Liberty Journal May/June 2008 by Liberty University

Great news! Liberty University Online Academy (LUOA) is partnering with medium to small sized churches to help them provide quality Christian education to their communites. Interested churches may utilize their current facilities to provide an individualized, Internet-based Christian academy in partnership with LUOA. In most cases, no additional space is required other than the current church facilities. A couple of classrooms, high-speed Internet connection and adult supervision are all you need to get started!

Quality, d Accredite n Educatio You Can Trust!

By partnering with LUOA, you can provide the families in your congregation and community with the opportunity to enroll their children in a quality, Christ-centered school — and do so right in your own church facility. We are all well aware of the failure of our public education system. The standards of learning have continued to decrease every year, and the system is rampant with a liberal, social agenda daily disseminated upon our children that contradicts our biblical worldview. As a result, rarely a day goes by that we don’t hear of some kind of violence, health scare and sexual or physical abuse within the public school system.

The challenge for Christian parents is that many communities do not offer a Christian alternative. While some parents choose to home school their children, others cannot afford to leave their jobs in order to do so. You may have always had the desire to provide your congregation and local community with a Christian school alternative, but have been unable to do so due to the costs of hiring teachers, buying curriculum, providing a library and all the other associated expenses. Now you can partner with Liberty University, the world’s largest evangelical Christian university, and a leader in distance education, to provide an opportunity for the parents in your community to enroll their children in a quality, Christ-centered school at your church.

“Let me just say, I am very grateful for Liberty University Online Academy. We do not have good options in our area for private school education and have become more aware of just how inferior the academic, and spiritual education in the public school environment is for our children. For parents like myself, I am so grateful for LUOA. Thank you for all you are doing to help all of us parents out who have needed this kind of an alternative. At first, I was concerned it might be too easy for Josh. Now, I believe he is being challenged much more and is receiving a much better education than he would have, and that is not even mentioning how his Christian worldview is being reinforced! So, here is a great big THANK YOU for all you are doing. God bless!” -Pastor Steve Owenby

1-866-418-8741 www.libertyonlineacademy.com

Joshua Owenby LUOA Student

â&#x2014;&#x2020; STORY continued on page 45

By Partnering with Liberty University Online Academy ... You’re Not Alone With your own satellite campus you will be supported by the vast educational resources of Liberty University. The Online Academy provides:  Christ-centered curriculum  Individualized automatic lesson planning  Liberty University online library  Certified teachers and counselors  Trained staff Plus, you don’t have to collect fees and hassle with the accounting process. Our goal is to help your church provide a quality, Christian education to your congregation and local community without incurring all the costs associated with a traditional Christian school.

DollarDollar L foriberty Univers Scholar ity ship!

A Liberty University Tuition Scholarship By partnering with LUOA, every student enrolled receives a tuition scholarship to attend Liberty University. Every dollar that is spent on tuition in the Online Academy is credited toward tuition as a student enrolled in Liberty University’s resident program once they graduate. It’s like a guaranteed college savings account! The total amount will be equally divided over four years of the student’s enrollment as a resident student of Liberty University, and will be applied toward tuition only.

A Quality, Recognized Program of Study LUOA is a candidate for accreditation by the Commission for International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). CITA is the most rapidly growing accrediting agency in the world. It was created in 1994 by the regional accrediting organizations in the United States following a long history of collaboration under other auspices. As a global leader in accreditation, CITA provides systems of accreditation around the world. CITA standards promote quality schools and continuous improvement to enhance student success. CITA provides standards for education systems and develops customized accreditation protocols. CITA accreditation engages CITA schools in the world’s largest network of accredited schools. Today, members of the CITA alliance accredit more than 32,000 schools in 100 countries, touching over 10 million students.

Does Your Church Already Have a Christian School? Enhance your curriculum offerings by partnering with Liberty University Online Academy! Perhaps you are unable to offer certain courses such as chemistry, physics, Spanish or pre-calculus due the inability to locate qualified teachers. Or perhaps your school only offers elementary or middle school education programs due to budget restraints. LUOA is currently working with several schools to expand their curriculum choices and allow students to complete their high school education in a Christian environment by enrolling through Liberty University Online Academy. Contact us for details on how this program may benefit your school.

1-866-418-8741 www.libertyonlineacademy.com

Letter from the Chancellor

MAY/JUNE 2008

Les Schofer

The most frequently repeated comment that I hear from visitors to Liberty University’s campus is how much Liberty has changed since their last visit. Visitors who have been away for 10 years or more hardly recognize the campus but even those who were last on campus three to five years in the past are amazed at the physical changes. Only five years ago, there was no Campus East. Now, there are more than 30 new buildings on Campus East. Only four years ago, there was no Campus North. Now, there is a classroom and athletic facility consisting of more than 1 million square feet of floor space and 113 acres of athletic fields, parking and a new ice arena. I am excited to report that a new round of major physical changes are now underway at Liberty that will transform the campus again. For many years, Liberty University was isolated on what we now call the “lower campus.” The campus was overbuilt by necessity and became crowded. As a result, parking and traffic flow have become a major challenge. Over the last two years, we have worked with Norfolk Southern Railroad to gain approval for a new “perimeter road” that will run from Thomas Road Baptist Church to the dorm circle, roughly parallel to the railroad tracks that border the campus. That road is now under construction. In addition to providing a second route between the two main campuses, the road will open up undeveloped portions of campus that will be used for new parking lots and the relocation of many of our support services. We have identified sites for nearly 500 new parking spaces along this road near the Schilling Center. Sixty thousand square feet of new library space on the third floor of DeMoss is under construction and scheduled for completion in the fall. The new fountain with marble columns to honor LU donors was recently shipped from Italy and will soon stand in front of DeMoss Hall. At night, the exterior of DeMoss Hall with its mammoth Jeffersonian portico is now beautifully illuminated. Doc’s Diner, a full-service restaurant serving some of my father’s favorite dishes, like his beloved banana pudding, is scheduled to open to students and the public on April 23. Barnes & Noble will soon begin construction of a 20,000-square-foot Christian college superstore across from Williams Stadium. A local donor recently agreed to fund the construction of a soccer complex adjoining the LaHaye Student Center. The facility will have two indoor soccer fields that can be used for flag football and other sports. Plans also call for the tower at North Campus to be converted into a four or five level student activity center complete with an atrium in the center that will showcase all levels and windows near the top of the tower to look out over the city. Liberty recently purchased an old Craddock-Terry factory in Lynchburg that will provide 200,000 square feet of storage. The owner sold Liberty the building for about 40 percent of its appraised value as a donation. This warehouse will allow us to move much of our storage off campus, freeing up space for classrooms and other academic uses. We had planned to build two new dorms this year but postponed those plans after engineering delays pushed the completion of construction into mid-September, too late for the fall semester. Deans are working now to place about 270 additional students in off campus housing. Enrollment will again reach record levels this fall with 11,300 students expected in the resident program and over 30,000 in distance learning programs. In addition to all the physical changes occurring at Liberty, Liberty also achieved one of my father’s lifelong goals for athletics in March by defeating Notre Dame in a major NCAA team sport. Our men’s baseball team defeated Notre Dame 6-2 the same week that the Virginia legislature and Gov. Tim Kaine named the major highway serving the Lynchburg area in honor of my father! These are exciting days at Liberty University. I am humbled to be a part of what God is doing at this university. There has never been a better time for you to become threw a part of the Liberty family! Jr. ll Falwe Jerry cellor Chan rsity Liberty Unive ball game at the inaugural pitch of the first night base h 28. A stadiMarc on um Stadi on hingt Wort ty’s Liber ric game. um-record 3,183 fans attended the histo

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

LIBERTY

Journal

Liberty Journal is an official bimonthly publication of Liberty University.

Publisher

Jerry Falwell Jr.

EXECUTIVE Editor Ron Brown

Managing Editor Tara Maxwell

CONTRIBUTING Editor Becki Falwell

Design MANAGER Laura Sipple

Design Intern Brittany LaBarre

Writers

Jeff Barber Carrie Barnhouse Mitzi Bible Eric Brown Ron Brown Tara Maxwell Johnnie Moore Karen Swallow Prior Mathew D. Staver Jenni Thurman Todd Wetmore

PhotographY MANAGER Jerome Sturm

Photographers Jordan Crossingham Les Schofer

Circulation & Quality Control Claire Diamond

Business & ADVERTISING MANAGER Steve Peterson

July/August Advertising Deadline May 8, 2008 (434) 582-2731 If you would like to subscribe to the Liberty Journal for one year, please send a donation of any amount to Liberty Journal, Subscription Department, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, VA 24502, call 434-582-2432 or e-mail lj@liberty.edu. Copyright 2007 by Liberty University. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Liberty University. All pictorial material reproduced in this book, whether in a produced ad or by itself, has been accepted on the condition that it is with the knowledge and prior consent of the photographer or the artist concerned. As such, Liberty University is not responsible for any infringement of copyright or otherwise arising out of publication thereof. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, Liberty University makes no warrant to the accuracy or reliability of this information. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

CONTENTS Liberty Journal May/June 2008

REFLECTIONS ON YEAR ONE

STEPPING UP PROGRESS

LIFE-LONG LEARNING

TELLING HER STORY

CLASS NOTES

END OF AN ERA

PICKING UP THE TORCH

Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. discusses his first year at the helm of the school

Continuing campus development abounds with new construction projects, renovations

Eighty-seven-year-old Louisiana native fulfills dream of graduating from college

Macel Falwell publishes her first book detailing life with husband, Jerry Falwell Sr.

Stay connected to Liberty alumni across the country through updates and announcements

Liberty track star Josh McDougal mulls his achievements, eyes the future

Flames have most successful fall season on record, lead in Sasser Cup chase

SECTIONS 6

GENERAL NEWS

24 STUDENT LIFE 29

THE CHURCH

MEMORIES FROM LIBERTY MOUNTAIN

40 ACADEMIC LIFE

ON THE COVER Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. and wife Becki, in a photograph by Jerome Sturm, at their home in Bedford County. For an interview with Falwell on his first year as chancellor, see Page 6.

OPINION-Editorial

Alumni

Sports

CLARIFICATION: Liberty Associate Professor of English Kenny Rowlette, featured in the March/April edition of the Journal, is ABD (All But Dissertation) toward an Ed.D. in English Education at the University of Virginia.

www.liberty.edu

Falwell Jr. Reflects o by RON BROWN Liberty Journal

On May 15, Jerry Falwell Jr. will have been Liberty University’s chancellor for one year. He assumed the chancellor’s position followFor more on ing the death of his father, LU co-founder Dr. Jerry Falwell. Chancellor Falwell Jr. is determined for LU to continue to embrace the Falwell’s Christ-centered education his father so deeply espoused. first year “Just because I’m from a younger generation doesn’t see page 52. mean I want the school to become something different,” he said. “I want to stay true to Dad’s original vision.” In the past 12 months, the Liberty community has seen record growth in its resident enrollment and distance learning program under the guidance of Falwell Jr., a 1984 Liberty alumnus and 1987 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. The school has continued to receive record donations in its bid to build endowment. While Falwell Jr.’s public persona has grown, he has been a behind-the-scenes participant in decision making for many years. “I think his first year as chancellor has gone amazingly well,” said Dr. Ron Godwin, LU’s chief operating officer and executive vice president. “One of the most gratifying and encouraging aspects has been to see how greatly Jerry Jr. has come to enjoy many of the responsibilities of being chancellor,” Godwin said. “Dr. Falwell worked very closely with Jerry Jr. regarding policy, financing and personnel decisions on a routine, daily basis. Dr. Falwell was not making hardly a single decision without consulting with his oldest son.” Since last May, Falwell Jr. and his wife, Becki, have built relationships with faculty, staff and students as he charts the course for LU’s future. During the following interview, he talked about his plans, his accomplishments and the lessons he’s learned during his first year in LU’s top post.

What lessons have you learned during your first year as chancellor? I see Liberty from a different perspective than I did before. When you’re responsible for the whole thing, you look at it differently. Instead of trying to promote this program or that one, you’re looking at the whole picture and trying to do what is good for the whole university. The biggest thing I have learned is how important this whole university is in today’s world. The culture is bombarding these kids with so many things that my generation and generations before were never exposed to.

Does what you’ve learned in your first year as chancellor make you respect your Dad even more? Yes. We’re not facing what he faced. We’ve got money in the bank and we’ve got no debt. We’ve got a campus and the student body is already built. He didn’t have any of that when he started with Liberty. He just had a dream and a vision and went night and day to make it h a p pen. It wasn’t clear then where we would end up. We have all the advantages that he didn’t have.

ts on Year One Do you like your job as chancellor? I do. All the parts of the job that I thought I would dislike are the parts I like the most. I enjoy the interaction with the students and the faculty. I like it better than what I was doing before as vice chancellor. In that role, I was just working on the business side, behind the scenes. There’s a greater sense of accomplishment in what I’m doing now because you can see a real impact. Before, it was more of a supporting role.

Are there ways that your approach differs from your Dad’s? Probably. In his earlier years, his approach was similar to mine now. He travelled with student groups and played baskets with all of them. I’m out with the students as much as I can be. Becki and I have had large groups of students over to the house. I identify with these students because 25 years ago I was sitting where they are now. I’m a graduate of Liberty. I’m not a pastor. Dad was a pastor. That’s a big difference. He was preaching to the students every week. My leadership is more on the administrative, student life and business side. Because I was doing some of those things before, there was not as big a transition as you might think. I was involved day-to-day in every aspect of running the college for almost 20 years.

Do you have a desire for Liberty to be seen as part of the fabric of Lynchburg? It already is. Everywhere you go in Lynchburg, it seems that a good number of employees at businesses are Liberty students. Most of the new apartment projects around town are populated with Liberty students. Ten thousand students in a city this size, plus all the staff to support that, the impact has to be pervasive.

Is it hard to balance your time between being chancellor and being a father and husband? I still have two kids at home. Wesley, age 14, and Caroline, age 7. My son, Trey, is a freshman at Liberty. I’ve gotten better at not opening up my computer on the weekends. That is more important now because weekends are the only times I have away from LU. Before, I would work whenever I needed to work.

How significant is your wife, Becki, as a work partner? All the public part of this is new to her like it is to me. She’s really liking it. She has a lot of valuable opinions. She looks out for things I don’t really pay attention to, like how publications look. She has helped Paula Johnson with the renovations of the (Carter Glass) Mansion. She has gotten close to a lot of the students. She gets on the Internet and reads what students are saying about Liberty. I base a lot of decisions on that. You’ve got to pay attention to what students are saying. She’s a pretty good sounding board. She went to Christian schools and went to Liberty for a while, so she’s familiar with Christian education. She cares about these students and how I perform in this job. That’s more than you could ask for from a spouse.

What’s the biggest challenge you have faced so far? Public speaking. I had avoided that for years. It is something I’ve become more comfortable with. My biggest challenge was adapting to the public side of the job. If you haven’t done something like that before, it’s natural to be apprehensive about it. The students made it easy. They are a great group of kids. They are so eager to learn and for Liberty to succeed. They make it hard to fail. Another big challenge was keeping donors activated. We wondered if many of them were donating just because of their support for my father. The fact that so many have responded so well has been a great relief to many of us. Giving has been at record levels this whole year.

Do any accomplishments stand out in your mind? The re-creation of the Liberty Journal has been a major accomplishment to me. The fact is it is now almost 100 percent devoted to the promotion, recruiting and fundraising for the university. It has become a tool to keep the donors activated. We’re too big now to let the school ever slip into financial difficulties. Now, it takes us $685,000 a day to operate every time the sun comes up. We’ve got to be fiscally responsible and build endowment. This year, $20 to $30 million in endowment has come in after our debt was paid off. The spirit on campus has got to be the other achievement. People who work here are always talking about how much they love Liberty. They talk about how great the student body is and how proud they are of them. The atmosphere on campus is about as positive as I’ve ever seen it. One donor told me that the fact that is occurring is an indication that God is really in it. ◆ CHANCELLOR continued on page 8 www.liberty.edu

Grab the Edge and Get Ahead in Your College Education! 11th and 12th grade students enrolled in Liberty University Online Academy can enroll in college courses and satisfy their high school requirements! Offered in partnership with Liberty Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distance Learning Program, The Edge, is a dual enrollment program specifically designed for high school juniors and seniors with the desire to earn college credit before graduation from high school. This Christ-centered, online education program through Liberty, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest evangelical university, allows you as an 11th and 12th grade student to begin earning college credit toward your bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree while fulfilling your www.LUonline.com/theedge 1-866-418-8742 high school course requirements! Regardless of whether you decide to attend Liberty as a resident student, continue on to earn your degree through our Distance Learning Program, or even study at another college or university, the more classes you take now, the further ahead youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be. This gives you a competitive edge!

rt Jump-sta n catio Your Edu ing ild While Bu h! Your Fait

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Tuition for The Edge is now only $500 per course, a 73% savings off the cost of our resident college student tuition. This means you and your family save up to $5,425 for a semesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of classes! This gives you and your family a financial edge!

Save Time

Classes are conducted online, so completion of assignments fits easily into your busy schedule! Study and complete your assignments from home, over lunch, or during a free period at school. Whenever and wherever you choose to study during the week is up to you! This gives you a scheduling edge!

What Will Liberty University Online Academy Provide My Church?

What Is My Church Required To Provide?

With your own satellite campus, you will be supported by the vast educational resources of Liberty University. By partnering with Liberty University Online Academy, your church will be provided with: t " GVMM MJOF PG $ISJTU DFOUFSFE POMJOF DVSSJDVMVN GPS grades 3-12 t *OEJWJEVBMJ[FE BVUPNBUJD MFTTPO QMBOOJOH t $VTUPNJ[FE BDBEFNJD TDIPPM ZFBS t "DDFTT UP -JCFSUZ 6OJWFSTJUZ T POMJOF MJCSBSZ t $FSUJmFE RVBMJmFE UFBDIFST t (VJEBODF DPVOTFMPST t 3FHJTUSBS T PĂśDF QSPWJEJOH USBOTDSJQUT BOE BDBEFNJD record keeping t #VTJOFTT BOE BDDPVOUJOH PĂśDF t " -JCFSUZ 6OJWFSTJUZ TDIPMBSTIJQ FRVBM UP UIF BNPVOU of the total tuition paid on behalf of the student enrolled t " RVBMJmFE USBJOFE TUBĂľ t " RVBMJUZ JOUFSOBUJPOBMMZ SFDPHOJ[FE BDDSFEJUFE program t " UVJUJPO SFWFOVF TIBSJOH QSPHSBN XJUI ZPVS DIVSDI - 10% of the total tuition paid by the students enrolled in your satellite campus is sent back to your church!

As a Church/Christian school partner you agree to provide: t " RVBMJUZ BHF BQQSPQSJBUF MFBSOJOH FOWJSPONFOU t " IJHI TQFFE JOUFSOFU DPOOFDUJPO t 2VBMJUZ BEVMU TVQFSWJTJPO

What My Church May Also Provide:

t &MFDUJWF DMBTTFT TVDI BT NVTJD BSU physical education, band, etc â&#x20AC;Ś t 5IFTF DMBTTFT XPVME SFRVJSF BEWBODF approval by LUOA in order to transcript them for each student enrolled. t 0ODF BQQSPWFE UIFTF DMBTTFT XPVME be transcripted by LUOA and therefore receive the same amount of credit as similar courses offered by LUOA. t 5VJUJPO GPS UIFTF FMFDUJWF DMBTTFT would be collected by and belong to the church.

1-866-418-8741 www.libertyonlineacademy.com

Each student is officially enrolled as a student in Liberty University Online Academy. The church acts solely as an agent of Liberty University Online Academy by providing a local facility to provide a Christian education to its congregation and community.

GENERAL NEWS ◆

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This will be the first year that we have had to cut off fall enrollment early. We are thinking about slowing growth just enough to allow us to catch up by building the academic facilities we have put on hold during the period of rapid growth over the past six or seven years. As we continue to grow, we want to make sure that we retain academic excellence. We don’t want to fall behind academically or spiritually. We are seriously looking at capping growth and using that breather to improve academic facilities. We’ve grown so fast a lot of departments are just bulging at the seams. We’ve built dorms. We’ve built food services. We’ve built classrooms. All the support facilities — like library space, parking, labs and student centers for social activities — have lagged behind. We’ve been sprinting. We need to jog for a while.

Coming soon to Lynchburg, VA! Enjoy luxury with the convenience of community. Come home to Cornerstone. 1. Great Location (close to Route 460, Timberlake Road and Liberty University) 2. nTelos Technology Backbone -all ﬁber optic access into LU’s network 3. Twenty Five Acre Park -playgrounds, gazebo, bike/walking trails, creeks with bridges 4. Pedestrian Friendly Community offering restaurants, shopping, and services 5. Diverse mix of housing opportunities 7. Mountain views

“Liberty University is pleased to join hands with Cornerstone to provide convenient, high-quality housing options for students, faculty, and staff. Liberty University will provide a direct connection to LibertyNet to create an environment that offers Cornerstone residents many of the beneﬁts and conveniences of being on campus.” - Jerry Falwell, Jr. Chancellor, Liberty University

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

8. Open areas for studying, leisure, Frisbee, and related activities

To request more information, call 1-877-285-2612 or log on to www.liberty.edu/Cornerstone

GENERAL NEWS

Projects

A. Towns/Alumni Ministry Training Center at LU School of Religion B. Renovated batting cages at Worthington Field C. Four new reader boards strategically placed around LU campus D. New Arte’ Dei Capelli hair salon at LU Campus North E. New dormitories built on LU’s Campus East F. New solarium part of Reber-Thomas Dining Hall improvements

G. Exterior shot of the new VIP luxury suites at Williams Football Stadium H. Interior shot of the new VIP luxury suites at Williams Football Stadium I. New flamethrower accompanies LU football games J. Completed LU mountain monogram K. Sign adorns LU’s new 60-mile trail system on Liberty Mountain L. Mountain bikers enjoy riding on new Liberty Mountain trail system M. New team areas were part of Worthington Field renovations N. Doc’s Diner, which honors the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, opened in April on LU’s Campus East O. Eternal flame is centerpiece of the new Falwell Memorial Burial Garden

P. New post office box remote locations make mail delivery more convenient

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

Photos by Les Schofer, Jerome Sturm and Jordan Crossingham

for LU students

Arizona supporters fun Submitted photo

by MITZI BIBLE Liberty Journal

Gerald and Rose Marie Evans

Liberty University’s growth is directly related to its financial supporters. But many of those, including the donor of the largest-ever gift annuity to the university — $3.8 million — have never even stepped foot on the campus. Many have witnessed the ministry blossom from a television set in their living room. Like Gerald and Rose Marie Evans of Arizona, who have been faithful watchers of “The Old Time Gospel Hour.” “I’ve been listening to Jerry [Falwell Sr.] since he came on [television] in 1956 and I’ve supported him since then,” Gerald Evans said. Beginning in 2004, the couple funded three charitable gift annuities with the university, with the latest in December 2007, bringing their total to $3.8 million. (A charitable gift annuity is when a donor transfers cash or securities in exchange for the charity’s promise to pay a fixed

What Kind of a Legacy Will You Leave?

e all have a desire for significance. For many of us, significance comes through creating a legacy during our lives – something for which we will be remembered in the future. A bequest is perhaps the easiest and most tangible way to leave a lasting legacy to the people and charitable organizations that mean the most to us.

A Bequest is a gift made through your will or trust. There are several ways to make a bequest to Liberty: • Specific dollar amount • Percentage of your estate

• Specific asset • Residue of your estate

For more information on how to create a lasting legacy through a bequest to Liberty University, please call: 1-800-543-5309 or visit our Award-winning web site: www.lugiving.com 12

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

â&#x2014;&#x2020; STORY continued on page 45

GENERAL NEWS

Liberty NEWS Briefs

Legislature honors Liberty’s founder Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed legislation in February naming a section of U.S. 460 in Lynchburg, Va., the Jerry Falwell Parkway after Liberty University’s founder Jerry Falwell Sr., who died last May at age 73. The legislation pertains to the section of highway between the Monacan Bridge in Lynchburg and Wards Road in Campbell County. “It is an honor for the family,” Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said. “It means a lot that even legislators who weren’t in political agreement with my father voted for this. It is very fitting because Dad grew up just off the roadway, his brother still lives there and the university is here.” Falwell Bust Donated

Missions Emphasis Week brings global perspective Fifty years after his father was slain by Waodani Indians in the jungles of Ecuador, it is clear Steve Saint’s life has revolved around missions. That includes reaching out to the same people who killed his dad. Saint went back to live among the Waodanis and eventually saw many become “God followers,” including Mincaye, the man who is believed to have speared Saint’s father, Nate Saint. Saint and Mincaye shared their stories at a February convocation service at Liberty. Afterward, they greeted students and Saint signed copies of his best-selling memoir “End of the Spear,” made into a movie by the same name. Their visit was part of Missions Emphasis Week at LU, which included a missions expo featuring various missions organizations, seminars and speaker Brother Yun, a Chinese believer who spoke on the remarkable arising of evangelicals in his home nation. Special events included an international food tasting and a concert by WorldHelp’s Children of the World choir.

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

David Rogers of Mertztown, Pa., made a generous donation of a sculpted bust of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell to Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church. The bust will be displayed near Macel Falwell’s piano at TRBC’s Main Street.

Liberty draws top Christian speakers Liberty University’s convocation services at the Vines Center hosted several prominent Christian leaders from across the United States and beyond during February and March: • Dr. Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and a member of Liberty University’s board of trustees, talked about the brevity of life. • Dr. Randy Rebold, LU alumnus and seven-time Emmy award winning songwriter and producer, energized students with a talk on Christian love. • Bishop Wellington Boone, a leading conservative speaker and a bestselling author, challenged students to find out if they have a sense of God’s calling in their hearts. • Lee Strobel, a leading apologist and bestselling author of 20 books, including the popular “The Case for Christ,” talked to Liberty University students about the “unexpected adventure” of a Christian. • Pastor Sunday Adelaja, founder of The Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations, the largest evangelical church in Europe, discussed the power of ministering to the downtrodden.

â&#x2014;&#x2020; STORY continued on page 45

GENERAL NEWS

IFE LONG EARNING

by TARA MAXWELL Liberty Journal

photos by JORDAN CROSSINGHAM

Latance Futch attends her graduation ceremony at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Farmerville, La., in Oct. 2007. Futch has taught Sunday school at the church for nearly 60 years.

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

Inspiring 87-year-old graduates through DLP

For 87-year-old Latance Futch, hearing Pomp and Circumstance playing in her honor in the little country church where she has taught Sunday school for almost 60 years is one of her most cherished moments. A child of two farmers in northern Louisiana during the Great Depression, Futch recalls the days before reliable refrigeration and electricity. For her, graduating from college was a life-long dream that hadn’t been realized until a few years ago. “When I graduated from high school in 1937, times were so hard,” she said. “Daddy said, ‘Latance, I’ll mortgage the farm and get money for you to go to college,’ and I knew enough about making a living that it would be a risky thing if I would go on and get my education and couldn’t get a job, so I declined the idea and I went on to get married and raise two girls.” Futch began her college studies in 2002 through Liberty University’s Distance Learning Program. At that time, she did all of her course work through mail correspondence. Now LU’s Distance Learning is a completely online program with more than 25,000 students. Futch’s daughter Alicia explained

why her mother chose to get a degree in religion. “Mother has taught Sunday school for years and we thought when we started looking for what she could major in, she wasn’t going to go out and get a job because of her degree,” she said. “So it needed to be something she could use and with her Bible knowledge already, religion was the best fit.” Futch was born in Union Parish, La., seven miles north of Farmerville, her current address since 1963. She and her late husband, Theos, owned most of the original family farmland and ran a propane company in Farmerville, which today boasts a population of roughly 4,000 and has a main street that harkens back to times gone by. “I took a beauty course and I worked until we went into business,” she said. “I was going to put a little beauty shop in the corner of the office and I saw I couldn’t do beauty work and keep up with propane too — that was a full-time job.” Music has always played a vital role in Futch’s life, from playing guitar as a girl on the front porch as her dad played the violin, to making music in church for the Lord. ◆ LEARNING continued on page 18

Latance Futch, 87, graduated high school in 1937, but was unable to attend college. She achieved her life-long goal of earning a college degree through Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distance Learning Program in 2007.

www.liberty.edu

GENERAL NEWS

Latance Futch plays the piano in her Farmerville, La., home in February. Music has always been a source of pleasure for Latance Futch, who in addition to playing several instruments, has also written a few hymns for the piano. Futch also plays the violin and guitar. She recently took up the bass guitar for her church.

Music has always played a vital role in Futch’s life, from playing guitar as a girl on the front porch as her dad played the violin, to making music in church for the Lord. 18

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

◆

LEARNING from page 16

Music even led to Futch’s chance meeting with her future husband. The wagon she was traveling in to play at a dance across the river got stuck in the mud and he helped free its wheels. In addition to playing the piano and writing several hymns, Futch recently learned to play the bass guitar. “We didn’t have any bass in the church and one day I found one in the paper that was on sale and called my niece who plays a bass guitar and we got it. I just play by notes. I never had any lessons on it or anything. I carry it to church and they all love it,” Futch said. Futch, known as “Mama Tance” to her five grandchildren and “Lulu” to her eight great-grandchildren, never shies away from hard work or new experiences, which her daughters Alicia and Janice say has fueled her longevity. “I had to study a lot,” Futch said of her coursework. “I burned the midnight oil. I’m a night owl and at eleven o’clock my mind would open up and I’d take a lesson to the post office at two o’clock in the morning.” Although Futch fell just short of her goal to graduate with a B average, she says she loved the experience. “The first research paper I did was on the slaves during the Civil War and I

worked so hard on that … I was so anxious to get my papers back, they’d have them marked up all over, but I turned out to be pretty good at writing.” Alicia said she also learned a lot alongside her mother because she was her typist; Futch never learned how. As for Futch’s favorite class, she said she was very interested in psychology and all the biblical courses, but she especially enjoyed abnormal psychology. She said when she announced her plans to get a college degree she was met with encouraging words and an outpouring of support. “I always wanted a college degree. I almost started when Alicia was little … well I got a lot of encouragement, I figured people would think I was crazy, but they really supported me in it.” Futch said her biggest source of steady support has been God. “When I was 12 years old I joined the church and I was not a bit more saved than a goose,” she said. “I didn’t realize it and I kept going to church until 1929 and the Lord began to convict me, and in my little home up there in the country I asked him to come into my heart. I was a changed person and I felt so clean I felt like I’d never sin again, but I did and He forgives us our sins.” After nearly 52 years of marriage, Futch was devastated when she lost her

husband Theos in 1991. Alicia said in her parents’ marriage, her mother always thought of herself as the neck to help turn the head (her husband). Futch said many people are lost, but they don’t realize it and she found herself a little lost after Theos’ death. She said it was particularly hard for her at church, since she and Theos had always attended services together. “You felt like you are somewhere you’re not supposed to be and I thought; ‘now that’s just the pure devil doing that.’ God wouldn’t want me to stay away from church, just because Theos is gone. And I went on.” It was at Futch’s church, Zion Hill Baptist, that she was able to receive her college diploma during a graduation celebration in October of last year. The ceremony included a proclamation by the mayor of Farmerville, proclaiming October 28 as Latance Futch Day, an address by Futch’s family members and the church’s pastor and a presentation by Liberty University representative T.A. Powell. Powell presented Futch with her diploma and letters from Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. and co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns. “I was so honored to be there with her,” said Powell, a Distance Learning Program adjunct professor of religion. “She impressed me to no end. She was so bright and full of energy, and the little church was just jam-packed with people.” Members of the local media turned up for the ceremony and asked Futch what she would tell someone who wants to be an older student. “I told them, go for it,” Futch said. “I truly believe you’re never too old to learn.” Futch’s story even made its way onto Fox News, who labeled her as the “Granny Grad.” For all of Futch’s achievements great and small, from graduating college at the age of 86 to raising a family, she credits God and says she has learned to glorify Him in all she does. Even when Futch bakes her scrumptious chocolate pie complete with handmade flaky crust and meringue topping — famous among her friends, family and congregation — she says she is glorifying the Lord.

GENERAL NEWS

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www.liberty.edu

PEDAL POWER by TARA MAXWELL Liberty Journal

Bicycle ministry to ride, raise and reach

Liberty University alumna Judy Bowman knows when God closes one door He opens another. When she was laid off from her job as assistant dean of Liberty’s distance learning program in 1990 she didn’t despair — she found her calling on a bicycle. Bowman, who holds a world record for riding 3,000 miles on a stationary bike in seven days, is the founder of Lynchburg, Va.-based WHEEL POWER Christian Cyclists. Wheel Power is an evangelistic ministry spreading the Gospel throughout America and around the world. Now, 18 years and 1.8 million miles later, WHEEL POWER is part-

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

nering with Liberty University to spread the word of God, gain exposure for the school and raise money for campus development including the Towns/Alumni Ministry Training Center and Liberty’s endowment through missions bicycle trips across America. The 2008-09 campaign, Ride, Raise and Reach, includes a ride from Portland, Maine, to Orlando, Fla., and a ride from Los Angeles, Calif., to Lynchburg, Va. “God gave me a vision to ride across the United States and He gave me the gift of evangelism, which has been exciting,” Bowman said. Bowman said her goal is to encourage and train Christians to talk to any-

Les Schofer

Members of Lynchburg, Va.-based WHEEL POWER ministry take part in Liberty’s homecoming parade.

one, anytime, anyplace about Jesus. She stays true to her mission wherever she goes, even in line at the post office. “We are pedaling and proclaiming the truth to give people freedom,” she said. Bowman, who has made 14 coast-tocoast rides, operates WHEEL POWER alongside her son Steve, an LU alumnus, and his wife, Heather. Steve and Heather were married by the late Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. in 1993. WHEEL POWER has been going strong for 16 years, although Bowman has been leading rides for more than 20 years. During the trips, riders spend nights at churches where they receive meals,

showers and a place for their air mattresses. Bowman said she plans to connect Liberty alumni with each other through the rides and through five to seven rallies along the route. Rallies will feature WHEEL POWER riders and Liberty University representatives meeting members of the communities they visit. “We’re very bright on the road, we’re very visible,” Bowman said of WHEEL POWER’s signature neon yellow and red, white and blue jerseys. “We want to make an impact and help in recruiting. People will find out about Liberty and hear about it from a little different perspective.”

UPCOMING RIDES: Ride, Raise and Reach participants can ride a few miles, a few days or for an entire trip. The ministry recognizes that many people will not be able to ride, but they may support the riders in prayer and by making a financial donation to benefit Liberty University’s endowment program or the Towns/ Alumni Ministry Training Center. Upcoming rides include Portland, Maine, to Orlando, Fla., Sept. 16-Oct. 21, 2008, and Los Angeles, Calif., to Lynchburg, Va., March 14.-May 8, 2009.

Want to sign up or get more information? Check out: • www.wheelpower.org • e-mail trips@wheelpower.org • or call (434) 385-5839

www.liberty.edu

AP WIDE WORLD PHOTO

GENERAL NEWS

Chuck Norris to Give Graduation Address

ctor Chuck Norris will be Liberty University’s graduation speaker on May 10. Norris, the star of numerous feature films and the long-running CBS television show, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” was a mainstay this year in the campaign of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whom Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed for president. Falwell said he chose Chuck Norris after speaking with Huckabee recently. “He [Huckabee] and Chuck have become close friends and he told me how he had been impressed with Chuck as a very thoughtful and intelligent person and as a strong conservative Christian. I can’t imagine any profession where it is more difficult to remain true to your conservative Christian values than the entertainment field.”

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

by RON BROWN Liberty Journal

In addition to his acting career, Norris won many state, national and international karate titles in the mid-to-late 1960s. He fought in and won the World Professional Karate Championship and retired undefeated in 1974. He was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as a fighter and instructor. “The more I read about Chuck Norris, the more I am convinced that he is an excellent choice,” Falwell said. “LU is committed to placing graduates in every profession to make a positive difference in the world. That includes the entertainment industry. In fact, we had two students obtain major roles in a Hollywood feature film this week. There are so few conservative Christians in Hollywood, I believe we need to recognize, honor and hear from those who have been successful in swimming against the tide.”

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STUDENT LIFE

Ask Pastor Johnnie Johnnie Moore

Jordan Crossingham

A Liberty University student takes a moment to pray in between classes.

“How do you know what God’s will is for your life?” — Emily First, the will of God begins with your walk with God. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” God begins to direct our lives by making us Christ-

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

like men and women, who ask often “how would Jesus live today if he were walking in my shoes?” Your daily, personal relationship with God prepares you to make life’s decisions. Secondly, God’s will is a matter of going through life until God stops you rather than waiting for God to start you on a journey. When the Apostle Paul was on his second missionary journey, he felt that God didn’t want him to go to Asia. So God stopped him from going there and sent him to Macedonia instead. Paul had not waited for God to start his journey. Rather, he just obediently followed the command to “go make disciples of all nations.” He went where he wanted until God guided him to go in a different direction. Most people wait for a “sign” first. Paul moved ahead in his chosen direction until a “sign” (or circumstance) sent him another way. Thirdly, God’s will is more about wisdom than divine revelation. Often we blame God for our inability to make good decisions. When you’re trying to discern the Will of God you must first dig into the Word of God, and your first prayer to pray is a request for wisdom. Sometimes you’ll come to a fork in the road with no clear leading in either direction. In these cases, you should just prayerfully make a decision knowing that either option is probably a good one. Sometimes God grants us freedom to choose our paths, and His help and blessing waits for us down either road. Finally, the will of God is normally a lot simpler than we believe it to be. Many believers are nervously scared to move to “this” place or take “that” job. They are concerned it will mess up the rest of their lives. They live in a pressure cooker and they tiptoe through life anxiously. God gives us wisdom, His Word, His church, and circumstances to keep us going down the right path. Sometimes we should just make a decision and trade the stress for faith. Emily, many people expect God to put blinking signs in the sky to guide them through life’s decisions, and I think God is wondering when some of these goodhearted folks will just use the road signs He has already given them. Most of the time, the will of God isn’t an extravagant process. Rather, it is a consistent trail of decisions made through prayer and Biblical wisdom. The Rev. Johnnie Moore is campus pastor at Liberty University. Please send e-mail to campuschurch@liberty.edu.

GENERAL NEWS

h h h h h h h h h h h h h

Liberty University Makes Big Presence at CPAC Liberty University played a significant role as one of the co-sponsoring organizations at the influential Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., held Feb. 7 through 9. CPAC is an annual gathering of the nation’s leading conservative political activists. This year about 167 Liberty students, faculty and staff members attended the conference. CPAC became the center of media attention because all of the Republican presidential candidates spoke at the conference. President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney both delivered separate addresses to the crowd of enthusiastic attendees. Liberty’s co-sponsor status allowed close-up seating behind President Bush’s staff when he gave his address. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney shocked the audience when he announced that he was suspending his presidential bid. Romney’s announcement at CPAC quickly became the lead news story of the day. Sen. John McCain also spoke at CPAC the same day Romney spoke. In his speech he sought to reach out to conservative voters. McCain’s message also captured national headlines following on the heels of Romney’s announcement. CPAC again stole the national spotlight when former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke on the last day of the conference. Huckabee announced that he was staying in the presidential race. Liberty University sponsored several booths that remained busy throughout the conference. At one time the booths were featured as background for multiple interviews conducted by C-Span. The booths highlighted Liberty University, the School

LIBERTY JOURNAL Jan./Feb. 2008

by MATHEW D. STAVER Liberty Journal

of Law, the Helms School of Government, Liberty Counsel, the Liberty Center for Law and Policy and the Strategic Policy Institute, which works with Liberty University in Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., to open up internships in the nation’s capital and in the Commonwealth. Liberty also hosted a well-attended reception to showcase the many opportunities offered at the university and related ministries. After Dr. Ron Godwin, Executive Vice President of Liberty University, welcomed the guests, Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. spoke to them about the exciting things happening at Liberty. Also speaking at the reception were the Rev. Jonathan Falwell, Mat Staver, Dean of the School of Law; George Buzzy, Dean of the School of Government; and Strategic Policy Institute Vice President Ron Murphy. The event was successful because of the extraordinary efforts of Barbara Sherman, Executive Director of Liberty’s Center for Academic Support and Advising Services, Abby Tuomala and Michael Shin with the School of Law, Carrie Barnhouse and Dave Hart. Each semester a number of Liberty students intern in Washington, D.C. Many of these students have landed strategic jobs as a result of their internships. Liberty University now has several offices in Washington, D.C., for the express purpose of enhancing and expanding internship opportunities. Liberty students are making a positive difference in the highest seat of government. Mathew D. Staver is Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel and Dean of the Liberty University School of Law.

www.liberty.edu

Photos this spread: Jerome Sturm

Higher calling Student spreads message as subject of Newsweek article

by JENNI THURMAN Special to the Liberty Journal

Kristen Gonzalez, a junior at Liberty University, was recently the subject of a Newsweek “My Turn” article submitted by her older sister, Theresa. In the Feb. 8 article, “A Simple Twist of Faith,” Theresa — who does not share her sister’s Christian beliefs — describes her fears that Kristen would become a “Jesus freak” after attending a private Christian school. “The fundamentalism of evangelicals seemed so extreme, so exclusive, to me,” she writes. Theresa said her worries multiplied when Kristen announced her plans to attend LU. “It became more apparent that I needed to trust her decisions and let her make mistakes, if that was what this indeed was; after all, she had proved me wrong in the past,” she says in the article. Theresa admitted her misconceptions of evangelical Christians, as she knew Kristen, 20, did not grow up to be judgmental. She concluded in the article: “For her, religion is a personal thing, and I don’t judge (anymore). In fact, I greatly

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

Kristen Gonzalez, a junior at Liberty University, was recently the subject of a Newsweek article, focusing on her faith, penned by her older sister Theresa.

respect her for having such a strong faith in something. I wish I could believe so fervently in anything so abstract. All I can say now is that I believe in her.” The article’s positive ending came as a surprise to Kristen, who said she had assumed her sister thought worse of Christianity. “With this article I was glad to see that at least how I am living is making her see that Christianity is not so bad,” Kristen said. “I think that’s the best way I can do it, because she doesn’t respond well to me preaching at her.” Despite their differences, in the article Theresa described Kristen as “an angel who brought our family closer.” Kristen said she has made countless efforts to draw sisters Theresa, 35, and Shelly, 34, to Christianity. But she A Spiritual Life Director in Dorm 3, Kristen Gonzalez (center), expects to graduate in May 2009 with refuses to get discouraged. a Studio Art major and a Graphic Design minor. “It’s definitely hard because I am immersed in a Christian culture here at pus twice with her mother, she knew God “I’ve been getting tons of emails and Liberty and I want them to be, too. I just wanted her there. While her mother loved people coming up to me saying how great have to keep trying,” she said. the idea of Kristen attending a Christian it is that I’m being such a good influence Raised in a home where her parents college, sister Theresa did not share the and it’s nice to see a Christian that really did not emphasize church attendance, sentiment. witnesses,” she said. Kristen rarely went to church during her “When Theresa talked to me about it, Kristen has noticed progress since childhood in Highland Park, N.J. “My she said, ‘It might be harder to get a job if she began witnessing to her sisters. She grandmother was very ‘hell and dam- you go there.’ I told her I wanted to go to said Shelly has kept a prayer on her renation’ Roman Catholic and my mom Liberty because I thought that was where frigerator door because she found it enwasn’t against religion, but she didn’t God wanted me, and she said it was my couraging. “She thinks Christianity is want to be like my grandmother,” Kris- decision,” Kristen said. “She didn’t want all well and good, but it’s not for her,” ten said. to blatantly say I shouldn’t go there be- Kristen said. “I don’t think she wants to After her baptism in a Catholic cause it’s a Christian school.” change her life, but she’s definitely not church as an Despite The- completely against it.” Read “A Simple Twist of Faith” resa’s misgivings, infant, Kristen Recently, Kristen and her parents didn’t attend Kristen thrived in talked in depth with Theresa about Chrisonline at www.newsweek.com/ church reguLU’s environment. tianity. “She talked about how she beid/105565 larly until one A Spiritual Life Di- lieves in God, but the God she believes of her mothrector in Dorm 3, in wouldn’t send people to hell,” Kristen er’s bank customers invited her to Christ she expects to graduate in May 2009 with said. “That’s her biggest problem with Community Church. As a result, Kristen a Studio Art major and a Graphic Design Christianity.” asked Jesus to be her personal Savior at minor. Kristen saw that conversation as the age of 9 and quickly became involved “I want to illustrate children’s books a huge step in the right direction. “I in the church’s youth group. or work for a museum,” she said. She thought, ‘At least she believes in God. Her mother also accepted Christ af- plans to pursue a Master’s in Art History That’s progress.’” ter attending the church, which spurred and become a museum curator or art reAnd although Theresa and Shelly her decision to pull Kristen out of public storer. have not accepted Christ, Kristen refuses school and homeschool her. After being Kristen loves to paint and knit in her to give up hope, undeterred by the chalhomeschooled and attending a Christian free time. A passionate reader and former lenges. school during her elementary and middle English major, she lists her favorite au“I have to say that I really do struggle school years, Kristen settled at Timothy thors as Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and with finding a balance and I should witChristian School in Piscataway, N.J., Shakespeare. ness to my sister more than I do,” Kristen from eighth grade through high school. Although Kristen describes herself said. “I don’t want people thinking I’m Kristen said most students who grad- as just an average Liberty student, the preaching the gospel all day to my sister. uate from Timothy Christian go on to at- Newsweek article rocketed her to a level It really is a lot harder than people think, tend Liberty. After she visited the cam- of superstardom on campus. but I’m trying my best.” www.liberty.edu

CONFERENCE HOST Senior Pastor Thomas Road Baptist Church Lynchburg, VA

Founder Prison Fellowship Lansdowne, VA

Senior Pastor Christ Fellowship Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Director Lifeway Research Nashville, TN

Worship Pastor Thomas Road Baptist Church Lynchburg, VA

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GENERAL NEWS THE CHURCH

Church planting efforts sprout at Liberty

by MITZI BIBLE Liberty Journal

Les Schofer

hen the Rev. Jonathan Falwell announced on July 1, 2007, the “dreams” for Thomas Road Baptist Church and its related ministries, on the list was to partner with Liberty’s School of Religion and Seminary to plant 500 churches in the next five years. That goal was brought more into focus during the first Church Planting Emphasis Week, sponsored by the Seminary and supported by TRBC, Liberty University and the North American Mission Board (NAMB), Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 on the LU campus. LU hosted lead strategists in church planting organizations, as well as state representatives from the Southern Baptist Convention and representatives from NAMB’s Missions Mobilization Area. Speakers included Dr. ErFalwell gun Caner, president of the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary; Ed Stetzer, research director for Lifeway (one of the world’s largest providers of Christian products and services); and LU alumnus Matt Fry, a church planter in North Carolina. A special summit was held with Falwell and church, Seminary and LU leaders, along with 17 key players in the church planting scene in America, to strategize on just how Stetzer the goal was going to be met. “They were all blown away and had never seen anything like what is going on here,” said Dr. Dave Earley, professor and director of the Seminary’s Center for Church Planting. “In a little over a year, we’ve planted 34 churches. We want to see that number grow until we’re over 100 every year and have planted 500 churches.” During the week, students had a chance to catch that vision by hearing the state representatives in their classes and browsing displays for organizations offering internships. At the Wednesday night Campus Church service, more than 200 students responded

to an invitation to consider church planting and internships. But according to Dr. David Wheeler, a NAMB missionary and associate director of the Center for Church Planting, the vision doesn’t stop there. “The point of what we’re trying to do is create a missions mentality among all our students,” he said. “The bigger picture here is we want our students, regardless of if they’re going to be the lead (church) planter, to begin thinking in terms of ‘I want to go where the gospel is not’ … if you’re a doctor, teacher, engineer, whatever, when you are looking to go to a place and move, team up with someone here who wants to be a church planter.” Students can still have a job in their field, but have a direct impact on an area of the country or world that is unchurched by being a member of a new church plant,” he said. In fact, said Earley, “the fastest growing churches in America are launched with some type of team like that. With that type of base, you could start a church and have 200 to 300 that first Sunday if you know how to do it.” There is an emphasis to plant churches in North America, Earley said, which is the only continent where Christianity is declining. The statistics point to the need for churches right here in America (see box at right). Although church planting efforts are gaining momentum at LU and TRBC, Wheeler said it should come as no surprise to the ministries. “It is my prayer that Liberty Seminary and the University will continue to evolve as a major influence for church planting efforts in North America,” he said. “After all, since [the late] Dr. Jerry Falwell started Liberty out of a church plant, it is definitely in the DNA of who we are.” For more on the Liberty Center for Church Planting, go to www.liberty.edu/lts. www.sxc.hu photo

Left, students speak with a representative from the Southern Nevada Baptist Convention during Church Planting Emphasis Week Jan. 30-Feb. 1 at Liberty University.

The stats • Even though America has more people, it has fewer churches per capita than at any time in her history. Although the number of churches in America has increased by 50 percent in the past century, the population has increased 300 percent.There are now nearly 60 percent fewer churches per 10,000 persons than in 1920. • Today, of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining. Many churches begin a plateau or slow decline about their 15th to 18th year; 80 to 85 [percent] of the churches in America are on the downside of this cycle. • Each year 3,500 to 4,000 churches close their doors forever; yet only 1,100 to 1,500 new churches are started. Source: “The Desperate Need For New Churches,” by Dave Earley (www.liberty. edu/lts) www.liberty.edu 28

Community Groups meet on Wednesday nights at Thomas Road Baptist Church. They include computer, arts and crafts, mountain biking, martial arts, aerobics, Body and Soul, soccer, basic guitar and others. For a list of classes offered, see Page 32.

by MITZI BIBLE Liberty Journal

photos by JORDAN CROSSINGHAM

At Thomas Road ...

Outreach is In Groups match up talents, interests of church and community

n Wednesday nights at Thomas Road Baptist Church, you will find car mechanics, quilters, electricians, real estate agents, NASCAR enthusiasts and painters. Then there are golfers, fishermen, guitar players and aerobics instructors. Not to mention table tennis fans and “The Biggest Losers.” No, it’s not a career fair or a talent show, but a community outreach program sponsored by the church. Free adult classes on various

subjects are held throughout the church and the Liberty University campus, in eight-week sessions. The last session, which ran from Feb. 6 through April 2, offered 71 of these Community Interest Groups, with more than 1,400 people in attendance each week. Group leaders do a brief devotional and opening prayer and then jump into their subject of study. About 50 percent of the participants are not church members. The next session begins May 7. “It’s fun … and it’s all free — that’s the biggest selling point we have,” says Discipleship Pastor Rod Dempsey. Dempsey, a seminary professor, says the program’s goal is to use church members’ talents and skills as “the connection point, the bridge” to

◆O

THE CHURCH

the community. “Our goal would be to get as many people in from the community as possible and we do a relational evangelism approach: win them to yourself, win them to your church and then eventually win them to Christ. … So we have people in our church who have hobbies, interests, skills, abilities, talents, gifts and we have people out in the community who have the same set [of skills] so what we want to do is just connect these two together.” The Rev. Jonathan Falwell said his father, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, started the program in September 2006. ◆ OUTREACH continued on page 32 TRBC offers other groups open to the community throughout the week, including support and recovery groups on Monday nights, ladies Bible studies on Tuesday mornings and men’s groups on Friday mornings. For a list of groups, see page 32.

For information on any of the groups, or to register, go to www.trbc.org or call (434) 239-9281.

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THE CHURCH ◆

OUTREACH from page 31

“The purpose of that was to bring in people from our community who were not part of our church, or unchurched people.” The relational approach, he said, “is about earning the right to be heard.” Some groups are meeting real needs, too, such as English as a Second Language and GED. Overall, the program has proven to be a successful outreach, giving the

church more presence in the community. “What happens is that it creates an image in the minds of the community that Thomas Road is ‘that church that does that thing on Wednesday night,’” Dempsey said. And it has helped boost attendance at the church as well, he said. “Every semester that we have it, it seems like our Sunday morning attendance swells. … It’s a win-win for us in the fact that we involve our members and we involve the community.”

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Groups offered in the last session: Alzheimer’s Support Basic Guitar Biggest Loser Body and Soul Bringing Up Boys Church History in Plain Language Classic Car Restoration Computer Crafts Debt Reduction Disability Doesn’t Mean Inability Drawing English as a Second Language Financial Planning Fishing GED Golf Healthy Aging Home Electrical Repair Home School Help Ice Skating Interior Design Investing Knitting Life of Jesus Losing an Unsaved Loved One Marriage Martial Arts Mentoring Military Family Support Model Aviation Motorcycling Mountain/Road Biking NASCAR Painting Public Speaking Quilting Real Estate investment Scrap Booking Sign Language Soccer Spring Gobbler Hunting Starting a Small Business The Way of the Master Evangelism

The enemies of Israel are the enemies of America. They are the enemies of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These enemies have drawn the battle line. If a line has to be drawn...then draw that line around both Christians and Jews...WE ARE ONE...WE ARE UNITED. America, Israel and the world are facing a great danger in the Middle East. Iranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president has become the new Hitler, and has sworn to blast Israel off the map with nuclear weapons. We are reliving history! When the Jews of Europe were marched to the gas chambers in Hitlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holocaust...the Christians of the world were strangely quiet. Never again! Not on our watch! The sleeping giant in America has awakened! WE ARE UNITED FOR ISRAEL! WE ARE SPEAKING OUT FOR ISRAEL!

We hear the voice of Haman ranting from Iran but the church of Jesus Christ will be silent no more! This time the spirit of Esther will prevail. Christians United for Israel was organized to bring every pro-Israel church, ministry and individual together to speak out and stand up for Israel and the Jewish people. Join the thousands of us in Washington DC, July, 2008 and be counted in the courts of heaven as well as the halls of Congress as we stand for Israel and the Jewish people around the world. Mark Your Calendars Now And Make Plans To Join Us In Washington D.C. July 21-24, 2008 For Our 3rd Annual I srael/Washington D.C. Summit

MEMORIES MEMORIESFROM LIBERTY MOUNTAIN FROM LIBERTY

Remember When ... ?

resident George W. Bush appeared on stage during Thomas Road Baptist Church’s “Thunder on the Mountain” Independence Day celebration on July 2, 2006. Well, not the REAL George W. Bush. Crowds rushed forward to take pictures, many unaware the man behind the podium with the presidential seal was really celebrity impersonator John Morgan. He arrived in his own presidential limousine with a motorcade and a team of Secret Service agents.Talk about a “Dubya Double.” Jerry Falwell Jr. and Mat Staver arranged for John Morgan to appear. Even Dr. Jerry Falwell was unsure if Morgan was really the President. * This year’s Independence Day Celebration is scheduled for Sunday, June 29 at Williams Stadium.

C. Todd Hunley

Got a high-quality print you think would make a good Remember When ... ? Please e-mail lj@liberty.edu

Macel Falwell’s book, “Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy,” will be released May 15 and sold in bookstores locally, nationwide and online.

A Man to Love, A Story to Tell by MITZI BIBLE Liberty Journal

He’s written many books. Now it’s her turn. Macel Falwell, wife pulling a prank in high school that cost him the spot as valedictorian, of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, will release her first book on May 15, the to accepting Christ as an 18-year-old boy, committing himself to the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death. ministry and meeting his daily goal of knocking on 100 “Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy,” published doors, to founding Thomas Road Baptist Church and “While everybody by Howard Books, a division of Simon & SchusLiberty University. It tells of Macel’s strict upbringthinks they know ter, begins with a dinner date the day before Jerry ing in a Christian home. It tells of how the unlikely Falwell’s death. The story is a flashback to Macel couple met, fell in love, married and raised a family Jerry Falwell and Falwell’s life with the man she knew as a devoted — with some surprises in between. Like Macel’s first everybody thinks husband, father and pastor. failed attempt at cooking a turkey — giblets and all they know the “As Jerry watched emotions flicker across my —and the story of how Jerry was not the first man to face,” she writes, “I reflected over our life together place an engagement ring on Macel’s finger. It tells of story of his life, and marveled. It had been quite a ride — not at all Macel’s Christmas gift to Jerry that brought him to they don’t know what I’d envisioned when I’d married the skinny tears and of a beach vacation where the timid Macel this story, because young man who founded Thomas Road Baptist bungee jumped in front of her shocked family. Church.” As fun to read as these stories are, there are sethis is a story that Unlike other books about him and by him, this rious ones too, including the car crash Jerry was inhas never been one is more personal, says son Jonathan, now pastor volved in with a black friend of his, one of his first at TRBC. “While everybody thinks they know Jerry brushes with the hatred of racism (Jerry lay in the told.” Falwell and everybody thinks they know the story hospital receiving star treatment when his friend was -- Jonathan Falwell of his life, they don’t know this story, because this pushed aside). Then there were the bomb threats and story has never been told,” he said. “There are a mildeath threats his family received and a kidnapping lion books about Dad, but no one has ever done this because no one plot revealed while he was leader of the Moral Majority. has ever known these things.” The book also includes chapters on Jerry’s dealings with key Sprinkled with humorous and endearing moments, the book leaders in politics, the media and Christianity — including Ronald tells of Jerry Falwell’s roots, from being born the son of a bootlegger to ◆ STORY continued on page 45

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

Les Schofer

GENERAL NEWS

New release available May 15, 2008!

Yet, there is one person who stood by his side during his entire ministry and for 49 years as his wife — Macel Falwell. And in this new book by Howard Publishing — Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy — Macel Falwell talks openly about her amazing journey through life with this man of faith.

It’s a story only she can tell. Pre-order your copy of this book today by visiting our website:

www.trbc.org

GENERAL NEWS

Flying High

by RON BROWN Liberty Journal photos by JEROME STURM

LU School of Aviation on upswing Just hours before he died last year, the Rev. Jerry Falwell had one last affirmation for Ernie Rogers, who heads Liberty University’s aviation school. “Ernie, it is my vision that you will one day run the largest missionary aviation flight school in the country,” Falwell wrote in an e-mail. As was often the case, Falwell’s words seemed prophetic. Just four years removed from possible extinction, the aviation program has grown from just four students to 186 students this year. The aviation program has now embarked on a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign designed to help build a new 56,000-square foot training facility, which will be located at the nearby Lynchburg Regional Airport. “We have a unique niche,” said Rogers, who spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy before coming to LU. “We’re a Christian school with an aviation program. We’re a rare breed. There are only a couple like us.” The aviation school’s growth spurt comes at a time when demand for quality pilots is surging. “Aviation is a challenging career and the industry needs pilots now,” Rogers said. “There is a demand and that means jobs.” That’s not to say that the aviation school plans only to train airplane pilots. In August, the school will start a helicopter pilot program. In January 2009, the

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

school will start an aircraft mechanics course. In the future, Rogers said the aviation program would like to join forces with LU’s new school of engineering to train aeronautical engineers. “There will be, I’m sure, some research and development going on here at Lynchburg,” he said. While Rogers said enrollment in flight training will likely be capped at between 250 and 300 students because of limitations on airport traffic, the school could one day be educating around 500 students as its non-flight curriculum expands. Rogers said courses could be added for students interested in airport management or air traffic control. “We are very much on the front end of our growth,” Rogers said. “We’re going to do more than pilot training. We’re going to train students to do other things in the aviation industry.” About 65 percent of the school’s pilots graduate to jobs in the commercial sector. Most start out working for commuter airlines in hopes of gaining experience to help them land jobs with major airlines. About 30 percent of the pilots plan to use their flight skills on the mission field, where the school’s aircraft mechanics course will be required. “When you’re called to the mission field, you’ve got to fix them and fly them,” Rogers said. About 5 percent of the school’s graduates go on to become military pilots. ◆ FLYING continued on page 42

FACULTY FOCUS

www.liberty.edu

GENERAL ◆

FLYING from page 40

Rogers requires all of the school’s academic instructors to be qualified and active flight instructors. “Every time you strap on an airplane you learn something and every time you take a young pilot with you they’re learning,” Rogers said. “You want to make sure you’re on your game, so what they pick up is good.” Right now, the school enrolls about 75 new students each year, just about 20 times the total number of students the school had enrolled just four years ago. “Our goal is to train young champions for Christ in all aspects of the aviation industry,” Rogers said. “This is really exciting. It really pumps me up. I enjoy coming to work every day. Aviation is just an awesome profession.” In addition to their tuition, students pay extra for flight training. “It’s expensive, but if you want to be a pilot, you have to get your license,” Rogers said. Rogers said the aviation school would like to build an endowment for scholarships to offset some of the costs incurred by LU aviation students. “We want to be self sufficient,” he said. “We don’t want to get everything out of the general fund. We want to carry our load.” The aviation program employs 22 flight instructors,

some of them the school’s most advanced students. “We allow students who can go through the program fast to become flight instructors in their last year and teach for us,” Rogers said. “They can build up their flight hours and get into a better job when they graduate.” But before the program grows to its potential, it must have the facilities it needs. That’s where the proposed new training facility comes in. “That would put our entire flight training program and school for mechanics under one roof,” Rogers said. And that would be good not only for the aviation program, but for Lynchburg in general, Rogers said. “When we get that hangar done, I see Lynchburg becoming a hub for general aviation in Virginia,” he said. “It will be located centrally and we’ll have nice facilities to host special events.” Dave Young, the aviation school’s director of development, echoes Rogers’ belief that the school is having a positive impact on the aviation industry in and around Lynchburg. “The addition of a state-of-the-art training facility will propel our school to be one of the top tier programs in the country and lead to increased opportunities for the University and the community,” Young said. “Opportunities abound in new partnerships, research and development, and as a provider of high-quality aviators, and with God’s blessing, we intend to fill these needs.”

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We believe the change is necessary for Fall 2008 in order to build and improve necessary campus facilities, some of which have been put on hold during the recent period of rapid growth. This change will allow Liberty to accommodate future student growth and continue to provide an excellent education. Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rolling admission will typically allow you to begin enrollment at any time during the year; however, applications received after May 31st may be placed on a waiting list. Confirmations received after May 31st may not be processed, but we will do our best to accommodate you.

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Liberty announces debate coach

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LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

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Michael Hall has been officially named the coach of Liberty’s winning debate team. Hall has served as the acting coach since Brett O’Donnell, LU’s debate coach for 17 years, went to work for Sen. John McCain’s campaign in January. Last season, LU’s debate team won all three national rankings by the national debate tournament’s governing organizations, a historic feat. Chancellor Falwell said the team stands a good chance of repeat wins this year under Hall’s direction and is currently first place in final rankings and a close second in the other two. Hall was the former director of debate at Penn State from 1995 to 1998 and was the assistant debate coach at Liberty from 1993 to 1995. For more on Liberty debate, go to www. liberty.edu/academics/communications/debate.

Enrollment in Liberty University’s Distance Learning Program topped the 25,000 student mark for the first time on March 25. The late Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University’s founder, several years ago set a goal of having 25,000 students in both the school’s resident and distance learning enrollments. “It’s exciting,” said Ronald S. Kennedy, executive director of Distance Learning and Graduate Studies. “It has been one of those milestones that have been out there for years.” Two years ago, the Distance Learning Program finished with less than 13,000 students. “We are hoping to surpass 27,000 students by early June,” Kennedy said.“We’ll grow from 18,000 last fiscal year to 27,000 this fiscal year.” Kennedy sees God’s will in the program’s rapid growth. “I want to give tribute to God’s blessing,” Kennedy said. “You can’t humanly take credit for that. There’s got to be God involved in that. It’s such an amazing thing.”

◆

STORY from page 38

Reagan, Larry Flynt and Jim Bakker. But the first-time author said her favorite parts are the family memories, where she saw her husband in his most steadfast role. Like the time Jerry was mistakenly scheduled to speak at a convention out of town on his son Jonathan’s birthday. Missing birthdays was something Jerry did not do. He told his son he would give him the honorarium he made from the talk, to spend as he wished, or he could cancel and spend the day with his son. Jonathan chose the latter and one phone call later it was a done deal. It was actually Jonathan, currently working on publishing two books of his own, who orchestrated his mother’s book contract. Several months after his father’s funeral, Macel said Jonathan surprised her with the project. “He had already arranged it, what we were going to do and everything,” she said. “I thought, ‘I just can’t believe this’ … I was shocked that he had done it.” But it was something she had always wanted to do. “I’m glad that it’s finally done because I wanted to do it, but I was scared,” she said. “People had told me, ‘You ought to’ and I thought, ‘That’s something I can’t do.’ Jerry even one time told me, ‘It would be nice if you’d write a book.’” Macel said it was not as challenging as she had thought. “We had a lot of people interviewed, the ones that are close to Jerry, so that made that easy,” she said. Until now, she hadn’t talked to anyone about her book. She admits she isn’t the type of person to bare her soul. “I haven’t been open with people; I’ve always just kept everything in. Sometimes I think, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have done that; maybe I shouldn’t have told them that.’” But she understands it’s a story that will be treasured. And though it tells the story of two people from different backgrounds who met together in life, love and ministry, she said it is mostly a testimony of God at work. In the chapter, “Jesus, Jerry and Me,” she writes: “So you see, our story is not relevant because of who we were, for we were polar opposites, ordinary people with ordinary weaknesses, whose lives intersected with Jesus. Our story is relevant only because it reveals what God can do with two ordinary, if unlikely, people who dare to say Yes to Him.”

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GENERAL NEWS

VARSITY SPORT OF MIND

â&#x2014;&#x2020;

HISTORY from page 45

Jerome Sturm

something I could get into.â&#x20AC;? After graduating from Berea College, Rowlette moved to Lynchburg. Since 1989, he has regularly participated in local re-enactments as a Union and Confederate soldier, and says he enjoys the events because they are a family activity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both of my daughters have participated in re-enactments with me,â&#x20AC;? Rowlette said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was something we could bring the family into, whereas if you hunt and fish or play golf, you do that without the family.â&#x20AC;? Since joining the LU faculty in 1980, Rowlette has incorporated theZach Members of Liberty Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quiz Bowl team (fromhis left)love Nickfor Orta, Curtis, Kelly Hamren (captain) and Jeff Taylor, scrimmaged Liberty faculty Civil War into hisa classes. team in February. The students defeatedHe thedeveloped faculty teamaofcourse four Ph.D.s 400 called to 5. Not pictured is Sara Davis-Leonard because only four members of the Literature of the Civil Warthe team compete at once. in 1992 and regularly addresses the Civil War in his American Literature classes. When the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, former chancellor of LU and an avid history buff, gave Rowlette the chance to take his love for the Civil War one step

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March/April 2008 LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

further by creating a museum, he jumped at the chance. Founded two years ago, the museum, located in a room on the second floor of DeMoss Learning Center, recognizes the dedication of the rabbis, priests and pastors who boosted religion and morale amongst the troops during the Civil War. by TARA MAXWELL The museum houses Civil-War era relics including bibles, books, uniforms and more.Liberty Journal Rowlette said he hopes the museum will expand into a o you know the name of the British general who won 10,000-square-foot area battles Toulouse and Belgium? on the third floor at of Salamanca, Victoria, For more information on the How about the composer who, at age 17, composed DeMoss and will model the National Civil War â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gretchenof at Wheel?â&#x20AC;? What about the National Museum thethe Spinning Chaplains Museum, please visit nameWar of the Caribbean city on the Gulf of Paria that is the only Civil in Petersburg, www.cwm.westlys3d.com. world features capital tointeractive contain the name of a foreign country? which If you thethat answers to be Arthur Wellesley, Schubert displays andknew movies and the battles Port ofby Spain, you might make aofgood member of the recreate simulating the sounds bullets whizzing by. Liberty Flames Quizto Bowl team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We University want to take a visitor a camp meeting,â&#x20AC;? Rowlette varsity quiz bowl team consisting (capsaid. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;While standing in a room you would of beKelly next Hamren to holograms tain), Zachary Curtis, Sara Davis-Leonard, Nicholas Orta and of soldiers. You would be able to hear their thoughts by using Robbie Mullis was crowned champion in Januaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Big South little iPods while listening to the chaplain speak.â&#x20AC;? Conference Quiz Bowl for its consecutive tournament vicAccording to Rowlette, thethird museum is only â&#x20AC;&#x153;the tip of the tory. Graduate student Jeff Taylor also competes in challenges tip of the iceberg.â&#x20AC;? He hopes a strong fundraising effort aided with the team.board members such as Col. J. W. Brinsfield, by prominent In February Liberty placed sixth out of 15 School universities in a chaplain corps historian at the Army Chaplain in the regional College Bowl tournament held in Blacksburg. The Ft. Jackson, S.C., who officially joined the museum board in team practices using question banks from the National AcademJanuary, will bring the expanded museum to fruition. ic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) and College Bowl Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Liberty has supported local Civil War events every in the last The questions range from pop culture, music, art and history 10 years, so it has the reputation of being a Civil War-friendly to biology, sports, mathematics and literature. institution,â&#x20AC;? Rowlette said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It helps us be a historical and cultural â&#x20AC;&#x153;We found that in the Big South Conference some teams pracmentor to the area, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very proud to be a part of that.â&#x20AC;? tice sporadically and some not at all,â&#x20AC;? said Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Honors Direc-

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tor and quiz bowl team co-coach Dr. Jim Nutter. “It’s a huge advantage for us that we practice every week, we know each other’s strengths and can work toward that end.” The team competes in an on-campus tournament, regional tournament and the Big South bowl every year for a team trophy and individual plaques. In 2007 the team also competed in a tournament against William & Mary. During competition teams answer toss-up questions for the chance to answer three bonus questions per toss-up, giving a possible 40 points. Also during competition, four players are starters while the fifth is an alternate. “It’s a little intimidating because it’s very rapid fire,” Nutter said. “They have buzzer systems and as soon as you buzz in, you have to answer immediately.” Liberty’s Quiz Bowl team was formed three years ago when the Big South Commissioner pushed the schools to compete in activities outside of athletics. Dr. Emily Heady, director of Liberty’s Graduate Writing Center, assistant professor of English and co-coach of the team, was a member of the Ohio State Quiz Bowl team. “At Ohio State it was extremely competitive, but in the Big South it’s more fun and everyone enjoys meeting great people from the other schools,” she said.

Heady, who has been with the team since its inception, is moving into a 12-month administration position and will leave her post as coach of the team. “My role was really to teach them how to play and now they just need to practice and study,” she said. “When we started it was like we had four individuals, now we really play like a team.” Nutter said the team enjoys friendly rivalry with Radford, VMI and North Carolina at Asheville. “I remember our first year we played VMI and they only got one question right the entire game and it was about Strawberry Shortcake, and it wasn’t the dessert,” Nutter said. “We thought it was so funny we were beating VMI at military history questions and that’s the question they got right.” The varsity team practices against the school’s junior varsity team and each fall semester try-outs are held against the Varsity team members for any undergrad who seeks a spot on the team. Curtis, who has been part of the team all three years of its existence, says he enjoys competition because it gives him a chance to test his knowledge. “It’s one of the most strenuous and entertaining exercises of intellect and it’s challenging on many levels,” he said.

“It’s one of the most strenuous and entertaining exercises of intellect and it’s challenging on many levels,” — Quiz Bowl team member Zachary Curtis

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Leading the Way

Dr. Harold L. Willmington is founder and Dean of Willmington School of the Bible (formerly Liberty Bible Institute) on the campus of Liberty University. His lectures have been used for Liberty Home Bible Institute — the popular home correspondence program — for more than 30 years.

by MITZI BIBLE

ne of the last decisions the late Dr. Jerry Falwell made at a Board of Trustees meeting before he died was to change the name of Liberty Bible Institute to Willmington School of the Bible. Named for its founder, Dr. Harold Willmington, the school was originally created to offer a concise and complete overview of the English Bible for people in or pursuing the ministry. Willmington was invited by LU cofounder Dr. Elmer Towns to start Liberty Bible Institute as a campus program in 1972. On campus, students participate in the University community and experience hands-on training with service at Thomas Road Baptist Church. The courses are also offered online through the Distance Learning Program. In 1976, Willmington was asked by Falwell to start a home correspondence

Liberty Journal

course in addition to LBI, called Liberty Home Bible Institute. “We entered it with fear and trepidation and Dr. Falwell and I did several five-minute infomercials in January 1976. At that time, I did not have one tape made or one word written,” Willmington said. When Falwell asked him how many students he thought would sign up, Willmington answered: “I’m praying we’ll have at least 50.” “He [Falwell] said, ‘Oh we’ll have more than that — a couple hundred. We had 700,” Willmington said. “For the next two years, I was day and night getting all the tapes done … I went to sleep hearing myself lecturing.” Now LHBI is nearing the mark of 100,000 students taught since it began, making it the world’s largest correspondence diploma program on the Bible. It is being taught in all 50 states

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ACADEMIC LIFE and in 38 foreign countries. Willmington said the average time it takes to finish the correspondence program is three years, but there was a 16-year-old who finished in six months. The longest was a gospel singer who finished after 10 years. Graduates of LHBI earn a General Bible Diploma. Those enrolled in Willmington School of the Bible (oncampus or online) earn a Graduate of Theology Diploma (Th.G.). Graduates from both programs have the option to walk during May commencement at Liberty University and can also go through a process for transferring credit hours to a B.A. or B.S. in religion at LU. Willmington, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Seminary in Deerfield, Ill., has gotten used to the moniker “Mr. Bible” around campus, but says it’s not true. “I always tell people I am not an expert on the Bible, but I have an expertise and that is giving people the big picture,” he said. Willmington, author of several books, is most known for “Willmington’s Guide to the Bible,” the main text used in the programs. There are half a million copies in print, in six languages. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the “Guide” and Willmington said he will be working on its first-ever revision. “The average book lasts only one year [in print]. The “Guide” has gone through 30 or 40 printings and I’m grateful to God that it’s been used worldwide.” Willmington said over the years, both programs have attracted people “from all walks of life, from high school dropouts to Ph.D.s.” However, most are lay people — pastors, Sunday School teachers and other ministry leaders. “When they finish the course, they are not experts on the Bible,” Willmington said, “but they are able, for the first time perhaps, to think their way through the entire Bible.”

For more information on Willmington School of the Bible and Liberty Home Bible Institute

call (434) 592-4000 or visit www.liberty.edu/wsb www.liberty.edu

OPINION/EDITORIAL

People of the Word? Karen Swallow Prior

Jordan Crossingham

Studies indicate that Americans are reading less and that their ability to comprehend what they do read is declining.

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”

his insight, offered by Mark Twain more than a century ago, was confirmed recently by an extensive report from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) on the sad state of reading in America today. The findings of the report, To Read or Not to Read, indicate that Americans are reading less and that their ability to comprehend what they do read is declining. The strong correlations found in the report between reading and comprehension levels and social, civic and political involvement suggest far-reaching and sobering implications of this trend. According to the NEA, the average American spends nearly two hours a day watching television but

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

only seven minutes of leisure time each day reading. One of the report’s most alarming findings is employers’ reporting of less than one-third of employees with a four-year college degree read prose at a proficient level. Because of the strong correlation between reading and writing skills, it is not surprising, then, that employers cite written communication as the skill most lacking among both high school and college graduates. As troubling as this is, the decline in reading, comprehension and writing skills has consequences well beyond the workplace. Bolstered by detailed figures and extensive surveying, the report indicates that “good readers make good citizens.” The more people read, the more likely they are to vote, volunteer, attend museums and cultural events, exercise, and even attend sporting events. On the other hand, deficient readers are disproportionately represented among the populations of both the imprisoned and the unemployed. While the report does not provide data on Christians specifically, the implications for Christians are compelling. If the most culturally and politically engaged citizens are reading citizens, then who more than Christians ought to read? Yet, the relationship of Christians to the written word has significance even beyond the importance of cultivating minds that conform to the excellence of Christ. For Christianity is a religion of the written word. From the moment of God’s imprinting his law on the stone tablets at Sinai, to the reminder that “in the beginning was the Word,” to the solemn sealing of His written testimony at the end of the Revelation, God is a God of the written word. His people are a “people of the book.” The centrality of the written word — and the reading of it — is not only our Christian heritage, but also our gift to the world. The invention of the printing press, the single most consequential event of the modern era, was a product of the Protestant Reformation, an event centered on the importance of each individual being able to read the Bible for himself. The very fact that most people today can read is the direct result of this momentous event. While the rest of the world squanders the gift of reading, Christians can embrace our heritage — indeed our very identity — as people of the Word merely by picking up a good book. Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is Associate Professor of English at Liberty University.

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OPINION/EDITORIAL

Fulfilling the Vision Carrie Barnhouse

e bore the same name and likeness of his father, but it was no secret he was the new man on campus. Less than one week after the sudden passing of Founder and Chancellor Dr. Jerry Falwell, his son Jerry Jr.

announced at graduation, “All is well at Liberty.” A year later, that statement has proven more than true. “We have continued to grow and prosper. The uncertainty is gone. A lot of people were subconsciously worried about

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the future, but what’s happened over the past 37 years has proven not to be dependent upon one person,” said Falwell Jr. At the helm of the school his father built, the new chancellor with the same name was not to be confused with his predecessor. It was a new era, built upon the foundation of the vision established from the beginning, but led by a man on a mission. “I’m a different generation than Dad and my approach is different. I have a son here, my family is younger and I’m closer to the students’ age. That helps me be more familiar with their culture. I understand these kids,” he said. He was also the first alumnus to be president. “I lived in the dorms, I walked these halls, I had classes with professors who are still here. I feel a kinship with the student body.” This was evident by the invitation he extended to the “LUnatic” fans to watch the Super Bowl at his house, and the infamous scene of him crowd surfing during a basketball game. The students shared the sentiment, cheering for their new leader each time ◆ VISION continued on page 54

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he stepped to the podium. “What I appreciate about Jerry Falwell Jr. is the fact that he attends the majority of Liberty’s events. Whether it’s sports or drama, he is there showing his care and support for the students, the teams, and the campus,” commented sophomore Branden Bosch. Becki Falwell, the chancellor’s wife, has an office next door to his. While the title of “chancellor” was clearly his, there was no mistaking her role as his support-

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er and helpmate. “Becki has a hand on the pulse of the students. She keeps a close eye on them, what they’re doing, watching their blogs. She listens to their concerns and she enjoys being involved,” Falwell said. His world has changed drastically in a year. He went from being a lawyer and businessman out of the public eye, to the most public person in a world of thousands of expectant students and staff. “What I like about him is the way he’s stepped up, taking the role that Jerry had, the way he’s stepped out of his comfort

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

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zone to lead,” junior Chelsea Barber said. “I’ve had to adapt. I grew up around Dad always being so public but I tried hard to stay out of the limelight. The very thing I shied away from has turned out to be something I really enjoy,” he said. He is the type of guy who loves to ride four-wheelers and run bulldozers in the woods on his farm. Now his time is centered on running the university he’s assumed. “I take the weekends to shut down, turn off the computer and spend time with the kids,” he said. His vision is to continue what his father started, but at a different pace. “We need to have planned, deliberate growth. We still have the long-term goal of being the premiere Christian university. That hasn’t changed. Now more than ever, there is a need for this school. We go against what young people are being exposed to by today’s culture. Here they can find truth and learn to live it,” he added. Now that Thomas Road Baptist Church has its own full-time pastor, his brother Jonathan, and the school has a fulltime chancellor, the future seems clear. “We’re here to stay. There’s permanence. We have an identity and God did it all. It’s just humbling to be a part of it,” Falwell Jr. said. Carrie Barnhouse is advisor for Liberty University’s Selah Yearbook.

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ALUMNI

fighting fat with faith: Pastor wages spiritual war on obesity

by Tara Maxwell Liberty Journal

Pastor Steve Reynolds was once an addict — an ice cream addict. Now 100 pounds lighter, he helps motivate his congregation and beyond to shed weight by dedicating themselves spiritually and physically to God. Reynolds, a 1980 Liberty University graduate, struggled with weight from an early age and was able to trim down by focusing on fitness in high school and college. The Northern Virginia pastor, who hails from Lynchburg and attended E.C. Glass High School, played football for Liberty from 1976 until 1979 and graduated from Liberty Theological Seminary in 1982. “I was very active and in good shape and I had made a resolution to stay fit, but I started a brand-new church and

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

quit exercising,” Reynolds said. “I ended up being 340 pounds and diabetic.” Throughout the years Reynolds said he announced from the pulpit of Capital Baptist Church in Annandale that he was going to lose weight, but he never followed through. Eventually, by creating his own plan and seeking guidance from the Bible, Reynolds was able to lose more than 100 pounds and cure his diabetes through proper diet and exercise. “The Bible has the word ‘body’ in it 179 times and I studied those passages,” he said. “I started implementing what I understood from the Scriptures and decided to do a sermon series to tell people about it.” Reynolds developed “four keys to a better body,” or D.I.E.T., which

ALUMNI

Liberty University alumnus Pastor Steve Reynolds signs copies of his book, Bod4God (left) and gives a motivational speech (right) to a group of Christians seeking to win the war on fat. Reynolds (shown with the late Dr. Jerry Falwell above) hails from Lynchburg and played football at Liberty from 1976 to 1979.

stands for dedication, inspiration, eat and exercise, and team. He labeled his program Bod4God, after a passage from Colossians 1:16 that states man is made by God, for God. Concerned over research touting Christians as the most overweight religious sector, with Baptists leading the pack, Reynolds said he wanted to see the church help people improve their health. “I thought, ‘Why can’t the church help people to get healthy?’” Reynolds said. “We help people with divorce and grief. Why can’t we help them with health?” Out of Capital Baptists’ 800-member congregation, 250 parishioners joined the “Losing to Live” weight loss competition and lost a total of 2,100 pounds. “Somehow the Washington Post heard about it and I ended up on the front page,” Reynolds said. “The story got sent all over the world and I ended up being on Fox News, CNN and CBN and got labeled the ‘anti-fat pastor.”’ Reynolds said he had no idea his

sermons and weight loss challenges would draw national attention. “Frankly, this is a God thing for me all the way; I would never have postured myself this way, never said I want to do this. I just feel like it’s a calling now, because this is such a miracle; He pushed me out there.” Now Reynolds is taking his program beyond his congregation to other churches in hopes of spreading his message of hope for overweight Christians seeking healthier lifestyles. What sets Bod4God apart from other weight loss programs, according to Reynolds, is the emphasis on spiritual needs and merging “belief and behavior.” “We’re more than physical, we’re spiritual. A lot of the reasons we’re overweight or obese are needs in our lives. If we can grow ourselves spiritually in these areas it can help us be healthier,” he said. Reynolds, who has been married for more than 25 years and has three

children, said for him food has been a big temptation; he said he even prays at the grocery store for God to help him make wise food choices. “I was digging my grave with a knife and fork,” he said. “The Bible says walk in the spirit and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh for me wasn’t pornography or alcohol, it was food. The Bible says you have to walk in the spirit. That means you need to give God control of your life.” When Reynolds began his weight loss journey, he could only walk for about 10 minutes before getting tired. He increased his activity slowly, over time. That is his philosophy toward setting weight loss goals. “It’s all about crafting a Bod4God lifestyle, it’s not some short-term ‘I need to lose these 10 pounds quickly,’” Reynolds said. “It’s saying ‘What can I do for the rest of my life?’ and crafting your own deal.” For more about Bod4God visit: Bod4God.org or call (703) 568-7484. www.liberty.edu

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ALUMNI

Alumni Snapshot Q&A: photo by portrait innovations

Why did you choose to attend Liberty University?

Na m e :

Michelle Woodbury Covington

graduating class: Residence:

1992

Greenville, S.C.

Married to Bryce since 1996, children Kayla and Bryce Jr. Family:

Occupation: Independent

Sales Di-

rector, Mary Kay Inc. Cooking, weight-lifting, gardening, reading, travel & music

Hobbies:

CrossRoads Community Church and Piedmont Women’s Center

Affiliations:

A.S. Travel-Tourism Management, Johnson & Wales University (1989), B.S. Business-Management, Liberty University (1992) Education:

I learned about Liberty through my cousin, but I was enrolled at a university in Rhode Island at the time. I felt called to attend, though, and it persisted over the next year or two. Eventually I was able to visit the campus and the call was confirmed. The environment was much more positive than that of a secular campus. There was a framework that would encourage me in my walk with God, instead of distracting me from it. And I could receive a great education at the same time. I transferred to Liberty, found all that to be true and more.

What is your fondest memory of Liberty? The people I met there! People who desired to grow in their walk with the Lord, and also were used of God to teach me many valuable lessons. I really enjoyed the time of growth I experienced while at Liberty. Collectively, the friends, acquaintances, staff and faculty have had a big impact on my life. Beyond that, there have also been opportunities that God has presented through people I met at Liberty. My manager with the Varsity Internship Program was a fellow alumnus. I continued with Varsity after graduation, and that is how I landed in South Carolina.

How did attending Liberty prepare you for your life after graduation? By encouraging the weaving in of faith and service into home, career and community life. What I learned at Liberty laid a foundation for what God would continue to teach me about this as I began a career, and then marriage to my wonderful husband. A fulfilled life is one that incorporates faith in Christ as a part of every aspect of life. I can work in a way that testifies to the One I have placed my faith in. I can serve in various ways in my community that are unique to how God has wired me. For example, my business and leadership skills have been useful in heading up the women’s ministry at my local church. I have been blessed to be able to serve as a volunteer at a Crisis Pregnancy Center, and that led to an opportunity to teach biblically-based abstinence to public school children through Released Time Ministries. In business, I can be available to help minister to a need that might be presented in the life of a client. And my faith is encouraged as I watch God work!

What would people be surprised to know about you? I can think of three things … Anyone who doesn’t know me is always surprised to learn that I am originally from Alaska (born and raised). Our family still has a home there, and we love to visit. The second thing would be that my parents had really been pulling for me to secure an appointment to a military service academy, rather than attending college or university. So Liberty had not been on their map when they thought of my future. But by the time graduation rolled around, well, my Dad even came from Alaska to celebrate with all of us in the Vines Center. The third thing would be that anyone who does know me would be surprised by my sharing that I don’t always know what to say!

www.liberty.edu

Class of 1982

Class of 1991

Rocky Erickson was recently honored by Northern Broadcasting System Inc., a radio and television network headquartered in Billings, Mont. NBS’ top award, the “Service Excellence Award” was presented to Erickson, who is News Operations Director, managing the statewide Northern News Network. He was commended for increasing the news network’s exposure across Montana and for the record-breaking sales of the News department.

Dr. Rick Livingood has written PC Prayer Reminder and released it as a free software program. The prayer reminder program is available (for free) from www.pcpray.com. Rick and wife Susan (who also works on the project), both 1991 master’s graduates of Liberty, reside in Tucson, Ariz. Rick is a computer consultant and professor of Computer Science. Matt Livingood, son of Rick and Sue, also supported the PC Prayer Reminder effort.

Class of 1990

‘90

Pastor Steve Rowe recently moved from Liberty, Mo., where he served as the worship pastor, to become the senior pastor at Eaglebrook Church in Minocqua, Wis., in January. Rowe has been married to his wife, Jani, for 15 years. They have one son, Josh, 14, and two daughters, Katlynn, 6 and Adeline, 2.

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

Class of 1992 Jay Guerrero (’92) and Julie (Sharp) Guerrero (’90) have served God since finishing at LU and getting married in 1990. They have two boys, Jake (9 1/2 yrs. old) and James (4 1/2 years old). In 1994, they helped plant a church called Cedar Creek in Toledo, Ohio, then in 1998 planted a church in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville, Ohio. Since December 2006, they returned to CedarCreek.tv where Jay is Worship Arts Pastor of the Whitehouse campus. Throughout the course of his service, Jay’s artistry and songwriting has won him numerous awards, including one from the GMA. He has toured throughout the Midwest and southern region of the

country with a Nashville record label. He has completed four CD projects, the first three with his wife (known as “Jay & Julie”) and last, “Jay Guerrero,” as a solo project. Class of 1994

‘94

Dr. Thomas Marshall of Silver Spring, Md., has published his first work titled, “A Student’s New Testament Survey,” published by Tate Publishing & Enterprises. After teaching New Testament for many years, Marshall developed his own guide on Bible background. The book is available at bookstores nationwide or can be ordered through barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com, target.com or directly from the publisher at orders@tatepublishing.com. Dr. Marshall is a minister, Christian education administrator and educator. He’s taught the Bible to all ages and presented seminars at conventions of the Association of Christian Schools International. He is currently the Interim Headmaster of Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md.

ALUMNI

Class of 1995 Mike Fleck of Three Springs, Pa., was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly (House of Representatives) — 81st District (Blair, Huntingdon and Mifflin Counties). Fleck is a graduate of Liberty University with a B.S. in History and minor in Youth Ministry. At 33, Fleck is among the youngest legislators in the Commonwealth. Fleck, a former executive for the Boy Scouts of America, is married to Dorea (Cunningham), a special education teacher with the Mount Union Area School District. Portrait Innovations

‘95

Lisa Whittle, B.S. Psychology, has published her first book, “The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do,” released by Shepherd Press. It was co-authored with her mother, Kathie Reimer. Whittle has contracted with Thomas Nelson to publish her next book, “Behind Those Eyes: What’s Really Going on Inside the Souls of

Women,” set to be released in May 2008. Lisa travels and speaks to women’s groups while pursuing her passion for writing. Visit her Web site at www.lisawhittle.com. Class of 2002

‘02

VanderMorgan Group Inc., public. The company, formerly known as Great South Insurance, currently operates in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas and employs more than 20 people. They are working toward building their board of directors and plan to take the company international in the next few years. For more information e-mail chrishoward@usa.com. Class of 2006

‘06 Liberty business management graduate Frank L. Pinto is the recipient of a 2007 Developing Leaders Award, presented by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. Pinto is a project development manager with the Forrester Construction Company in Rockville, Md. In fiscal year 2006, he achieved contracts totaling $300 million. In addition to his business affiliations, Pinto volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Chris Howard of Clearfield, Pa., along with business partner and Liberty prelaw student Josh Bolim of Augusta, Ga., have taken their insurance company,

Miscellaneous announcements Thayer Redman, who attended Liberty from 1992-1993, has been named Connecticut Coach of the Year for high school track. Redman was a member of Liberty’s track team under Coach Brant Tolsma and is currently head coach for boy’s indoor and outdoor track at Manchester High School in Manchester, Conn. The Liberty University Alumni Washington, D.C. Chapter, co-hosted by Meghan Maginnis, now has its own Web site: www.capitolflames.com.

attention alumni: Brian A. Iannucci, who received his M.B.A. from Liberty, has published a new book with PublishAmerica, “The P.C. Fraud: Political Correctness in American Politics.” Iannucci is an entrepreneur from Jacksonville, Fla. He currently owns and runs Iannucci Development Inc. and he and his wife, Stacia, have two children, Jillian and Andrew. Visit his Web site, www.brianiannucci.com.

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Photos by Les Schofer

GENERAL NEWS SPORTS

EEnndd eerr aa ofof an an

Liberty track star shares lessons learned

Josh McDougal competes in a track event in 2007. When he graduates, McDougal hopes to compete at the professional level. During that time, he will also try out for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

by ERIC BROWN Special to Liberty Journal

veryone enjoys classic rivalries. For distance running fans, the 2007 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships produced a battle of Apollo versus Rocky-like proportions. On one side stood the University of Oregon’s Galen Rupp, a distance running machine who trained on state-of-the-art exercise equipment and slept in $10,000 high-altitude tents. His counterpart grew up homeschooled, trained for years by himself and did not hail from a university known for producing the nation’s best runners. Yet on Nov. 19, 2007, in Terre Haute, Ind., Liberty University’s Josh McDougal became the second national champion in school history. Those who hear of McDougal’s accomplishments may view his life as some sort of fairy tale, but no one disagrees with this perception more than the senior himself. “It’s really not,” said McDougal.

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

“It’s all about hard work and dedication, and there were no shortcuts to any of that.” It is easy for someone to think of McDougal as a superstar. After all, the 14-time All-American achieved much over the span of four years in collegiate cross country. Along with a national championship, he accumulated four conference titles, three NCAA Southeast Regional championships and numerous other distance running accolades and honors. Through all of this success, McDougal said he has discovered there is more to life than trophies and championships. “The national title is too small to define anyone,” said McDougal. “It does not define me. It’s not changed me in the least.” Recently McDougal received the NCAA Cross Country Male Athlete of the Year Award in the mail. Rather than place it in his own personal trophy case, he asked his coach, Brant Tolsma, “Do you want

this or should I throw it away?” Normally, an athlete of McDougal’s caliber treasures such an award, but over the years he has learned to accept honors with a humble heart. “He doesn’t spend a whole lot of time basking in what he’s done, because he’s more focused about what he wants to do in the future,” said Tolsma. “That’s hard for a young person to do, but I think he does a real good job of that.” The future of Liberty’s humble harrier is indeed quite intriguing. When he graduates, McDougal hopes to sign a contract with a shoe company and compete at the professional level. During that time, he will also try out for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Although he runs each race with great intensity, McDougal’s personality when he is not competing is much more laid back. Often times, when approached by others who do not know him, his shyness can be mistaken as

1 66GVI_Liberty_8RN.indd LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

4/1/08 8:56:20 AM

SPORTS

Picking up the Torch

ollowing the most successful fall season in Athletics Department history, the Liberty Flames’ winter programs were passed the mantle to continue a historic run of accomplishments. During the first third of the overall athletics season, Liberty claimed Big South Conference championships in five out of six opportunities. The league victors included football, volleyball, men’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross country. The conference crowns for football and men’s soccer were the first in program history. Individually, the Athletics Department had a student-athlete achieve a benchmark only one other had previously accomplished. Senior cross country runner Josh McDougal capped an already star-studded career with his crowning achievement, when he won the NCAA Men’s Cross Country National Championship in Terre Haute, Ind. Taking the baton from their seven-fall sport predecessors were a quintet of winter programs, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and wrestling. And just like a good middle-leg runner on a

LIBERTY JOURNAL May/June 2008

by TODD WETMORE Liberty Journal

track relay team, the five programs further extended Liberty’s lead in this year’s race for the Big South “Sasser Cup.” The “Sasser Cup” is presented annually to the most successful athletics department in the conference, based upon how its programs finish during both regular-season and post-season play. Liberty and Coastal Carolina have had a stranglehold on the honor the last decade, evenly splitting five distinctions apiece. However, the Chanticleers have taken home the trophy the past four years and five out of the last seven. Under the direction of first-year head coach Ritchie McKay, the Liberty’s men’s basketball program saw a rekindling of sorts, reminiscent of the program’s dominant years during the mid-90s. The squad finished with a 16-16 mark and among the top four teams in the league. Liberty advanced to the semifinals of the Big South Championship for the first time in four years and the fourth time in the last 10. The track and field programs continued an unprecedented run during the indoor season. The men’s squad captured its 11th-consecutive title, having done so each year the Big South has

SPORTS

Photos by Les Schofer

sponsored the sport at the championship level. The women’s team also had success, claiming second place for the third-straight year. Liberty made a clean sweep during the men’s awards presentation, taking home all five major honors. Head coach Brant Tolsma was named Coach of the Year for the 37th time during his illustrious career. McDougal continued to shine at the national championship, placing inside the top six in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters to capture his 13th and 14th career All-America accolades. The wrestling program, in its second year back to the mats following a 12-year hiatus, showed that its first-year successes weren’t a fluke. Liberty won its second-straight NCAA East Regional Championship in the first-ever NCAA championship event hosted on Liberty’s campus, sending a program-record six grapplers to the national tournament. Three claimed victory in St. Louis, including Tim Harner and Chad Porter making “Sweet 16” runs on the national scene. Finally, the women’s basketball program, Liberty’s winter-program beacon for the past decade plus, regained its rightful spot atop

the Big South. Last year, the Lady Flames had a 10-year run of championships halted by arch-rival Radford. However, the Lady Flames exacted revenge over the Highlanders when Megan Frazee heaved up a prayer with three-tenths of a second left in the Big South title game for a one-point victory. The win gave Liberty, who was ranked No. 26 at the end of the regular season, its 11th conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 athletic season, Liberty has laid claim to seven Big South titles out of 10 opportunities. The run of success has given the Flames an unparalleled lead in the chase for the “Sasser Cup.” The fate of Liberty’s hopes for the esteemed trophy now lies in the hands of the Flames’ spring athletics programs. Only time will tell if the likes of Liberty’s dominant track program, a nationally recognized women’s tennis recruiting class and a Jim Toman-led baseball program can help clinch this year’s lofty league prize. Todd Wetmore is Liberty University’s Assistant AD for Athletic Media Relations.

www.liberty.edu

GENERAL NEWS

Sports

les schofer

Q & A

SPORTS

athletic director jeff barber

Liberty University’s Worthington Stadium hosted its first night game, after being outfitted with new lights, in March.

Where does Liberty stack up with other schools in regards to their facilities?

We are very blessed to have excellent facilities in most of our 18 sports. The new A.L. Williams Football Operations Center is not only among the finest football facilities in FCS football (Football Championship Subdivisionformerly 1-AA), it is among the best among all Division 1 facilities. One only has to go to the football page of Libertyflames.com to see what all the excitement is about. The Vines Center, the Tolsma Indoor Track and our volleyball practice facilities are excellent as well. However, as we look to our other sports — baseball, softball, outdoor track, soccer, golf and tennis — there is no doubt that a major overhaul is needed. One of the primary elements of a successful athletics program is having state-of-theart facilities that will attract the types of student-athletes that we need to be successful in the classroom and on the competitive fields and courts. We are currently studying these facilities to determine the right approach in allowing the Flames to compete facility-wise with not only our competition in the Big South Conference but all other Division 1 athletic programs as well.

How will the new baseball lights affect Liberty baseball?

This is a huge step for our baseball program. Having lights at Worthington Stadium will allow many students, alumni and fans to attend games that they have not been able to attend in the past because of class and work schedules. I expect our attendance figures to show a significant increase for these games. Secondly, having lights will

allow our team to miss less class time and that is always important. It will also be an advantage to the visiting teams for midweek games and Friday night games as it allows them more flexibility in travel, which helps with missed class time too. In addition, the lights will allow our team to practice at night and allow us to host tournaments and camps at more competitive times. The new lights will also benefit the city of Lynchburg, as having a lit field will offer local baseball teams options to use Worthington Stadium as they never have before.

How do you see our athletic teams doing in the future?

I believe that our teams have shown great improvement over the last three years; however, I do believe that we will show more growth over the next three years than we have seen over the past three. There are several reasons for me saying this. I feel we have the right coaches in place to move our program forward. Also, we have spent a great amount of time and revenue over the past couple years in upgrading our facilities. The combination of these two factors will pay huge dividends for us down the road. We have seen tremendous increases in Flames Club donations, season ticket sales, attendance at our games and conference championships. All of these factors have given us great visibility and a very strong foundation to build upon. Once we get all our facilities in place, we will be poised to make even greater strides in the next few years. Jeff Barber is Director of Athletics for Liberty University.

www.liberty.edu

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