive M. Eckmann* Thomas & Clarie Eppes Tina Friar Carey & Denise Green Paul J. Greene Lee & Tonja Hall Betty A. Herbel Joel & Theresa Hesch Scott & Melanie Hicks Barbara A. Horstemeyer Rick & Debbie Huff Scott & Sara Jackson David & Beth Jameson Ron & Rachel Justice Dwayne & Gail Kamphuis Ira Stephen Kennedy Connie Kesler Ronald & Bernice Kidd

JaeHak Kim Richard B. Kreider Stewart Langley Dr. Jon & Sissie Lenzen Paul Lokey Ingeborg Marcum* Joel & Elisabeth Maxwell Kathy McCavanagh Jeff & Cindy McCaw Mark McClure Matthew & Tamara Merrick Barbara J. Metzler Mark G. Minar Mike & Lisa Misjuns Stephen & Tricia Mock J. Arthur Moore* Perry & Roberta Nelson Scott & Kelli Overton Sean Owen Mike & Donalyn Parker Bill & Vida Parker Craig & Cindy Petry Mike & Helga Pryor Karl C. Salz Jack Schewel Gary & Traci Schmincke Matt & Johanna Schubert Troy & Hollie Schultz Mark Scott CDR Michael & Sharon Scranton Jake & Lorin Shellenberger Archie & Carlita Smith William J. Smith Bo & Kipplyn Summers Derek Towery Dan & Rachel Vollmer Gene & Debbie Walker Charles & Claudia Wigglesworth The Wooldridge Family Judy A. Wright Organizations Bates Orthodontics Blue Eagle Credit Union Blumenschein Living Trust Bob Goodlatte for Congress Committee C12 Virginia Blue Ridge, LLC Charlie Kirk, LLC Christian Leadership Alliance Compassion International, Inc. English Construction Company, Inc. Fill the Gap Concerts First Bank & Trust Company First Baptist Cleveland Foster Fuels, Inc. Foundation For The Carolinas Franklin Heights Baptist Church G. F. Walls Agency, Inc. HealthWorks Clinic, LLC HSC Wealth Advisors Human Kind Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. Impact Living Services James Larry Ingram Law Office of Jesus Reyes, PLLC Minnick Enterprises, LLC Musser Lumber Company, Inc. Perimeter Roofing VA, LLC Powell’s Truck & Equipment, Inc. Radiology Consultants of Lynchburg Runk & Pratt Health Care Enterprises, Inc. Shikar-Safari Club International Foundation

Temple Baptist Church Texas Arms of Love The Air Products Foundation Matching Gifts Program The Brook Thompson Trucking, Inc. Total Packaging Services, LLC Virginia Law Foundation W.E.L., Inc.

$2,500 - $4,999 Individuals David Ahrens Anna Alajajian Dr. & Mrs. Gregg Albers Jason & Aven Alford Rob & Susan Andrews Christie Bailey Tim & Kathy Baldree Linda Beard David & Pam Bell Reggie & Karen Berry David Black Brandon & Ida Blankinship Angela Bowers Randy & Cynthia Brackett Elden & Dixie Brammer Veronica Bratton Constance E. Bredenberg David & Pamela Brown Bryce & Lori Brumm Brad & Claudia Butler John & Phyllis Carstens Walter H. Crumling Dennis & Sharon Delisle Doug & Sheila Diehl Greg & Mary Dowell Lois Mae Duggan Greg Fontaine Cherie Fricks Max Gasser Rod & Tammie Gladfelter Congressman Bob Goodlatte Kenneth & Marie Jean Groeneveld Kirk & Jannie Handy Jeff & Allison Helgeson Rodney & Melissa Hizy Dan & Amy Hodges Charles & Shelvie Holmes Dr. Michael & Susan Jan Hueber Leslie L. Jacoby, Jr. Paul & Jacquelyn Johnson Trevor & Jane Johnson Kevin & Mary Jones Marsha Justice Kevin Kennedy John Kenney Brian Kirschner Ladmir J. Kubichek, Jr. Scott & Pearl Lamb Stevie & Jessica Lloyd Steve & Kathy Lloyd Steve & Mary Lowe Dorothy Loy Lance & Stephanie MacKenzie Kim Magnano James & Megan Mason Herbert E. Maxey, Jr. Perry & Laurie Maze Jonathan T. McClure P. H. Mitchell, Jr. Jim & Kelly Molloy William Morgan Debi Myers Kelly A. Nangle Mallory Neff

27

Carl G. Neuberger Arthur Nicholson* Yvonne Norman-Rice Linwood & Trudy Parker Gary G. Pearson Amy L. Peavley John Pepper Todd Ramsey William J. Rankin, Jr. Bob Pinto & Dot Richardson Susan Robinson Mike & Christy Rogers Mike & Kelli Rosas Steve Shockley John A. Snider Tim & Martha Stoudnour Troy & Karla Temple John & Trish Trimble Edgar & Allison Tuck Geraldine H. Walston Darrell Wargo Lori Watkins Duke & Carlene Westover David & Deborah Wheeler Jade White Sonny & Sharon White Don Widener Paul & Andrea Williams Shawn & Lori Willis Jewel E. Wilson Scott & Shelly Wolf Organizations 701 Korean Church A.G. Jefferson Opticians A. J. Blosenski, Inc. Trash & Recycling Service Alpha-Omega Training and Compliance, Inc. Arkansas Youth Conference Arms of Love Bair of Virginia Blue Ridge Vein Care, PC Boonsboro Direct Primary Care Church of the Redeemer Commander’s Concepts Commissioning Crossroads Family Dentistry, PLLC Dayrich Enterprises LLC Delta Air Lines Foundation Endurance Auto Repair and Tire Fidelity Charitable First Baptist Church of Columbia SC First Baptist Church Of Woodbridge, Inc. First Baptist Church-Perkasie GMS, Inc. Holston Baptist Association K & J Enterprises, Inc. dba McDonalds Kelly Ayers, Inc. KMR Aviation Services, Inc. LifeHouse Church M.O.T.S., Delaware Lynchburg Range & Training, LLC dba SafeSide Lynchburg Media Partners, Inc. MH Masonry & Associates, Inc. Miller Farms Moore’s Charitable Foundation Mustard Seed Realty Neal Agency, Inc. Novo Nordisk, Inc. NVUS1129 LLC dba Massage Envy NVUS1130 LLC dba Massage Envy Roanoke OrthoVirginia, Inc.

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Parkwood Baptist Church, Inc. Peace FWB Church, Inc. Precision Marble & Tile Prime Events, LLC. Professional Plumbing Redeemer Church Alex Richards-Richards Insurance Royal Restrooms, LLC S&R Cleaning & Floor Service of Roanoke SBC of Virginia Foundation Sonny Merryman, Inc. Southern Baptist Conservatives of VA Stephen W. Bennett T/A Bennboro Farm The Midstate Group Transforming Love Ministries, LLC Triple R Ranch, Inc. True Vine Ministries World Outreach Fellowship Valley Community Baptist Church YourCause, LLC TTEE for Medtronic Foundation Volunteer Grant Program Zaki Gordon Memorial Charitable Gift Fund

$1,000 - $2,499 Individuals Mona Ables Alton A. Absher Pastor Harold I. Albert Jeffrey Althouse Jean W. Anderson Bob & Sue Anderson Wes Anderson Darin & Caroline Andreas Steve Andrews Barry & Linda Armstrong Dr. & Mrs. William R. Armstrong Doward F. Austin Phil & Lois Ayers Brenda Baird David M. Baker Ray & Laura Baldwin Jeffrey Scott Barker Lori Barnett Kevin & Susan Barringer Craig D. Bartel Gary & Jovita Barton Charles L. Beard John M. Beard Fred N. Beason Rodney & Marlee Beckom John A. Berg Timothy I. Bergstrom Al & Lisa Billingsly Dale & Tina Birdsall Jennifer S. Blandford Thomas & Kris Boan Jeff K. Boettger Jerry & Kathy Bogacz Rex A. Bonar Bob & Brenda Bonheim David Bostic Jimmy R. Bowden, Jr. George Brandon David L. Bream Leroy & Joan Bream Sid & Michele Bream Joshua K. Briggs Richard & Deborah Britton Judith I. Brown Jessica Browning Thad & Elizabeth Brundrett Paul & Laurel Brusseau Rich & Carla Bryan

Bryce & Shelene Bryan David Lee Bryant Janice E. Buckley Elvin & Pamela Burford Jeremy Burns Donnan Burris Erica Butler George A. Byberg, Jr. Raphael de Chiara Cardoso Joe & Martha Caro Eric Carroll Eric & Ginny Cashion Jesse & Elizabeth Castro Shikara Cerak Jefferey W. Chandler Cristina Clark Sarah Coates Rolland & Carolyn Coburn Michael Coder Dean & Ginger Cole Larry & Barbara Compter Ryan Cordell Frank & Jessica Corley Brenda K. Cox C. Lloyd Cox Josh & Carrie Cox Tom F. Craven, Jr. Charles P. Cureton, Jr. Leora Elizabeth Daniel* Richard A. Daniels William & Ruth Darr Michael & Constance Davis Roosevelt & Carol Davis Young Shin Davis Rick & Angie DeBoard Mr. & Mrs. Ted Derrick Thomas J. Diedrich Mark & Donna Diehl Thomas & Elizabeth DiPaolo Nancy D. Dodd David & Buffy Donahoo Derek & Stacy Doss David C. Dudley Gary & Barbara Eastman Drew Ellenburg Robert Ellis Howard J. Embert Glenn & Lois Enderud Tracie M. England Philip Engle Dave Estes Brad & Annie Fairchild Linda L. Farver Keith & Patty Faulkner Sherry Ferello Lois E. Fergerson Kenneth E. Ferry Chris & Pam Ficco Christopher E. Fogal Everett & Dianne Foutz Larry & Judy Fredricks Instructor Linda Freshwater Monty & Evelyn Fritts Gil & Karen Gaillard Bryant & Riley Gaines Robert W. Garthwait, Jr. Robert W. Garthwait, Sr Frank Gibb Lee & Donna Gibson Larry & Mary Gilbert Rodney E. Gladfelter Marcus W. Goldman Col. Douglas & Carlene Good Bob & Tracey Good Mervyn L. Gray David S. Graziotti Theresa H. Green James R. Grinols

Brittany Grissom Lydia Guthrie Steven D. Hall Marlana L. Hancock Bob Handwerker Jilliann Hanten Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Harris Gene & Ann Hatcher Christina Hedgecock Richard Hegarty Randy & LeAnn Henderson Tim & Christy Hill George & Barbara Hoffman Bobbie L. Honeycutt Pete Horstman Tim Houghton Karlos D. Hudson Todd Humrichouser Edward A. Hunt, III William E. Hutson Dominic & Alessandra Ingemi Tamara L. Johnson Levi & Alison Johnston Roy & Melinda Jones David Kaetterhenry Michael B. Keever Kevin & Lori Keys Carol R. Kight Michelle Kimlick Harry & Mary King Diane Kippes Dr. & Mrs. David Klink John Koleznar Mitch Kruse Paul Lagerquist Robert S. Landon The Kenneth Leavitt Family Jennifer Lehman Betty Lewis Paul M. Lilly Randal & Debbie Linville James & Deborah Livingston Michael & Kathryn Lockwood Tom Lougheed Brock & Ronda Malcolm Michael J. Martin Christopher & Lizabeth Matthews Scott & Christy McCall Michael A. McCleery Deanna McClintic Ronald R. McDaniel Charlotte R. McGhee Denny & Jane McHaney Andrew Meadows Sam & Linda Metts Keith & Michelle Middleton David Miller Suzanne Miller Russell & Terry Millner Robert Mioduszewski Kay Mitchell Andy & Amy Moore Andrew Moore Ivan A. Moore Orrie Mork Laura Morris Mark Murphy Dr. James Nalley, M.D. Dayton Neeley Rosaleen Neely Heather Nelson Mr. Bradley Owen & Dr. Pamela Zimmerman-Owen Gerald Owens Jane M. Parker Cory Pate Rory & Cheryl Patterson Todd & Rachel Patulski

Samuel J. Paul Billy & Crystal Peele Bob L. Pelham Tom Pennington Rodney Phillips Scott & Cindy Phillips Beth Picciano Lloyd & Claudia Pickell Shane Pierce Michael L. Polley Edward Poplawski Andrew & Miriam Prantner Mark Priest Mark & Christine Probst John & Janna Pyle Jeffrey D. Raub Chris & Lara Rayborn Nick Reichenbach Edward & Karin Renner Harry & Susan Repstad Dr. & Mrs. James L. Rhoades Steve & Rachel Ridout Lance Riggs Brandt Riley Gloria Roakes Nelson E. Roberts & Dona P. Roberts* Anthony Rodgers Dale & Karen Roede Laura Roesch Jim Roller Dr. William & Amy Roller Hiram M. Royer David & Diana Ruckdeschel Wes & Robbin Ruiz Charline Russell Margot S. Sample Mary Ann Saunders Bob & Pam Schmidt Barry & Debbie Schmitt William J. Schnarr Doreen A. Schriebl Sig & Gwen Seiler Ray Sellers Constance Shackleford Charmy Shrode Dave & Kim Smith David B. Smith Ray Smith Michael & Cynthia Sobiesiak Paul & Sara Spinden Dr. Mark & Dr. Angela Stengler Arthur & Claudia Sterrett F. M. Stevenson Roger H. Stiles Tom G. Stinson, Jr. Stef S. Stoltz Bob & Sara Straub John Strother Kevin & Brittany Struble Scott R. Strum Barbara G. Stunz Marian D. Sullivan Brian & Amanda Summers Gary Swenson Douglas Taylor Gary & Jackie Tedder Jeff & Heidi Thomas John & Anne Thompson Terry & Becky Tinsley Brant & Nancy Tolsma Joseph Travers Sarah K. Truslow Johanna Tucker Susan Turner Dr. Richard D. Urwiller Michael Varner FredaAnn Voorhis

Adam & Jessica Walker Michael Wallace John Walton Richard & Ruth Waning Eleanore J. Warner Michael & Tammy Weigner Steve Wells Mike & Donna Weston Aaron R. Wheeler Charles E. Whetzel, Jr., Beverly Wiley Anthony & Beth Williams Kathy Williams George & Peggy Wilson Wendell O. Wilson Wyatt & Gwen Wilson Paul & Linda Wolpert Rupert Wright Dr. Lian-Tuu & Mrs. Arlene Yeh George Young Stephen Zimmerman Organizations American Eagle USA Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, LLC Bean Tree, LLC Blue Ridge Apothecary BWX Technologies, Inc. C12 Virginia, LLC C3 Church NC Cardinal Environmental Consultants, LLC Carriage Hill Retirement, LLC Centra Medical Group, LLC ChalQuest Boarding Kennels, LLC Charter Properties of Virginia, LLC Christ Chapel-Mountaintop Citation Oil & Gas Corp.

Come Alive International, Inc. Cornerstone Baptist Church Cox Airparts, LLC Deck N Yard, LLC Digital Video Group, Inc. Doyle’s Florist, Inc. Dr. James Burton, D.M.D. Dr. William C. Hunter Gran Char Lead Unitrust East Pointe Baptist Church, Inc.

East Side Rides, LLC FBC Mt. Juliet Garber-Lowe Fence, Inc. Global Partners in Peace & Development Grace Community Church Grace Fellowship Berean Christian School Gunnoe Sausage Company Inc. Hawthorne Gospel Church Highmark Matching Funds His Generation James Cooper Law, PLLC Johnson Health Center Jump Gardens, LLC Jump Lynchburg, LLC Jump Lynnhaven, LLC Lakeside Baptist Ministries Lamb Exterminating Leap of Faith Trust Liberty Christian Academy Merrill Lynch Mt. Olive Baptist Church New Song Ministries Inc.

Parker Dental, PC Pregnancy Resource Center of Metro Richmond, Inc. PWD Window & Door R. Coffee, Ltd Rasmussen Excavation, LLC Rejoice Ministries, Inc. Reliant Capital Asset Management, LLC Revelation Message, Inc. dba Revelation Message Bible College & Jacksonville Theological Seminary Robert & Jacqueline Lewis Foundation Romar Elevators, Inc. Rustic View Home and Gardens Sentry Exteriors, Inc. Soundz Hearing Lynchburg Summit Mortgage Tate Springs Baptist Church Temple Free Will Baptist Church The Heritage Foundation The Woodsman

Thomas Road Baptist Church Thomas Terrace Baptist Church Todd Builders, Inc. Tom & Lois Longest Charitable Trust Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah Twin City Baptist Temple, Inc. Verizon Foundation Virginia Amateur Sports, Inc. Virginia Military Institute West End Assembly of God Young Pearl Education Foundation * Estate Gift If we have omitted, misspelled, or misplaced your name, please accept our apologies and notify our office by calling toll-free (866) 602-7983.

For more information on planned giving to Liberty University, visit Liberty.edu/Giving or call (800) 543-5309.

What Liberty is to me: A blessing and a home

Sometimes thethe Sometimes biggest biggest changes changes in our in our lives can lives become can wonderful becomeblessings. wonderful blessings.

Last year, God led my family and I to Liberty NearlyUniversity, two yearswhere ago, God I now ledhave me the privilege and my family to serve to Liberty my Liberty University, family as Vice where I now President have theof privilege Development, to serve working my Liberty alongside family our as vice teams president in Alumni of Relations, Estate Development, working Planning, alongside Contact our Center, and teams in Alumni the Flames Relations, Club.

Estate Planning, With my background Contact Center, in education and and the athletics,Club.

Flames I have had the opportunity to work With in higher my background education for in most education of my career,athletics, and including atI Auburn have University, had the Faulkner University, opportunity to work and TroyinUniversity higher in Alabama,foras most education well as of Texas my career, Tech University. in including I have Alabama been at involved Auburn, in development Faulkner, and everywhere Troy Universities, I have been. and Before joining Liberty’s Development Office, I served as Assistant Athletic Director and Chief of Staff for Liberty

at Texas Tech University.

I have been involved in development everywhere I have been.

Before joining Liberty’s Development Office, I served as assistant athletic director and Chief of Staff for Liberty Athletics. I worked in many exciting areas, including fan engagement, corporate sponsorships, and event management throughout Liberty’s thriving NCAA Division I programs.

Everywhere I have been here at Liberty, I have found that the best thing about this university is the people! The character and faith of our faculty, staff, administration, and students is what makes Liberty stand out. Liberty provides its students with a welcoming and exciting environment in which they can grow, learn, and become the people God has called them to be. This school is built upon the foundation of prayer and belief in Jesus Christ, and because of that, it is a wonderful place to be and to work.

Liberty has truly become home to my family. My wife, Haley, and I are

proud Liberty parents too; our oldest, Gracie, 20, is a sophomore. Our son, Peyton, is 15, and our daughter Presley is 10.

To me, my new role here is all about relationships and cultivating relationships with everyone who also calls Liberty their home — whether that’s today or at any time in the past.

Our alumni have laid a solid groundwork for this university’s great mission to continue, and I believe as we near our 50-year mark that every relationship is important.

One of my favorite Scriptures is Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I look forward to working with more of our friends and supporters. I can’t wait to see what more changes — and blessings — God will bring us here. This is a great time to be at Liberty, and the sky’s the limit on what we can do moving forward.

Jim M. Nichols

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