Liberty Journal Summer 2023

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Serving as interim president of Liberty University these last three years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Carol and I have been overwhelmed by what God has done and continues to do on Liberty Mountain and in the lives of our students. We have seen the love of Christ authentically displayed in the extraordinary efforts our students have made in academics, athletics, and, most importantly, spiritual devotion and service to the Lord.

When Dr. Jerry Falwell founded our university in 1971, he wasn’t committed to building another liberal arts institution of higher learning but a world-changing Christian university founded on the Word of God, devoted to world evangelization through the Great Commission, and committed to academic excellence and athletic competition at the highest level anywhere. And together, we must all commit to keeping that singular vision alive.

Liberty University must boldly proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, uphold the faith once for all delivered to the saints, and never apologize for our biblical mission. The cultural trends and political winds around us present challenges every day, but for the Christian, these challenges are by no means new. We must rise to face them. And we must press hard against the age that presses against us.

We must renew our focus on the permanent and eternal things that can

never be snuffed out by the machinations of man or the slings and arrows of our most ancient adversary.

As we send the largest graduating class in Liberty’s history out into the world, we cannot forget the original vision that made us what we are. We cannot forget the sacred and extraordinary effort, prayer, sacrifice, and devotion to God from those earliest days until now. We can never forget how we began so that we might be found faithful until the very end.

May the watching world soon discover that Liberty is not significant because it is one of the largest universities; it is only significant because it is God’s university. We must commit ourselves again to the eternal truth of God’s Word, which cannot be extinguished. When we do, we will not only be the university that Trains Champions for Christ but also the place that is counted among those saints of old who hear the long-anticipated words that greet us at our heavenly home, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”

Jerry Prevo | Interim President

COVER PHOTO BY KJ JUGAR

FEATURES

2| SHINING BRIGHT

The tassels turned and fireworks lit up the sky on May 12 for the 50th graduating class. Read an excerpt from keynote speaker Franklin Graham.

8| PARTNERS IN MINISTRY

Liberty’s ties to Samaritan’s Purse and the Graham family can be traced back many decades.

12| OVERWHELMING GRACE

Nursing graduate Whitney Harris (’23) says God saved her from a life of addiction and homelessness to give her a second chance at Liberty.

14| ‘CHALLENGE ACCEPTED’

Starting this summer, Dr. Dondi Costin will serve Liberty as its sixth president, and Jonathan Falwell is now serving as chancellor.

16| KEEPER OF THE MISSION

A look at the Rev. Jerry Prevo’s legacy as a longtime Board of Trustees member and LU’s interim president.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

20| RUNNING IN THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

Four-time NCAA champion Sam Chelanga (’11) trains with U.S. Army program in hopes of joining Team USA in the Olympics.

22| MORE THAN TALENT

Music student with speech impediment captures hearts across the country after “America’s Got Talent” appearance.

NEWS & VIEWS

27| GOV. RON DESANTIS

In his first visit to Liberty, Florida’s top post wages war on woke.

28| REPRESENTING LU

From street dramas in Puerto Rico to showcasing original fashions in the Big Apple, students are representing LU near and far.

30| FAITH IN FOCUS

Divinity Professor Dr. Mark Allen takes cues from sixth-century pastor St. Augustine for more effective apologetics.

Thousands of Liberty students gathered on the Academic Lawn on April 29 for the final Campus Community service of the year, a time of worship and reflection before taking final exams and starting their summer break. The service was a culmination of the semester-long series, “Mirrors,” a study of the book of James. Speakers have included members of the Office of Spiritual Development, Dean Troy Temple from the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, and guest pastors.

ATHLETICS

36| GOING OUT ON TOP

Five teams win conference titles in LU’s final season in the ASUN, plus other spring highlights.

37| IN THE RECORD BOOK

Liberty student-athletes continue to make their mark on campus and beyond.

39| IN COACH’S WORDS

Women’s Swimming & Diving Head Coach Jake Shellenberger says advancing Liberty’s original mission is vital to the program’s success.

ALUMNI

40| THE GIFT OF FAMILY

A local couple helps Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell’s love for children live on through new adoption support ministry.

42| BIBLICALLY BASED

A passion for God’s Word propels one of Liberty’s first students into a lifetime of collecting rare Bibles.

SHINING BRIGHT

For the first time in school history, Liberty University graduates walked into Williams Stadium at night and turned their tassels under the stadium lights before watching a fireworks show, the perfect finale to the celebration.

This year’s Commencement, which

included the Main Ceremony on the evening of May 12 and 26 separate degree presentation ceremonies May 11-13 at different locations around campus, was one of the largest in school history. An estimated crowd of 60,000 — graduates, family members, and friends — visited campus

over the three days. More than 28,000* degrees were conferred upon the Class of 2023, Liberty’s 50th graduating class.

With a large majority of this year’s graduates earning their degrees through Liberty University Online Programs, many of those who participated in

Commencement were visiting campus for the first time.

The Main Ceremony provided a chance for all graduates to join together with friends and to be inspired and encouraged by music, worship, and a powerful message from world-renowned evangelist and Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham. The event opened with the Liberty University Wind Symphony playing the processional fanfare as graduates made their way into the stadium. Liberty co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns carried the university mace as he led the grand processional. LU Praise, Liberty’s premier

gospel choir, and the Liberty Worship Collective led the crowd in worship throughout the ceremony.

Interim President Jerry Prevo recognized and celebrated many groups in attendance, including those graduating with honors, active duty and military veterans, and parents and grandparents of the graduates. He shared some of Liberty’s successes in athletics and academics this school year, and he thanked the many students who have volunteered their time to aid those around the country and the world.

“You are an extraordinary group, an

exciting group of students, and I believe that you are going to be world-changers as you leave this place,” he said. “As you leave Liberty with your diploma in hand, you’re going to be moving on to make your dreams come true as Champions for Christ, and I know that you’re going to be successful.”

Prevo noted that this year marked Liberty’s highest enrollment between its online and resident programs with over 130,000 students. He attributed the numbers to more people seeking a university with an “unwavering commitment to its biblical foundation and mission” and one that “does not apologize for its biblical stand on social issues.”

Graham then began his message by citing his personal connection to Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, and his memory of Falwell pointing to the land on Liberty Mountain with the dream and intent to turn it into a school that would train generations of Champions for Christ.

“(Falwell) was a man who was deeply committed to God,” Graham said. “He was obedient to what God called him to do, to build this university and pastor Thomas Road Baptist Church. He was a man of incredible vision. What you see here on this beautiful campus today is God’s hand of blessing on the foundation Dr. Falwell laid some 52 years ago. God has honored his faithfulness.”

Recalling what it was like to be a new college graduate himself, Graham said he had no clue what lay ahead for his life. With no plan, he chose to be available to >>

>> God’s ultimate plan, and he encouraged the Class of 2023 to do the same.

Much like how a pilot utilizes navigational tools, Graham said Christians need to follow the directions of God’s Word in order to get to where He wants them to be.

“You want a compass to be true, you want it to be calibrated correctly,” he said. “Not only your navigation depends on it, but your life depends on it. You can be off just one degree and entirely miss your destination. We’ve got to keep our course set on Jesus Christ and not allow Satan to distract us from God’s plan and purpose for our lives. There’s only one way to God, and that’s through His Son, Jesus Christ. Keep your eyes on Him.”

Graham explained that Christians are

often told to “sit down and shut up” when it comes to sharing their beliefs and Godbreathed truth, but he empowered them to stand firm.

“I want you to stand up, to shout out, to lift up your voice, to lift up the truth, and live for Jesus Christ,” Graham said. “As you leave here today with this degree, use it for God’s glory. But more importantly, hold up His banner of truth to a dying, skeptical, sin-sick world. Know Him, trust Him, live for Him, lift Him up, and I hope you’ll go forth today as His Champions for Christ.”

Dr. David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., delivered the benediction.

Rebecca Fischer (’23), who received her master’s in executive leadership, described the main ceremony as “an absolutely

beautiful, moving time.”

“I thought that it was an amazing time for us to be together here as a group, as a bunch of students, families, and friends. It brought everything together,” she said. “(It was) the culmination of our faith, of our studies, of the university, the journey of everyone.”

“This was the absolute best way (the Class of 2023) can go out from Liberty (into the world),” added Patrick Jamison (’23), who earned his bachelor’s in cinematic arts. “For the incredible four years I’ve had here, this was the way to do it.”

*All data reported is based on preliminary numbers for the 2022-23 academic year.

“I want you to stand up, to shout out, to lift up your voice, to lift up the truth, and live for Jesus Christ. As you leave here today with this degree, USE IT FOR GOD’S GLORY. ”

FRANKLIN GRAHAM

MATT REYNOLDS

WISE WORDS

Excerpt from keynote speaker Franklin Graham:

God is going to reveal His plan for you, for your life, but you’ve got to be obedient to Him and faithful to Him.

What chapter comes for you next? What’s the next chapter for your life? My prayer is that this class, the Class of ’23, will be known as the class that stood for truth in a world overflowing with wickedness, deception, and lies. I pray that this class will stand for truth.

Our world is changing, it has changed so much just in the time since you stepped foot on this campus just a few years ago. Think about how much has changed. The increase in violence, the moral decline. In the days of Noah, the Bible tells us the Lord saw the wickedness of man was great on the Earth and that every intent of his thought and of his heart was only evil continually, and the Lord was sorry that He had made man on earth. He was grieved in His heart.

I can’t help but think that the heart of God is grieved as He looks at our world today.

I love our country, but it’s in a downward spiral morally, spiritually, economically, politically; we’re just in a freefall. Why is that? Because we’ve turned our back on God and His truth. So what do we do? We are to be that beacon of light, we are to be that city on a hill, standing for the Word of God and His truth in a culture of confusion and lies. We live in a world that wants to portray that there is no such thing as absolute truth, that truth is relative, that we can define our own truth. That’s a lie. I’ll tell you today, there is absolute truth, and it’s the Word of God. John 17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth.” The Bible doesn’t contain truth; it IS the truth — cover to cover. Every word of God is true. The Word of God is absolute truth. Truth is not what you say it is; truth is what God says it is.

Franklin Graham was presented an honorary Doctor of Divinity at Commencement. (Left to right)

Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks, Graham, Interim President Jerry Prevo, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell

JOEL COLEMAN JOEL COLEMAN

Air Force ROTC Commissioning Ceremony

MILITARY GRADUATES RECOGNIZED AT SPECIAL EVENTS

The Class of 2023 has 5,908 graduates with military ties, and many of them joined with friends and family at the university’s annual Military Graduate Recognition Ceremony held on May 12, before the university’s Main Commencement Ceremony. The event honors all service members, veterans, and military spouses who have completed their degree during the 2022-23 academic year. This year, Liberty conferred degrees for 2,060 active duty service members and 2,631 military spouses.

The event opened with prayer, a presentation of the colors, and the singing of the national anthem. Active, reserve, and veteran military members stood when the themes of their respective branches were

played during the Armed Forces medley.

U.S. Air Force Chaplain Col. (Ret.) Dr. Steven Keith, director of Liberty’s Center for Chaplaincy, and his wife, Delta, served as keynote speakers.

As tradition, each graduate received a commemorative coin engraved with a Bible, a U.S. flag, and a graduation cap.

On Saturday, Liberty’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) graduates who have committed to serve for the next eight years in the United States military were recognized during special commissioning ceremonies. Liberty’s Army ROTC Eagle Battalion commissioned 25 officers, and the Air Force and Space Force ROTC Day Wing unit commissioned 20 officers.

28,713 TOTAL LIBERTY GRADUATES for 2023

23,762 ONLINE GRADUATES

1,200

3,751

RESIDENTIAL GRADUATES

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ONLINE ACADEMY GRADUATES

MILITARY & MILITARY TIES TOTAL GRADUATES Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education Master of Business Administration

TOP 5 ONLINE GRADUATE MAJORS Biomedical Sciences Business Administration Business Administration: Finance Interdisciplinary Studies Nursing

TOP 5 RESIDENTIAL UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS

7

Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony

PARTNERS IN MINISTRY

Liberty University values its longstanding relationship with Samaritan’s Purse, applauds organization’s work to meet physical, spiritual needs around the globe

The opportunity to welcome one of our country’s most influential Christian evangelists and a major leader in global disaster response, Franklin Graham, as the 2023 Commencement keynote speaker was especially meaningful for the university. The school’s relationship to Graham, his family, and Samaritan’s Purse, the humanitarian aid organization he heads, can be traced back many decades.

The two organizations actually started around the same time, with Samaritan’s Purse launching in 1970 and Liberty in 1971. Through the years, Liberty has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse for multiple volunteer service opportunities for students. The nondenominational evangelical Christian organization provides spiritual and physical aid to the hurting,

specializing in meeting critical needs of victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, famine, and epidemics throughout the world with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Since 2015, Liberty has coordinated with Samaritan’s Purse to sponsor over 40 student trips, most recently through the university’s LU Serve Now disaster relief initiative. Students have been deployed to flood-, tornado-, and hurricane-ravaged areas of the U.S. and even in the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda after the destruction of Hurricane Irma.

By working alongside Samaritan’s Purse staff on domestic and international trips, students have the opportunity to be the body of Christ outside of the Lynchburg community. This school year alone, Liberty

has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse in Englewood, Fla., in the wake of Hurricane Ian; in Griffin, Ga., for tornado cleanup; and in Mayfield and Jackson, Ky., for flood and tornado cleanup.

“While serving in pastoral ministry in Alaska for nearly 50 years, as president at Liberty University, and as a longtime board member of Samaritan’s Purse, the Graham family has come to mean so much to me personally,” said Liberty Interim President Jerry Prevo. “I have long admired the extraordinary work of this organization to make a global impact for disaster relief and, most importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Liberty University has been a proud partner in these efforts for decades, mobilizing students to reach the nations for Christ. That is also why, when it came

time to choose this year’s Commencement speaker, I could think of no better person than Franklin Graham, a Champion for Christ.”

Most importantly, Liberty and Samaritan’s Purse share the same core mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being the hands and feet of Christ throughout the world.

Liberty Chancellor Jonathan Falwell recalled being in Saint Martin for his 25th wedding anniversary in 2017 when Hurricane Irma barreled down on the Caribbean island. While sheltering in place there, he worked with local officials and Samaritan’s Purse to mobilize disaster relief and evacuation efforts. Samaritan’s Purse ultimately came to the aid of Saint Martin residents and returned him back to Lynchburg safely.

“As Shari and I were stranded on the island for days with no power and little food and water, I saw the hopelessness which many were feeling,” Falwell said. “However, when the Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 was on final approach into the island, we knew hope had finally arrived.”

He continued, “In fact, an elderly lady who was seated near us, as we were all on the beachfront waiting for assistance, saw the plane about to land, she said, ‘Samaritan’s Purse, I knew they’d come.’ Her comment says it all about the reputation this great ministry has built all around the world.”

Franklin Graham took the mantle from his father, who died in 2018, to serve as CEO and president of both Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

Several members of the Graham family have attended Liberty, including the four children of Franklin and Jane Graham — Will, Edward, Cissie, and Roy — and their three daughters-in-law. Will Graham serves as a member of Liberty’s Board of Trustees, and his daughter Rachel is currently a student.

Billy Graham gave the keynote address at Commencement in 1997. Franklin Graham delivered keynote addresses at Commencement in 2001 and Baccalaureate in 1996, and he spoke at the funeral of Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, in 2007. Franklin Graham has also spoken to students at Convocation. In 2020, over 2,200 Liberty students joined him and Interim President Jerry Prevo in a prayer march, hosted by BGEA, in Washington, D.C. For some members of the Class of

2023, the chance to hear from the CEO of Samaritan’s Purse at their Commencement holds special significance.

Graduate Nicholas Thomas was a member of the LU Serve Now team in Mayfield, Ky., last semester. The team helped rebuild homes damaged when a tornado swept through the area in 2021, killing over 85 people, making it the deadliest December tornado event in U.S. history.

“I really got to see the sheer size of the operation that Samaritan’s Purse has,” Thomas said, noting how impressed he was at the number of trained volunteers the organization manages at each job site to ensure that homes can be rebuilt at a rapid pace.

“What a big encouragement for Franklin Graham to come and speak to us,” he said. “Our motto at Liberty is Training Champions for Christ, and in all we do, we want to glorify God. Having two big (Christian entities) like Samaritan’s Purse and Liberty partner, it just goes to show that putting our resources together and putting our manpower together, we can go out into the world and do big things.”

Samaritan’s Purse has also been a longtime participant in Liberty’s annual Global Focus Week. In Fall 2018, the organization set up its Emergency Field Hospital on the Academic Lawn, the first time the hospital was featured on a college campus. Franklin Graham visited, and students took tours, learning how the mobile hospital is designed to respond at a moment’s notice to disasters and humanitarian crises. During Global Focus Week this fall, Samaritan’s Purse will host two workshops on upcoming disaster relief opportunities for students. Through connections made at Global Focus Week and the university’s continued partnership, many Liberty students have completed internships with Samaritan’s Purse and BGEA, and multiple alumni are now employed by the organizations.

Every year, the Liberty community supports Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse that sends shoeboxes filled with gifts to children around the world. Liberty has an active, student-run Operation Christmas Child Club that coordinates shoebox donations on campus. In 2018, Liberty set its own record for packing nearly 5,000 shoeboxes. The university also held a contest in which students submitted videos promoting Operation Christmas Child; the winning

to help Samaritan’s Purse personally deliver the boxes to children.

Samaritan’s Purse has also been a steady supporter of Liberty’s academic programs. In 2020, Samaritan’s Purse staff helped the School of Business develop curriculum for a new humanitarian aid specialization under the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration that equips students to assist vulnerable populations plagued by natural and manmade disasters. In 2018, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) entered a partnership to place fourth-year students in international rotations with the organization. LUCOM was the first medical school to be selected by Samaritan’s Purse for the opportunity. Fourteen students spent a month in hospitals in Rwanda, Togo, Kenya, Zambia, Guatemala, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic.

Lew Weider, executive director of LU Serve, said Liberty appreciates the many ways Samaritan’s Purse supports students, and the university is already planning more collaboration in the future.

“We are so grateful for the partnership Liberty University and specifically LU Serve and LU Serve Now have with Samaritan’s Purse. Their excellence in ministry and professionalism is a great training ground for our students to learn what it truly means to live and serve like Jesus Christ.”

History student and local teacher battles through cancer to earn degree

kidney and various other places as well as a blood clot near his liver. Doctors confirmed testicular cancer and admitted him into a Roanoke hospital.

He was over halfway through his master’s program and already a year into teaching, but he needed to start aggressive treatments.

age, decided to do everything necessary to help him.

“I understood that loss like most people wouldn’t, and that made me a little more proactive in wanting to help him,” Snead said. “I don’t want any of our students to feel like we’ve forgotten about them.”

Five minutes.

That’s how long it takes to walk from DeMoss Hall to a campus parking garage. But for one student, the journey took almost two hours.

Studying for his Master of Arts in History last fall, Carlton Payne, 24, had been battling nausea, back pain, and a volley of other physical annoyances for months, but nothing quite this extreme. He would rest for a few minutes, then try to walk again.

As a full-time Bible, geography, and history teacher for middle-school students at Timberlake Christian School in Lynchburg and a student himself, Payne was accustomed to a highly demanding routine. But on that day last October, while lumbering to his car, he reached a breaking point. The next morning, he went to the doctor; an ultrasound showed a mass on his

“It was shocking when we found out about the cancer diagnosis,” said Dr. David Snead, one of Payne’s professors. “That’s just not supposed to happen to someone in their 20s. It was really scary.”

While Payne knew he would need to take a leave of absence from teaching, he didn’t want to pause his own education. He had one semester left before graduating.

“Finishing the semester was tough because I was at my sickest point,” Payne said. “I was so close to the end, and I wanted to finish.”

Payne returned home to South Carolina to surround himself with supportive family as he underwent treatment. He continued his courses through Liberty University Online Programs.

Meanwhile on campus, his professors ensured that Payne had everything he needed to finish his degree as comfortably as possible. Snead had developed a bond with Payne after learning that he had lost his father a year earlier. Snead, who had lost his own father when he was about Payne’s

Snead regularly checked on Payne during his treatment, and the entire History Department prayed fervently for his recovery. Timberlake Christian also played a massive role, raising over $30,000 to cover his medical bills, rent, and other expenses.

Prayers were answered, and he was able to complete his degree and return to Lynchburg for Commencement.

“He loves the Lord without question, and he has really had some hard circumstances over the past year,” Snead said. “There are not many people who have come through our program who have experienced what he has experienced. He persevered through that whole thing. It really is an inspiring story.”

“It felt good to graduate in person,” Payne said. “I knew that it was only by the grace of God that I was able to graduate.”

Payne had two surgeries scheduled in June. If they prove successful, he will return to Lynchburg to teach.

“Unless something major happens, I’m planning on being back in the classroom with my TCS students,” he said.

Army nurse officer becomes Liberty School of Nursing’s first Ph.D. graduate

into administrative roles and is currently the Chief of Nursing Education and an instructor at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Lakewood, Wash.

“Once I started learning how to be a great nurse and built my foundation in nursing, I felt like it was my calling to train the newer nurses,” Clayton said. “That’s now the biggest thing for me.”

on the job, and she found that the simulations helped reinforce their learning.

“With our national nursing shortage, there are a lot of new nurses going into the labor and delivery field who do not understand how to read the (monitor results),” Clayton explained.

As an active-duty U.S. Army Nurse Corps Officer with over 23 years of service, Lt. Col. Brandy Clayton has been leading the way for her peers and the next generation of nurses. Now, she is leading the way as the first graduate of Liberty University’s Ph.D. in Nursing – Nursing Education.

Clayton enlisted in the Army as an LPN in 2000 and has primarily worked in military facilities in the labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn areas, helping military service members, their spouses, and their children. She eventually transitioned

After earning her bachelor’s in 2006 and her master’s in 2012, both through the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program, she knew she wanted her doctorate. She found Liberty University Online Programs through a simple Google search and learned that the program had launched the previous semester. She started classes in March 2020.

Clayton focused her dissertation on the effectiveness of simulations of fetal monitoring in training pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students as opposed to learning solely from a textbook or

She was enthusiastic about visiting Liberty’s top-notch nursing simulation labs when she was on campus for the first time to participate in this year’s Commencement festivities.

Liberty’s Ph.D. in Nursing – Nursing Education is a research-focused doctorate that prepares nurses at the highest level to identify research gaps, design research studies, and translate and disseminate new knowledge that will impact the profession. The degree is applicable for those who seek to be leaders/scholars in research and nursing education inside and outside of academia.

Family affair: Siblings get early jump start on college degrees

Amanda Esposito, 17, and her brother Luke Esposito, 15, are two of the youngest members of the Class of 2023. Amanda was the youngest of all graduate degree recipients, completing her Master of Arts in Theological Studies. Luke was the youngest to earn a bachelor’s degree, graduating with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Both of them graduated with honors. They pursued their degrees from their home in Howell, N.J., through Liberty University Online Programs.

Graduating at such a young age requires a remarkable amount of determination, but the pair said being able to study at a Christian school made all the difference.

“We want all the glory to go to God,” Amanda said. “I met a few people while I was on campus (for Commencement) who asked me, ‘How did you do it at 17?’ And I always tell them that if I was studying anything other than God’s Word, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate with distinction and Luke (wouldn’t have) graduated Magna Cum Laude, because the only delight we have is God.”

“It’s such a blessing because all of these people are praying for us,” Luke added. “It’s very biblically based. It’s a really wholesome school. I don’t think that we could find any better school than Liberty.”

In addition to their schoolwork, the siblings

also host biweekly Bible studies in their home. Amanda teaches a children’s Sunday School class and Luke assists with media.

A heart for ministry permeates their entire family. The Espositos work with a shut-in ministry at their church and also head up their church’s Operation Christmas Child efforts, the shoebox donation ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.

Both Amanda and Luke plan to continue their education at Liberty. Luke recently applied for graduate school to earn his master’s in applied ministry, with the possibility of one day entering law enforcement. Amanda was recently accepted into Liberty’s Master of Divinity program, which will be her third degree with Liberty; she first began classes in Summer 2021 and earned her bachelor’s in religion in one year.

“I am just studying God and knowing more about who He is and soaking it all in. I’m just praying (knowing) that no matter what it is that God wants me to do (as a career), He desires mercy more than sacrifice. So, I’m seeking His will and seeking to be available to Him,” she said.

As the siblings continue at Liberty, their parents, Massimo and Cynthia Esposito, said they can rest easy in the university’s mission

of Training Champions for Christ

“We are very thankful for Liberty,” Cynthia Esposito said. “We’re thankful for the leadership and the prayers they offer up and the vision that they have. We didn’t know anything about Liberty beforehand, but we were very pleased with what we found.”

At 90, Liberty’s oldest graduate fulfills lifelong dream — and much more

Studies, followed by a Bachelor of Science in General Studies in 2018 and her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with Life Coaching and New Testament specializations in 2020.

that there were a lot of people who had faith that I could be successful.”

Liberty University is an institution where dreams come true, and Lola-Joy Borella, 90, of Lynchburg, knows that as well as anybody. In receiving her Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics in May, she has now earned her fourth degree through Liberty University Online Programs.

Borella attended a business school in Connecticut after high school but never completed her degree. The mother and Marine spouse worked as a secretary and office manager for her entire career. After retiring at 76 and moving to Lynchburg in 2009 to be closer to her daughter and son-in-law, Borella began taking online classes at Liberty. In 2014, she received her Associate of Arts in Interdisciplinary

“I had a lifelong dream of getting a college education, and I chose (Liberty Online) because as a retired senior, I was not comfortable sitting in class with young college students,” she said. “I am currently a widow, and I’m grateful that Liberty Online provides tuition assistance for military spouses, making it possible for me to continue my education.”

Although Borella was often the oldest student in her classes, she found that she enjoyed interacting with younger students.

“When I was 81, there was a student in one of my online classes who had graduated high school early and was only 18. She was so smart and encouraged me to believe that I could be successful. The fact that Liberty accepted me and that others in my classes were also older students made me feel that a college education could be mine. Even though I would have to work hard, I knew

“I believe that desire is the most important factor, and that no matter your age, if you have the desire, you can succeed,” she added.

This summer, Borella plans to pursue a master’s in religion with an apologetics specialization.

“These classes will support my current master’s degree while providing additional Bible courses,” she said. “I think there must be others who need encouragement to not be afraid to pursue their goals. My relationship with the Lord has given me strength to help others who do not know Him, and my studies have given me the tools to speak knowledgeably about the hope Christ provides.”

Borella doesn’t plan on slowing down in the pursuit of what is most important to her: her relationship with Christ.

“For me, being a Champion for Christ means learning as much as I can about Him so that I can continue to increase in faith and knowledge and be a bold witness to others.”

OVERWHELMING GRACE

Nursing graduate says God saved her from a life of addiction and homelessness to give her a second chance at Liberty

BY RYAN KLINKER

Since giving her past of addiction, fear, and darkness over to the Lord, Whitney Harris (’23) has forged a new life for herself while earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through the Liberty University School of Nursing.

Harris said walking across the stage at Commencement brought a wave of thankfulness and humility, a true reminder of how far God has brought her.

“In that moment, I was overwhelmed with God’s grace, knowing that I am so undeserving of this life, and it’s only by His grace that I was there,” she said. “He helped me, and He has been here with me the whole way. He gave me the strength to do it. It’s a gift from God.”

Harris grew up in Huntington Beach, Calif., 31 miles from Los Angeles, with parents who were part-time missionaries in West Africa. Going to church every Sunday was a family rule, but as a teenager, Harris started to rebel against her religious upbringing.

“I started avoiding religion, avoiding God, and I really didn’t want anything to do with Him or the church,” she said. “I started resenting my parents, feeling that I was forced to go to church, even though that wasn’t the case. Nothing about Jesus attracted me, and I was very much attracted to living in the world. I felt like freedom came from doing whatever I wanted to do, and so that’s what I pursued.” This led to underage drinking and smoking in addition to partying throughout high school and for many years afterward. She eventually began

using methamphetamines daily. Her parents had moved to Africa for full-time mission work, and she tried to convince them that she would dig herself out of the hole of addiction — a hole that was getting deeper and deeper.

“My family knew that I was far from God, they knew I didn’t want anything to do with Him, but they just kept praying on my behalf that I would come back like a prodigal child and come back to God,” she said. “I told them I would get out of (addiction) myself and to stay in Africa. But at that time, I felt like I was dying on the inside.”

Over the next few years, her substance abuse increased, including prescription medications and heroin. She started living out of her car because she couldn’t afford rent.

Today, she sees this time in her life as a period of blindness.

“I was very, very far from God, and I know that I was completely blinded by the enemy,” she said. “God’s Word says that the enemy blinds the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the glory of Christ, and I was completely blinded from anything spiritual.”

Despite trying to get clean multiple times and checking into multiple rehabs and detoxes, Harris would repeatedly leave these facilities to give in to her addictions. She would end up homeless, doing things she never thought she’d do to get another hit and feeling numb to the world around her.

In 2018, a family friend offered to buy Harris a bus ticket to a rehab clinic in San Francisco, and Harris accepted with a renewed fortitude to change her life. She packed what she had onto the bus and began the journey, but when the bus stopped for passengers to get off and take a break, she came back to the parking lot and found it had departed without her. A kind man offered to

MATT REYNOLDS

drive her the three hours to San Francisco, and unbeknownst to Harris, the man was a Christian.

“He started driving me down south, and the whole time he only talked about Jesus and God,” she said. “He told me about his church, his ministry, and his grandkids, and it was a seed that was being watered in my life that kept pointing me to God. This random man I hitchhiked with was a servant of God who pointed me to Him. Even when I was still a sinner, when I was so dead of my sins, Christ was still there for me.”

Harris made it to the clinic and spent the next five months in the program, and has remained clean since then.

A few weeks into the program, Harris was confronted with a different type of obstacle: a positive pregnancy test. She asked God for clarity. She knew that her decision would change the course of her life.

“I remember sitting outside and crying out to God because I was so hurt,” she said. “I was weeping and felt this deep anguish, sorrow, sadness, and an overwhelming fear of my future. I barely knew who the father was. I didn’t know what to do. I just said, ‘God, please help me. I can’t go on any longer.’”

God gave her an answer.

“I felt Him answer me so quickly and say, ‘Come with me, and you will never have to go back to this life again,’” Harris recalled. “I felt like He was calling me by name, and I remember just sitting there thinking ‘I’m going to follow Jesus and leave this life of sin, and I’m going to pursue Him with everything I have.’ I meant it; I wasn’t holding anything back, and I was ready to leave the whole world for Him.”

She walked back into the clinic and started to read a Bible that was in her room. She felt as if the words were breathing new life into her lungs.

“I was being set free from all the sin that I was entangled with for all of my life,” she said. “I read that I was forgiven, and that just blew my mind. I was overwhelmed by His grace; I still am to this day. God just covered me in mercy because I was, and am, so undeserving of His grace and His mercy. How can you love someone like me who has done what I’ve done? At that moment, things started changing, and my heart was regenerated by the Holy Spirit.”

Knowing that she could not provide for a child at the time, Harris decided to put her baby up for adoption once it was born and soon saw God open a door in Charlotte, N.C., where she connected with the adoptive parents, Dana and Darren Murph.

“They’re the most wonderful, beautiful, loving, humble couple I’ve ever met,” Harris said. “They welcomed me into their family. It was more than just an adoption or a transaction; it was the pure love of Christ being shared.”

In 2018, while still pregnant, Harris decided to attend College For A Weekend (CFAW) on Liberty’s campus, where her sister was studying at the time.

“I was walking around the campus, I thought that maybe I could come here,” she said. “God was kind of tugging on my heart to go here, so I applied and then Liberty accepted me.”

Harris gave birth to her son, Maverick, a few months after her visit, and she remains in contact with both him and his adoptive parents. In the delivery room, the comfort and encouragement she received from the nurses gave Harris a desire to become a nurse herself.

“They really impacted my stay as a patient and they influenced my life,” she said. “I can still picture them to this day. In my heart, I said I wanted to be that nurse to someone. I want to be someone who truly cares, loves, and serves.”

“I applied (to LUSON), which was a big stretch because my GPA wasn’t good and I had my background (with drug abuse), but I just prayed and I got the letter saying they accepted me into the program,” she added. “In moments like that, I’m just overwhelmed with God’s grace because of all my sins from my past and what I’ve done. He made a way for me.”

Over the past four years in Liberty’s nursing program, Harris said God has blessed her path with professors and other faculty who have strengthened her both as a nurse and a believer.

“The nursing faculty are filled with love and the Holy Spirit. I love every nursing teacher, they’ve really influenced my (time) here,” she said. “They will always emphasize we’re working unto the Lord and explain how to do that as a nurse. I’ve really loved the devotions they do in class and how they train us to acknowledge that we’re not here just to do our jobs, that we’re ultimately here to do it all for God.”

She has also been inspired by her classmates and fellow Liberty students.

“I feel like God has given me a second chance at life here at Liberty,” she said. “I never had the college experience (at the usual age), and being here surrounded by Christians, I’ve been so encouraged in my faith and my life.”

With her BSN completed, Harris is now praying about the next steps in her career. She hopes to find a way to combine nursing with helping others in the same situation that she once found herself, people who are “without hope.”

“I really want to minister to people in addiction, and I want to tell them what Jesus has done for me,” she said. “I just want to go where God wants me to go and use my testimony to give people hope, knowing that He has the power to break any chain and change any life.”

Whitney Harris meets with School of Nursing Interim Dean Tracey Turner. Harris said many faculty members, including Turner, were her mentors.

Harris celebrates at Commencement with her son, Maverick, and his adoptive parents, Dana and Darren Murph.

JESSIE JORDAN

‘CHALLENGE ACCEPTED’

Leaders pledge devotion to future Champions for Christ

The March 31 press conference announcing Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Dondi E. Costin, Ph.D., as Liberty University’s sixth president and Jonathan Falwell, senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, as the university’s third chancellor was a commissioning service for two men with impressive professional credentials and tremendous giftings from God.

“We believe God sent these leaders to us for such a time as this,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Tim Lee. “The combination of President Costin and Chancellor Falwell will bring the gravitas and experience necessary to lead the university exceptionally well and with perfect cultural alignment. They will ensure Liberty University remains focused entirely on Training Champions for Christ to impact the world in every vocation.”

Lee said he and his fellow search committee members experienced a revival of sorts as it became clear that God had guided them to the perfect leaders at this critical stage in the university’s 52-year history.

When formally asked if he would accept the board’s offer, Costin replied, “I will.

Challenge accepted.”

The dual roles of Liberty’s top two administrators will posture the university for a promising future as it builds on its unchanging spiritual foundation. Falwell assumed his new role on May 1, and Costin will begin on July 1. Jerry Prevo, who has served as interim president for the past three years, will hold the title of President Emeritus and remain on the Board of Trustees (read more about his contributions to Liberty on Page 16).

Costin comes to Liberty after five years as president of Charleston Southern University, an institution in South Carolina aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention. His celebrated tenure has been marked by academic and athletic achievement. He oversaw the construction of several new facilities and the substantial expansion of CSU’s academic programs, including South Carolina’s only four-year aviation program, multiple doctoral programs, and an engineering program within the university’s College of Science and Mathematics. Under his leadership, the university set fundraising

records, significantly improved its overall rankings, and dramatically exceeded freshman enrollment goals.

Costin obtained the rank of Major General with the U.S. Air Force, where he devoted 32 years of commissioned service. He completed his military career at the Pentagon as Air Force Chief of Chaplains, serving as senior pastor to more than 664,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian forces in the United States and overseas and leading 2,000 chaplains and chaplain assistants from the Air Force Chaplain Corps. During his military service, Costin represented the Liberty Baptist Fellowship as an endorsed chaplain. A decorated combat veteran, he deployed in support of numerous contingency and humanitarian relief operations across the globe and previously served as senior chaplain for Air Force operations in both the Pacific and the Middle East. His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in operations research from the United States

JOEL COLEMAN

“As one whose life and ministry have been profoundly shaped by Liberty University, I can think of no educational institution with more global impact than my two-time alma mater. I am beyond grateful to the Board for entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity. Vickey and I look forward to locking arms with the Liberty family as we honor the university’s past and drive toward its future. With God’s help and for His glory, the very best days of our great university are still ahead of us.”

DR. DONDI COSTIN

Air Force Academy, Dr. Costin holds five master’s degrees, a Doctor of Ministry degree, and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership. He earned two of his five master’s degrees from Liberty University early in his military career. He and his wife, Vickey, have been married for more than 33 years. Mrs. Costin’s own legacy of public service includes 23 years as a public school educator.

At the press conference, Falwell formally introduced Costin and lauded his distinguished résumé, one he said “makes all of us feel woefully inadequate.”

Costin reciprocated the respect. “Chancellor Falwell, thank you very much for taking the mantle,” he said. “I look so forward to being your wingman. You’re a pilot, I’m from the Air Force, we know what wingmen are all about.”

Falwell said through continual prayer by the board over the years, God appointed a president who was “strongly committed to his Christian faith and his Christian walk and … embraced our mission.”

“When we prayed that prayer over and over and over again, what God did, as God often does, was answer our prayer in an Ephesians 3:20 way — He did exceedingly, abundantly more,” Falwell said. “That is what Dondi Costin brings to Liberty University in the years to come.”

Falwell has spent his lifetime associated

with the ministries of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University, serving at Thomas Road Baptist Church for nearly 30 years and as its senior pastor since 2007. He has also served on Liberty’s Board of Trustees for over 30 years. Previously, Falwell held the title of vice chancellor for spiritual affairs and has most recently served as the university’s executive vice president for spiritual affairs/campus pastor.

Falwell, who earned his B.S. at Liberty, his M.A. in Religion from the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (LBTS), and his Juris Doctor from Taft (Calif.) Law School, takes the mantle from his father, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty’s founder, who died in May 2007. He and his wife, Shari, have been married since 1992, and they have four children (three are married) and two grandchildren.

The appointments of Costin and Falwell followed an extensive national search conducted by CarterBaldwin Executive Search, one of America’s top executive recruiters, and involved the evaluation of nearly 100 credible candidates over a period of eight months.

A formal investiture ceremony is being planned for October along with several activities for students to participate in during Welcome Week when they return to campus and have the chance to meet their new president.

the world. We once again have reaffirmed our commitment that this university will never sway away from being distinctively Christian, Training Champions for Christ, changing the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, standing on the inerrancy and the infallibility of Scripture, that it comes from God and God alone. We are going to work until Christ returns to make sure this place never moves from that position.”

“I have had the opportunity and the privilege to be able to watch as God has raised this place up from nothing to a place that today impacts and changes

CHANCELLOR JONATHAN FALWELL

Dondi and Vickey Costin

Jonathan and Shari Falwell

Keeper of the Mission

LIBERTY SHOWS APPRECIATION TO JERRY PREVO FOR HIS FAITHFUL LEADERSHIP

When Jerry Prevo became interim president of Liberty University on Aug. 10, 2020, he had recently retired as the pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple, a role he faithfully filled for 47 years. But he was no stranger to the university way across the continent. Joining God in His work on Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg was something he had done for decades as a close friend of Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, and a longtime member of the Board of Trustees. Prevo had served on the board since 1996 and had been chairman since 2003.

The bush pilot and outdoorsman left his home in Alaska to take on a new role because of a single reason: telling people about Jesus and training young people to live for the Lord is his lifelong passion.

While serving as interim president, Prevo was often asked about his vision for Liberty, and he would always point back to Dr. Falwell’s vision — the vision that started it all, the vision Prevo said he was charged to protect and preserve.

“I’m not here to put my brand on this university; I’m here to keep the brand that Jerry Falwell Sr. laid out 50 years ago,” Prevo said. “I gave him my word that I would do that. And that’s why I’m standing

here today. This is God’s university. It always has been, and it always will be.”

A “season of renewal” became a theme of his years as interim president. Although he had accepted the new role at a time when some were uncertain about the university’s direction, his message from the beginning was clear: Liberty would not be “rebuilding.”

“Someone asked me if we’re going to rebuild,” he said in a Fall 2020 interview with the Liberty Journal. “And I said, ‘I don’t want to use that word.’ When you rebuild, it’s because something has been destroyed, and Liberty University has not been destroyed. We don’t need to rebuild. We simply need to reveal what God is doing and has been doing from the beginning through faithful servants like (Liberty’s faculty and staff).

“Like the Church, Liberty University is not a building — it’s not even a campus full of buildings. It’s people. Our people — faculty members, staff members, students, pastors, coaches — are the heart of Liberty University, and that heart has never changed. Many have made the mistake of thinking that the loudest voice speaks for all of us, and that’s just not true. The only name that should define Liberty University is Jesus Christ.”

JOEL COLEMAN

PRESSING FORWARD

On March 31, after three years as interim president, Prevo, along with the Board of Trustees, announced the appointment of Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Dondi E. Costin, Ph.D., as president and Pastor Jonathan Falwell as chancellor. During the press conference, Board Chairman Tim Lee thanked Prevo for his service to the university.

“Liberty University could not have asked for more competent, wise, and principled leadership over these critical transitional years than it has received from President Jerry Prevo,” Lee said. “His exceptional tenure as interim president has been marked by record enrollment, a refocusing of the university on its original mission, and its institutional reforms, which will provide effective governance of Liberty University going forward.”

Lee again honored Prevo at this year’s Main Commencement Ceremony, presenting a declaration on behalf of the Board of Trustees

to give Prevo the title of President Emeritus. In announcing this, Lee described Prevo as being “a miracle” that came in a “crossroads” and “perilous time” for the university. Prevo will remain an active member of the board and has made it clear that his dedication to Liberty will not wane.

GUIDED BY THE WORD

Prevo’s time at the helm of Liberty University will be marked by his firm commitment to teaching the Word and allowing it to guide all of his work.

In his first formal address to students as interim president, Prevo shared his favorite Scripture, Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —

His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

At every opportunity he had to address students, graduates, and the families who love them, Prevo has been intentional in presenting the Gospel, acknowledging that the university is built on a foundation of Christ’s provision and blessing. Prevo’s final formal address to the student body as interim president, during the April 28 Convocation, was characteristic of his past three years at Liberty. He focused his message entirely on seeking God’s will, on sharing the Gospel, and on students’ spiritual growth. As he has done with every message, he closed with a call to salvation. He also gave every student at Convocation a pocket-sized book, “The Bible Incorporated in Your Job, Your Life, and Your Business,” that contains Scripture references to help guide them throughout their future careers.

At the Main Commencement Ceremony in Williams Stadium, in front of thousands >>

>> of graduates, families, and friends, Prevo presented the Gospel.

“Tonight, I would be remiss if I did not tell you about our great God; a God who so loved this world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life,” he said. “Whosoever means you; regardless of what you’ve done, it means you.”

A FRIENDLY FACE

Prevo was also known for the constant spiritual encouragement he offered all members of the Liberty community, from students to faculty, staff, and parents. Every week he shared a personal devotional and prayer on Liberty’s social media platforms, and within the pages of the “Liberty Champion,” Liberty’s student-run newspaper, he wrote a weekly column that often lauded students for their academic and athletic achievements, their volunteer service, and the way they represented Liberty, and Christ, in the world.

Pence, pastor David Jeremiah, Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin, speaker and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, and countless others, whether he knew them personally or was greeting them for the first time.

ARRIVING AT A TIME OF NEED

The COVID-19 pandemic was at the top of minds and conversations across the campus and the world when Prevo took on the role of interim president, and he led the Liberty community through a global issue that had not been faced on such a scale for nearly a century. He had no model or playbook — no university had ever encountered this — and yet he guided the school through this turbulent time and helped it face the challenge head-on. He kept the health and wellness of the student body the top priority. His encouragement to keep faith in God’s provision, healing, and plan for Liberty proved valuable as the school adjusted schedules and met all regulations in order to continue to provide the highest level of academics and exciting campus life that Liberty has been known for.

others’ requests and pray for each other individually.

When students gathered in Washington, D.C., to pray for the country, Prevo joined them. Answering the invitation from Franklin Graham in September 2020 to walk the National Mall and pray for the upcoming election, Prevo and his wife, Carol, joined the crowd of over 2,200 Liberty students and tens of thousands of others to ask God to watch over America. Jerry Prevo also joined students in front of the Supreme Court in December 2021 to pray as the opening arguments began in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which would later become a key victory for the prolife movement.

GETTING STARTED

Around campus, students have known Prevo as a friendly face in the crowd. Whether it was cheering alongside other Flames fans at sporting events, leading a Vines Center crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to students on their special day, or bundling up and throwing snowballs on the Academic Lawn in the winter months, he made a point to engage with students on more than just an administrative level.

Prevo’s hospitable nature was also present in the many visits to campus by the likes of leadership expert John Maxwell, former Vice President of the United States Mike

Throughout the 2021-22 academic calendar, Prevo facilitated the university’s landmark 50th Anniversary celebration, from the adornment of campus buildings with banners to welcoming the new freshman class, the largest in school history at the time. He also welcomed Liberty alumni and their loved ones to campus for a special Homecoming, recognizing the ways that they had set a foundation and legacy for the university out in the world.

Prayer has been a hallmark of Prevo’s service to Liberty. In 2022, he created the “Liberty in Prayer” initiative in which students could write down personal prayer requests anonymously and place them into boxes around campus or submit them through an online portal. The initiative was built off of Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, let your request be made known to God.” The boxes allowed students to read

Like Dr. Jerry Falwell, Prevo attended Baptist Bible College in Missouri and began a ministry in 1971 that far surpassed anyone’s expectations. With three years of experience as a Tennessee pastor under his belt, the Prevos moved to Anchorage in 1971 to join a small mission. That small mission became Anchorage Baptist Temple (ABT), and under his leadership it grew into one of the largest churches in Alaska.

Recognizing a need to spread the Gospel even further, Prevo purchased a television station from Alaska Southern Baptist Convention for ABT and launched Christian Broadcasting Inc., a media group that now sends the hope of Christ across the state through three radio stations. Again, much like Dr. Falwell, Prevo knew

the value and effectiveness of using multiple forms of media to broadcast the Gospel.

Prevo and ABT also founded Anchorage Christian Schools, the first K-12 Christian school in Alaska. And when parents or high school students asked his advice on where to attend college, Prevo always had one answer: Liberty University.

He first encountered Liberty when attending Super Conference, Thomas Road Baptist Church’s annual gathering of pastors and ministry leaders, in the ’90s. It was there he met and became friends with Falwell and was invited to join Liberty’s Board of Trustees. Since then, Prevo has had a front row seat to Liberty University’s progress.

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

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

MORE WORK TO DO

Prevo has continued to honor the founder and uphold the mission by leading the efforts to establish the Jerry Falwell Center, currently under construction and expected to open in 2024. The facility will take guests through a history of Falwell’s life and enduring legacy, featuring innovative technological displays showcasing the university’s multifaceted approach to its mission of Training Champions for Christ.

“The center will show how Liberty is

incorporating a Christian worldview and evangelical fervor throughout all areas, including academics, athletics, and student life,” Prevo said. “We want every faculty member, every student to go through the center to understand the vision and legacy of Liberty’s founder. It is a powerful story of God’s faithfulness that everyone needs to hear.”

“There is much to learn from our founder’s life,” Prevo said when the project was first announced in Fall 2021. “He always inspired students to be Champions for Christ wherever God was leading them. We are seeing his mighty vision fulfilled every day at Liberty University, and this center will help ensure that we do not waver from our original mission or succumb to the external pressures of leftism. Jerry Falwell always stood his ground, and he stood unapologetically on the Word of God. Looking to his life as an example, the university will remain committed to the Gospel.”

KJ JUGAR

RUNNING IN THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

NCAA CHAMPION AND OLYMPIC HOPEFUL SAM CHELANGA SERVES GOD AND COUNTRY IN THE U.S. ARMY

BY CHRISTIAN SHIELDS

U.S. ARMY STAFF SGT. MICHAEL HUNNISETT

Liberty University alumnus and U.S. Army Capt. Sam Chelanga (’11) is leaning on his faith as he looks to represent his country through both his military service and as a potential member of Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, Chelanga began running with the hopes of receiving an athletic scholarship from an American college. His prayers were answered when he accepted an offer from Farleigh Dickinson (N.J.) University; he transferred to Liberty a year later. As a Flame, he became a fourtime NCAA champion in cross country and track & field and set the NCAA record for the 10-kilometer run at 27 minutes, 8.39 seconds — a record that still stands today. Under the leadership of former Track & Field Coach Brant Tolsma, Chelanga felt motivated to compete to his highest potential as a Flame and a follower of Christ.

“The best thing I can remember is at Liberty there was this idea that we represent Christ in what we do,” he said. “And there was that pride of saying, ‘You know, if you actually are representing the most powerful being that exists, why wouldn’t you do the best you could?’ And for me, that was freeing.”

Despite not knowing any English when he moved to the U.S., Chelanga said his adjustment was much easier because of the faith that he shared with his peers at Liberty.

“I personally believe that Liberty was easier because we all speak the same language,” he said. “We all believed in God, and that is what we wanted to do our best in.”

After graduating with a degree in government, he began racing professionally and signed a contract with Nike in 2011. He won six USA Track & Field titles and finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to become an alternate for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In 2017, he finished 11th in the senior men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda, the top showing for a U.S. athlete.

Even after his success as a pro athlete,

Chelanga had a different finish line in sight: becoming a U.S. citizen. He completed the naturalization process and took the oath in 2015. The honor he felt as an American stirred in him a desire to serve his country. In 2018, he retired from professional running and joined the U.S. Army.

“I wasn’t born here, but I did get my opportunity here. I made something out of myself here,” he said.

“The opportunities I got at Liberty and in the United States are because we as a country have made a bunch of sacrifices,” he added. “Some of us have paid the price to give freedom and opportunity to everybody. Young kids and young adults need to know that it’s not just something that comes (for free). I don’t want to take it for granted.”

Chelanga soon began running again, with the hopes of competing for Team USA in the marathon in the 2020 Olympics. (He finished 21st at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, falling short of qualifying for Team USA.) Soon afterward, he became acquainted with the Army’s World Class Athletes Program (WCAP) that helps current service members train for specific Olympic cycles while fulfilling their military duties. He moved to Fort Carson, Colo., where the program is based, with his wife, Marybeth, and three sons Micah, Joseph, and Jeremiah.

Chelanga said he currently runs between 120-140 miles every week when he trains for a marathon, and between 100-110 miles when training for half-marathons.

Chelanga will get another chance to qualify for the Olympic Games when he competes in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Marathon on Feb. 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. Through training with the Army, he can already see the fruits of his labor. In February, he finished first in the Mesa Half Marathon in a time of 1:03.32. He is currently ranked in the top 100 in the world in both the 5K and 10K races.

Chelanga also continues to keep the pace in his spiritual life, sharing life lessons with others. He published his first book in 2020, “With the Wind: Finding Victory Within,” a testimonial about trusting in God for guidance throughout life.

“One of the big reasons you see people struggle in life is because they have plans for everywhere and everything, but a lot of people overlook the spiritual plan for their life,” he said. “And it is something all of us struggle with. A lot of people don’t see it as something that is paramount to your living.”

One valuable lesson he has learned is the importance of trusting God for guidance. Just as a ship follows the direction of the wind, Chelanga said his goal is to follow God in whatever he is called to do.

“It doesn’t matter if you work at McDonald’s, a bank, or the military, it’s a fulltime gig (to be) faithful and living the best life that God gave you,” he said.

He appreciates the opportunity to serve his country and said just as the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule say, people should dedicate themselves to helping others regardless of their career path. He said Liberty students, of which he was one himself just over a decade ago, should focus on fulfilling the purpose that God has for them.

“I believe that every kid that goes to Liberty can do great if they have good reasons why they want to change the world for good.”

U.S. ARMY RECRUITING COMMAND

U.S. ARMY STAFF SGT. MICHAEL HUNNISETT

MORE THAN TALENT

MUSIC STUDENT WITH SPEECH IMPEDIMENT COMPETES ON ‘AMERICA’S GOT TALENT,’ SHARES HER HEART THROUGH ORIGINAL SONGS

BY RYAN KLINKER

Ever since she surprised the judges and audience of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” last year with her abilities as a gifted singer-songwriter who has overcome a speech impediment, Liberty University sophomore Amanda Mammana has continued to be an example of how God can use what we perceive as weaknesses for His glory.

Mammana has a stutter, but like many with this impediment, the stutter isn’t apparent when she sings, as singing involves a different section of the brain. She was drawn to music as a helpful means of communicating her thoughts and feelings.

In April 2022, after flying from her hometown of Trumbull, Conn., to her audition in Pasadena, Calif., Mammana sat backstage as the realization hit her of what was about to happen.

“I did some interviews and B-roll for the show, and the whole time I was realizing, ‘This is really happening. I’m here,’” she recalled. “When I was backstage, I could hear the audience, I could hear (host) Terry Crews talking, and then I walked out on the stage and saw the four judges there. It felt crazy.”

With her guitar hanging on her shoulder and her father watching backstage, Mammana answered the judges’ questions with her natural pauses and speech disfluencies. But that all went away when she began to perform her original song, “Back to Life.” By the end, every person in the room was on their feet cheering, a moment that Mammana said confirmed to her that her stutter should not hold her back.

“For so long, because of my speech, I always felt ashamed and like I could never be anything or do anything,” Mammana said. “When I finished and they all stood up, it made me realize that my speech doesn’t have to be a handicap if I don’t let

it. My whole perspective of myself and on God changed. I used to shake my fist at God because He was allowing me to have this speech impediment, but (being on the show) opened my eyes and allowed me to see that He has allowed it for good reasons.”

Her audition for the show has been seen by over 7.3 million people on YouTube and countless others on other platforms. She reached the semifinals, which aired in August, and made it to the top five of her episode before being eliminated.

Mammana first attended Liberty in the Fall 2021 semester and switched to online classes in Spring 2022 leading up to her audition. She took the Fall 2022 semester off from Liberty to open herself up to opportunities after the show and spent the rest of 2022 performing at a variety of venues. Just a few days after her time on the show ended, Mammana performed in her home state at CityFest, a Christian music festival, in the same lineup as Liberty alumnus TobyMac (’88), Lecrae, We Are Messengers, and others. She later performed at halftime of the Miami Dolphins game on Oct. 16 and during a FOX News broadcast in December.

She has also released multiple singles and an instrumental EP available on all major music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.

This spring, Mammana spent a weekend opening for Christian artist Jason Gray — a stutterer himself — and plans to perform with him this summer at the Up North Worship festival on July 8 in New York.

Mammana has received countless messages from people online who have speech impediments and saw her on the show, and she was invited to perform at the annual American Institute of Stuttering Gala on June 12 and the National Stuttering

Association’s conference in July.

Her speech impediment and passion for music both developed at the age of 10. After performing in a school talent show and later receiving positive feedback when she posted a video of her playing an original song on social media, Mammana said she started seeing music as a potential career.

“I signed up for my school’s talent show to sing, and up on the stage I felt so free,” she said. “When I saw the people saying they liked my video, I thought that maybe it could be something I could do for a career, and I also thought I could encourage people with my music.”

This led Mammana to eventually choose to study music and, after hearing from friends about the high caliber of Liberty’s School of Music programs, enroll at Liberty in the B.M. in Commercial Music – Recording, Engineering, and Producing program.

“I can only say that it was God that brought me here because I wasn’t crazy about going to college initially, but I felt like He (was leading me here),” she said.

When she’s not on Liberty’s campus, Mammana has had a variety of opportunities to perform her music and raise money for an album, which she plans to work on in the studio this August.

Since “America’s Got Talent,” Mammana said she has learned to trust in God’s plan for her life and career.

“I’m someone that likes to try and control the future, but it never works out when we try to do things on our own,” she said. “I think being on (the show) helped me learn to let things go and to surrender them to the Lord, and having that time to myself helped me to trust God more. I had to lean on Him and know that He is in control.”

LEFT: Mammana rehearses for her halftime performance at a Miami Dolphins game on Oct. 16. MIDDLE: Mammana walks the red carpet before her semifinal performance on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ RIGHT: Singing her original song ‘Back to Life,’ Mammana auditions for the show in April 2022.

Lynchburg Grows

Heritage Baptist Church

Liberty University hosted its sixth annual Serve Lynchburg event on April 29, with close to 1,300 students, faculty, and staff volunteering at 93 different locations throughout the Lynchburg area. Jobs included yard work, food distribution, and cleaning. Lynchburg Mayor Stephanie Reed visited students at some of the sites. “To all of the students who worked so hard (at Serve Lynchburg), y’all are amazing!” Reed shared on social media after the event. “On behalf of the city of Lynchburg, thank you!!” After the event, students returned to campus for an end-of-the-year After Party, hosted by the Student Activities Office.

Free Clinic of Central Virginia

Old City Cemetery

E.C. Glass High School

Presbyterian Cemetery

Salvation Army

Kroger (Boonsboro)

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah

Cornerstone community

NEWS & VIEWS

MIKE PENCE VISITS LIBERTY LAW FOR DAY OF CELEBRATION AND REMEMBRANCE

Mike Pence, 48th Vice President of the United States, visited Liberty University School of Law for two private events on March 28: the Ad Fontes ceremony, an annual tradition for 3L students and their families in preparation for graduation, and a Consecration Service, open to all law students, faculty, and staff.

Grammy Award-winning Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith performed during both events. He serves as the executive director of Liberty’s Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music.

At the Consecration Service, held in the school’s Supreme Courtroom, Pence shared his story of journeying from practicing his faith as just a religion to entering a genuine relationship with Christ when he was a young man. As someone who took the profession’s oath himself, Pence encouraged the future lawyers to defend the Constitution while standing on the biblical principles that Liberty Law has poured into them. Pence earned a juris doctor from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law and was an attorney in private practice early in his career.

“As you go from here, I hope as officers of the court or wearing the uniform of the United States, or those of you who feel called to public service, you will take that oath to heart,” he told the students. “And not just support the Constitution but defend it. We live at a time when liberty is enshrined in our Bill of Rights, and the freedom of speech, freedom of religion are under regular assault in the popular culture and oftentimes in the

courts. Today as we consecrate this school … think about your pledge to defend the Constitution.”

“There is no one that we would be more excited to have at our first-ever Consecration Service, where we want to dedicate ourselves, commit ourselves, consecrate ourselves to the Lord, than Vice President Mike Pence,” said Liberty Law Dean Morse Tan, who served as Ambassador-at-Large for the U.S. State

legal education,”

“I believe with all of my heart that God is not done with America yet,” he added. “And all we need to meet this moment is you. … This great institution is raising up a generation of Champions for Christ. … I am more convinced than ever (as I) look at your shining faces and this dedicated faculty that we’ll meet that moment.”

Department’s Office of Global Criminal Justice from 2019-21 during the TrumpPence Administration. Tan came to Liberty Law in January 2022.

Liberty Interim President Jerry Prevo, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell, and Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks also attended the Consecration Service. Prevo and Hicks briefly addressed the crowd, and Falwell concluded the afternoon event in prayer.

Pence said he was proud of the work of Liberty Law.

“You’ve built a one-of-a-kind law school that really puts faith and the truths of God’s Word, the foundations of truth in His Word, at the very center and the core of your

“Ad Fontes,” which means “to the source” in Latin, is a ceremony unique to Liberty Law that began in 2007. It provides 3Ls an opportunity to renew their focus on the Bible as the primary source of Christian faith and law. A special part of the ceremony is when graduating students can touch the school’s Ebenezer Stone, which is originally from Mt. Sinai and was given to the law school by Liberty founder Jerry Falwell Sr. as a reminder that God ordained and established the school and that He will remain faithful to it. School of Law graduates are the only ones allowed to touch the stone. This year’s graduating class celebrated 92 juris doctor degrees.

Pence also held a book signing between the two events for his latest work, “So Help Me God.”

The March events marked Pence’s fourth visit to Liberty and the second one this school year; he spoke at Convocation in September. Pence delivered the keynote address at Liberty’s 46th Commencement in May 2019 and spoke at Convocation in October 2016 as then-Indiana governor and Republican vice presidential candidate.

“I believe with all of my heart that God is not done with America yet, and all we need to meet this moment is you. … This great institution is raising up a generation of Champions for Christ. … I am more convinced than ever (as I) look at your shining faces and this dedicated faculty that we’ll meet that moment.”

MIKE PENCE

NATALIE OLSON

IN FIRST VISIT TO LU, GOV. RON DESANTIS WAGES WAR ON WOKE

Standing before a packed arena during the April 14 Convocation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared the importance of fighting for truth amid a culture that has seen the woke agenda rapidly gain ground in recent years.

“We have made Florida the state where woke goes to die,” he said. “The woke mind virus represents a war on merit. It represents a war on achievement. It’s a form of cultural Marxism that seeks to use identity politics to divide Americans. Perhaps most of all, the woke represents a war on the truth. As a leader, I don’t seek adulation. I don’t seek any fanfare. All I seek is the pursuit of the truth. Truth is enduring. As time goes by, the deceit and the lies fade away and what is true remains. Yes, the truth shall set you free. Because woke represents a war on truth, we must wage a war on woke.”

He said the consequences of living under left-leaning governmental rule are dire.

“States and cities that are governed by leftist politicians pursuing leftist ideology have seen crime skyrocket, they’ve seen their taxpayers abused, they’ve seen medical authoritarianism imposed, and they’ve seen core American principles discarded,” he said. “The woke agenda has caused millions

of Americans to leave these jurisdictions for greener pastures. This has been a great exodus of Americans.”

DeSantis recounted his state’s progress under his leadership and his path to office. He won the gubernatorial election by a slim margin in 2018 and was reelected in a landslide in 2022.

“My view is very simple: I may have earned 50 percent of the vote (in 2018), but that entitled me to wield 100 percent of the executive power, and I intended to do that to advance an agenda that I believed was right for the state of Florida,” he said. “We would not do that agenda based on putting our finger in the wind or looking at polls. Leaders are not captive to poll results. Leaders set out a vision. Leaders execute that vision. And leaders deliver results, and when you do that, it doesn’t matter what the polls were before that; you can change public opinion. People will support you if they see you’re doing a good job.”

DeSantis said his efforts in the state of Florida will continue and that we must “insist on the restoration of time-tested Constitutional principles.”

“I am honored to be here, and I look forward to the battles ahead,” he said. “I will

fight the good fight. I will finish the race. I will keep the faith.”

During the Convocation, DeSantis was presented an honorary Doctor of Humanities.

“Seeing the work that he’s doing and the fight that he’s fighting is very inspiring,” junior Jesse Hughes said. “Especially for a bunch of young students, some of whom like me want to go into politics … seeing somebody who is a leader and is implementing their faith in their leading, no matter what field you are going into, it is truly inspiring.”

Before DeSantis delivered his message, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell acknowledged Liberty’s longstanding history of welcoming influential voices to its stage.

“Going all the way back through our history, we have always had the opportunity of individuals coming from many different sectors in life to speak into the lives of our students. We have had presidents and we’ve had vice presidents. We have had senators and congressmen. We have had global business leaders. We have had the opportunity of hearing from professional athletes … lots of different educators and leaders who have come and who have brought wisdom to this idea of what it means to be a Champion for Christ.”

CHRISTIAN BEDELL

KARIS FLETCHER

KARIS FLETCHER

REPRE S E NTING

STUDENTS TAKE THEIR SKILLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD

NEW YORK CITY: Liberty University senior Kristine Johnson brought her fashion design portfolio with her to the Big Apple in February when she attended New York Fashion Week, one of the biggest weeks in the fashion industry each year. Johnson won the trip as part of a contest hosted by Liberty’s Department of Family & Consumer Sciences (FACS).

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS:

Second-year Liberty University School of Law students Roniqua Archer and Chavioleyette Fenelus won the American Bar Association (ABA) Regional Representation Mediation Competition, hosted virtually in early March, beating out over 80 teams to advance to the ABA National Mediation Competition April 15-16 at St. Mary’s School of Law, where they finished third.

TIMISOARA, ROMANIA: English graduate student Sophia Jantomaso showcased her “Language as Illumination” research project at The Symposium of Students in English conference in April. Through neuroimaging studies, she showed how the brain works when processing the English language and literature and researched the effectiveness of the Western form of education.

EAU CLAIRE,

WIS.:

Engineering Professor Dr. Hector Medina and divinity Associate Professor Jillian Ross presented research alongside 13 students from their schools as well as the Nursing, Biology, and History Departments, at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in April. The conference is the largest event of its kind in the world, with more than 3,600 students and faculty members participating.

ATLANTA, GA.:

A team from Liberty University’s Aviation Maintenance Technician Program (AMTP) placed third out of 34 collegiate programs at the April 18-20 Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), part of the Aviation Week Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Americas conference. Liberty placed 21st out of 84 teams in the overall competition that featured representation from commercial and general aviation, space, education, military, repair, and manufacturing sectors. Competitors came from as far away as Australia, Brazil, and Canada.

WASHINGTON, D.C.:

Liberty University’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity hosted a bus trip to the nation’s capital on Feb. 15 as part of its Black History Month events. Over 150 students visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorials. They also met with U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

ALEXANDRIA,

VA.:

Five groups of undergraduate students from the Department of Psychology presented their work at the Virginia Association for Psychological Science (VAPS) annual conference April 13-15, with one team tying for first place for the conference’s Frederick B. Rowe Award for the Best Undergraduate Paper.

HUNTINGTON, W.VA.:

The School of Engineering’s Steel Bridge team placed second at regionals in the Student Steel Bridge Competition, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute of Steel Construction. The team qualified for nationals, finishing behind Virginia Tech and ahead of Old Dominion University, Marshall University, James Madison University, Bluefield State University, and West Virginia University.

PUERTO RICO:

Students from Liberty University’s Department of Theatre Arts spent their spring break on a 10-day outreach and service trip. They performed dramas at schools, churches, a girls group home, and on the streets around the island. One of their dramas was an original work that spoke to the hardships of the people on the island in the aftermath of multiple natural disasters in recent years.

The Augustine Way

BY MARK D. ALLEN

Apologetics wasn’t working for me. I had studied under a premier evangelical apologist, but what I learned didn’t connect with people in the realm of my pastoral ministry. The apologetics were developed mostly for the debate arena and academy, so when I presented “traditional” apologetic arguments for the existence of God or evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the person on the street seemed unimpressed and unmoved. I thought it was just me, or perhaps them. If I were smarter, the apologetics I had been taught would work. If they weren’t so obtuse, they would get it.

Recently, I learned that there may be another way, an Augustinian way. My friend Josh Chatraw and I — both experienced in pastoral ministry — decided to take a deep dive into St. Augustine’s apologetic to see if we could find some help for our contemporary world.

St. Augustine was a bishop in North Africa who lived from 354 to 430 but whose influence casts a long shadow over Protestants (Luther was an Augustinian monk, and Calvin’s doctrine of grace relied heavily on Augustine), Catholics (St. Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, and Blaise Pascal advanced Augustine’s way), and secular philosophers (Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, and Jacques Derrida all wrestled with the thought of St. Augustine). Pastor was his main vocation. He shepherded a flock during the tumultuous times after the fall of Rome and the resurgence of paganism in his Greco-Roman world, when Christianity was being accused of undermining the Roman Empire and pluralism was (re)grasping the imagination of the culture. In response, he wrote one of the most significant apologetic works in church history: “The City of God.” This came after “Confessions” in which he detailed his defection from the Christian faith as a youth and his return to the faith as an adult.

From studying Augustine’s works, we discovered that effective apologetics must be pastoral and must have a vital connection to the local church. An apologist’s posture should resemble a shepherd, not a gunslinger. Today, an apologist should be more like a seasoned guide on the Appalachian Trail than a muscular boxer in the ring.

We also discovered two questions that were apologetic gamechangers: (1) What is a human? and (2) How do we know?

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “Love God and love your neighbor.” Humans were made to love, but the problem is that our loves get disordered. We love money, achievement, and pleasure when we were designed to love God first and then love others in God’s love. Because of this, we end up feeling lost, fragmented, frustrated, alienated, and guilty. When doing apologetics, we must keep in mind that we are doing more than giving an answer to a rational question; we are offering the balm of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for healing and restoration to our truest humanity.

How do we know? Again, we are lovers given the capacity to think and reason in order to know God better and love our neighbor more. We are not the Tin Man; we have hearts. And we need to understand that when Scarecrow gets a brain, it is vitally connected to his heart. We think with our hearts and desires. That’s a feature of our humanity, not a defect.

Better results come from getting to the heart of the matter and asking questions like, “What do you love? What gives you joy? How is your approach to spirituality helping you to prepare for death? How did you come to believe in what you believe in? How are your beliefs working for you? What makes you so mad at Christianity and Christians?” Or, simply, “What are you seeking?” Honest, respectful, and empathetic questions open hearts and minds to the healing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ve seen angry hearts and minds open themselves up to the veracity and rationality of the Gospel simply by being asked honest questions. One woman, who looked like your sweet aunt, attempted to alternatively shut herself off from me on a flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Lynchburg. She was a progressive with a capital “P” on her way to the mountains for a retreat with a spiritual guru. She found out I was from Liberty and proceeded to verbally attack me. At one point, she declared dismissively, “I shouldn’t even talk to you.” No, I didn’t hit back. Instead, I began asking her questions about herself. After a while, she opened up to me. She recounted how her parents had abused her and then took her to church. She had experienced a fake and false Christianity that had wounded her deeply. I felt for her and continued to share the love of Jesus with her. She softened even more, sharing with me other meaningful things from her life. Later, she wrote a blog about our encounter confessing that she was reconsidering her attitudes toward the things she had rejected outright.

Humans are lovers who think with their hearts. Humble lovers make the best apologists. That’s the Augustine way.

Dr. Mark D. Allen is a Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Liberty’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame and has served as a pastor and church planter for over 20 years. He is the co-author of “The Augustine Way: Retrieving a Vision for the Church’s Apologetic Witness.”

2022-23 PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE in TEACHING

UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE

Crystal Passburg Assistant Professor of Biology School of Health Sciences

David Schweitzer Professor of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Statistics Program Director College of Arts & Sciences

James Zabloski Assistant Professor John W. Rawlings School of Divinity

Melissa Stewart Associate Professor, Instructional Mentor, and Program Director of the Political Science B.S. and M.S. programs Helms School of Government

Andrew Walker Associate Professor of English, Program Director for the M.A. in English program College of Arts & Sciences

FACULTY NEWS

Kurt Cornfield, School of Business

Associate Professor Kurt Cornfield received the annual Larry Burkett Award, given to an individual who is considered exemplary in their field and glorifies God through financial planning, by Kingdom Advisors at their 2023 conference in Orlando, Fla., in February. Kingdom Advisors is an organization of Christian financial advisors who aim to provide financial advice through a biblical lens. Cornfield is certified as both a financial planner and a kingdom advisor, and he serves as the director of student and emerging advisors for Kingdom Advisors.

Dr. Nicholas L. Rider, College of Osteopathic Medicine

Nicholas L. Rider, DO, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), published research in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology last fall outlining a validated AI-based method for population-wide risk assessment for people with primary immunodeficiency (PI). Rider explained that individuals with PI suffer “prolonged and costly diagnostic odysseys, excessive morbidity, and impaired quality of life due to delayed diagnosis,” and suggested the use of AI to analyze data. The study was conducted within the Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) on a cohort of nearly 430,000 individuals who were prospectively assessed at six-month intervals for a period of 30 months, finding that only 36 (0.008%) of the subjects warranted referral with high likelihood for underlying PI.

Dr. Gary Isaacs, Biology & Chemistry

Biology Professor Dr. Gary Isaacs was awarded the 2023 Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Director’s Award for Excellence in New Faculty Mentoring for his work as part of Liberty’s Koinonia New Faculty Mentoring Program. The program pairs new Liberty faculty with those more experienced working at Liberty to give the newcomers an opportunity to learn about the school and its mission as well as meet others outside of their own department. The award recognizes exceptional faculty who have served as mentors for five or more years within the Koinonia program.

Liberty thanks these professors for their essential role in Training Champions for Christ

CASTING CROWNS

The multiplatinum-selling and Grammy Award-winning Christian band Casting Crowns brought its melodic sound and powerfully transparent lyrics to the Vines Center stage for the April 26 Convocation.

The band played a variety of songs from its 12th studio album, “Healer,” released last year, and from its 2018 release, “Only Jesus,” as well as a few of its classic hits.

Lead singer Mark Hall spoke about his

struggles with attention deficit disorder and dyslexia in his youth and how he battled depression as a result before he surrendered his disorders to God and confided in others.

He challenged Liberty students, regardless of their choice of majors or their intended professions, to be world changers by sharing the Gospel with those who are lost.

“Remember that the reason you are here … is not to go be a doctor,” Hall said. “You are not here to be a performer. You are not here to be a filmmaker. You are here to know God and to make God known. You are here to pour Jesus into other people. If you can’t give your faith away, it might not be yours. So dig in and let God always be dissecting the motives of our hearts and why we do what we do.”

BROOKE MCDUFFEE

NATALIE OLSON

“You don’t have to be OK, because God can handle you today. God is the God of your heart. He’s not the God of your profile. There might be people in your world that you feel like you have to be something for. I don’t have to be that with the Father. He knows me. He knows you, all of it. … We don’t worship God because today is good; we worship because God is good, even today.”

MARK HALL Lead Singer

BROOKE MCDUFFEE

BROOKE MCDUFFEE NATALIE OLSON

OEC SPONSORS CAMPUS AWARENESS INITIATIVES

IX is supposed to be. ‘Safe, Supportive, and Neutral’ is our tagline because it encompasses what we do as an office and how we serve our Liberty students and community.”

Throughout the month of April, nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the office created on-campus opportunities to share statistics and resources and arranged for the Freedom Tower to be lit in teal, the color designated for sexual assault awareness, every Wednesday of the month. This spring, the OEC also highlighted Stalking Awareness Month in January and promoted healthy relationships in February.

TOP SCHOLARS

FULBRIGHT

Aleah Schrock, who graduated in May with a B.A. in History, will be teaching English on the European island of Malta for 10 months starting this fall on a grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Schrock plans to attend Notre Dame Law School.

NSF FELLOWSHIP

Liberty University’s Office of Equity & Compliance (OEC), in pursuing its mission of protecting and advocating for the safety and well-being of Liberty students, is creating more ways of raising awareness for important issues on campus, updating its reporting system, and growing its team of Title IX professionals.

The OEC is responsible for administering the sexual misconduct policy, the equal opportunity policy, and reporting violations under the Jeanne Clery Act.

“Our office exists to be a safe environment for students, and we also want it to be supportive,” said Vice President of Equity Compliance Ashley Reich. “We want it to be a neutral process, because that is what Title

The office launched a new Title IX course for employees and is working on a student course, including training for new and returning Resident Assistants, Resident Shepherds, and Resident Directors in the fall.

In April, the OEC held an open house at its new office in DeMoss Hall. The office welcomed a new Title IX Coordinator, Nathan Friesema, and three new investigators.

Reich said students can play a key role by being responsible and proactive advocates for their peers.

“Students can assist us by being ambassadors for Title IX. If they hear of something that needs to be reported, they can encourage their friends that this is a safe space for them. We really want the students to be the champions of that.”

To learn more, visit Liberty.edu/Title-IX.

GOVERNMENT STUDENTS VISIT EMBASSIES IN WASHINGTON

Ryan Airesman, who graduated in May with a B.S. in Computer Engineering, became the first Liberty recipient of a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. The grant will award him nearly $150,000 to cover tuition and research stipends over the next three years for his Ph.D. in Engineering at Liberty, which he begins this summer under the supervision of mechanical engineering Professor Dr. Hector Medina.

BOREN SCHOLARSHIP

The Helms School of Government sponsored multiple day trips to our nation’s capital this spring where students visited embassies, met members of Congress, and heard from leading voices on societal issues.

In March, the Heritage Foundation welcomed students for a series of speakers who outlined two major religious liberty Supreme Court cases (Groff v. Dejoy and 303 Creative v. Elenis).

In a partnership with Hampton University and Liberty’s School of Business, government students met at the Washington Symposium in April. Several congressmen participated, including Reps. Scott Perry (Pa.), Bobby Scott (Va.), Gary Palmer (Ala.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Bob Good (Va.), and Morgan Griffith (Va.).

Later in April, students visited both the Chinese and Polish embassies to hear from top officials about their cultural differences, current events affecting both countries, and career advice for aspiring diplomats. Students asked questions of their hosts, gaining more insight about the countries and the officials’ responsibilities at the embassies. This was Liberty’s second visit to the Chinese embassy; a group first visited in November. Past trips have included the Israeli, Swedish, and Russian embassies.

“Anyone can read a book or take notes during a lecture, but being able to gain insight from individuals who actually do this in the real world is invaluable and sets us in the School of Government apart from others at

Jenna Keckler, who is pursuing her B.A. in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESL), received the Boren Award South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SAFLI) to study Hindi or Urdu in India. The highly competitive award allows recipients to study the language and culture of another country, then return to America to fulfill a one-year service requirement with a government agency. Many Boren alumni have launched careers in the Departments of State, Defense, and Homeland Security, specifically because of the scholarship. Keckler also received the Critical Language Scholarship to study Portuguese in Brazil but is forgoing that honor to accept the Boren Award. She is Liberty’s second Boren Scholar in two years.

schools who don’t have opportunities like this,” said Grace Phillipps, a public policy graduate student who went on the March trip. “Experiences like these are the reason I came to college.”

Chinese Embassy, Washington, D.C.

Our Natural Rights

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND … PROPERTY?

BY AARON VAN ALLEN

The American Constitution directly supports the foundation of capitalistic free-enterprise systems. However, innovation asserted through capitalism cannot begin without the centralized keystone vital to its existence: the idea. Where do ideas originate? The great thinkers have offered a combination of answers.

Aristotle asserted that character begins with the individual, countering his teacher Plato’s assertion that all property should be communally owned (i.e., government owned) and stating that communal ownership suppresses the virtue of generosity; citizens who are unable to acquire their own private property will not consciously give of their own.

St. Thomas Aquinas offers us the foundational virtue that consciousness is intertwined with God’s law, which drives reason together with the conscience as a guide for all future actions. He purported that when individuals apply synderesis (an innate understanding of moral principles) and not merely rely on their conscience (which can be fallible) in all areas of their life, the actionable goal is achieved: all actions are based upon God’s moral truth.

The British philosopher John Locke, by the motivation of Justinian the Great, perhaps offers the answer most recognized within American culture. He inadvertently asserts in his “Second Treatise of Government” that all individuals are born having already obtained their greatest property: their person or their mind/consciousness. This makes the egregious institution of slavery in opposition to what Thomas Jefferson called the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.” This motivating concept pushed Jefferson to action as a member of the Committee on the Declaration at the Second Continental Congress. He wrote in his preliminary draft that the inalienable rights are “life, liberty, and property.” Benjamin Franklin and John Adams agreed with all but one: property. Jefferson was a slaveowner, Franklin and Adams staunch abolitionists. Therefore, the result was the famous epilogue we all (hopefully) know today: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The American Framers acknowledged these great thinkers when drafting the Constitution. However, which of these is, when referencing the Greek, the asphaleia, or the peace and security of our innovative free-market system? Which of these natural rights produced the strongest and

wealthiest economy in human history? All.

Unfortunately, our modern society attempts to absolutize all scenarios of life — even a discipline based upon concepts of consumer choice or supply and demand. James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, understood the sentiment intertwined from Jefferson’s Declaration: a system of government must possess institutional protections for citizens to seek their own happiness and, by extension, it must protect a free-market system allowing consumers to choose the product indicative of their livelihood and needs. American historical dominance of the economic realm is based upon these virtues attacked in the modern political sphere: character, generosity, consciousness, and property. A political economy protecting each sphere inherently protects the natural rights bestowed by God.

Are these currently under attack? Are political parties “canceling” the character of individuals and their families, disagreeing with their ideology? If your conscience dictates your future actions within the political or economic realm, are you crucified for your convictions? Has society begun to demonize those deemed with inexcusable amounts of private property? Any of this sound familiar?

The American economy has enjoined and received the blessings of prosperity because the American Framers adhered to the predisposed rights and virtues bestowed by the Almighty. Once society begins attacking the foundational principles protecting the very acts of their attack, the American politic and economy will begin to crumble.

Once the American economy is suffocated from innovating because groups attack the character, morality, and consciousness of their fellow citizens, the simultaneous era will experience moral and economic decay. Every great civilization in history has economically imploded due to the absence of virtue.

Has the decay begun? I argue in the affirmative, but it’s our ensuring responsibility to uphold our republican virtues so eloquently exuded in the economic prosperity earned through the freedoms of this nation.

S. Van Allen is Associate Professor of Government in the Helms School of Government. Before teaching, he worked for the people of the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia under U.S. Rep. Ben Cline and U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte.

Aaron

In its fifth and final season as a member of the ASUN Conference, Liberty Athletics saw several teams contend for conference championships and five emerge victorious: men’s golf, men’s indoor track & field, men’s outdoor track & field, women’s indoor track & field, and women’s outdoor track & field.

Liberty Golf earned its second ASUN title and seventh conference title in program history on April 26. After entering the 2023 ASUN Men’s Golf Championship as the No. 1 seed, the Flames recorded a 53-under par 811 at the RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Ala.

The men’s and women’s indoor track & field teams won ASUN Conference titles on Feb. 25 at the Liberty Indoor Track Complex, marking the Flames’ fifth consecutive ASUN crown and the second straight for the Lady

Flames. The Flames have never lost a men’s indoor track & field conference meet at the NCAA Division I level and own the longest active streak of conference titles in Division I with 26 straight victories. Head Coach Lance Bingham was voted ASUN Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.

The outdoor track & field program followed suit on May 13 in Jacksonville, Fla., sweeping the men’s and women’s ASUN titles. The men’s team claimed its 16th straight outdoor track & field championship, holding the longest active streak in NCAA Division I men’s outdoor track & field. The Lady Flames recorded their third conference championship in four years. Bingham again was named Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.

Liberty Athletics made other impressive

NEXT UP:

Of Liberty University’s 20 NCAA Division I Athletics teams, 17 will officially become Conference USA members this fall — men’s and women’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, basketball, and tennis as well as baseball, softball, men’s golf, women’s volleyball, women’s swimming & diving, women’s soccer, and football. Men’s soccer will join the newly formed Ohio Valley Conference, women’s lacrosse will stay in the ASUN, and field hockey will remain in the BIG EAST.

showings in the ASUN this past year, claiming regular-season titles in men’s basketball, men’s tennis, volleyball, women’s lacrosse, and women’s soccer.

At the end of another highly successful season in the ASUN, the league awarded Liberty Athletics all three of its All-Sports trophies — the Bill Bibb Trophy (overall all-sports champion), Jesse C. Fletcher Trophy (men’s all-sport champion), and the Sherman Day Trophy (women’s allsport champion). Liberty has swept all three trophies each year the conference has presented the award during the Flames’ fiveyear run as a conference member.

Liberty Athletics also celebrated its first ASUN Conference Female StudentAthlete of the Year, awarded to redshirt junior Calli Doan, a member of the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field teams. In addition, Doan was named the ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the year for women’s cross country and outdoor track & field while earning ASUN AllAcademic Team recognition for all three of her sports. She became Liberty’s first-ever women’s steeplechase qualifier to the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

DEMARIO DOUGLAS 10TH FLAMES FOOTBALL PLAYER TO BE DRAFTED BY NFL

Former Flames receiver Demario Douglas was selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Douglas became the 10th Flame to be taken in the draft and the third within the last four years, joining Malik Willis (2022, third round/ Tennessee Titans) and Antonio Gandy-Golden (2020, fourth round/Washington Redskins).

Douglas finished his career with 172 receptions for 2,193 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 79 catches for 993

yards in his senior season.

Following the 2023 NFL Draft, outside linebacker and defensive end Durrell Johnson signed a contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

Douglas and Johnson join a growing list of former Liberty Football players who are currently in professional leagues. Four former Flames are in the NFL, with another four participating in leagues such as the Canadian Football League and the United States Football League.

MATT REYNOLDS

Six new members will be inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame during a special ceremony honoring the 15th class on Friday, Sept. 8. They will also receive

special recognition during the Sept. 9 football game against New Mexico State at Williams Stadium.

The Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame celebrates the best of the best, honoring those who helped shape the face of

Liberty Athletics. The Hall of Fame’s 80 members, including the six new inductees, have each played a key role in helping Liberty grow from an NCCAA program in 1972 to its current status as a thriving NCAA Division I program.

IN THE RECORD BOOK

CIRCLE-RIGHT Liberty Athletics had a record-high six programs recognized by the NCAA for holding a perfect 1,000 Academic Progress Rate score. Student-athletes finished 2022-23 with a 3.28 cumulative GPA, the highest year-end mark in athletics department history.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Liberty Softball set a program record for most wins over Top 25 teams in a single season (4) and most games against Top 25 teams in a single season (16). The team also set a single-season program record with 31 double plays. Rachel Craine set a program record, reaching base safely in 11 straight plate appearances. Karlie Keeney set program single-season records for games started (34) and innings pitched (261.2).

CIRCLE-RIGHT The men’s golf team broke several records at the ASUN Championships, including the lowest 18-hole team total with 261 (second round) and the lowest 54-hole team total with 811. Senior Jonathan Yaun set a 54-hole individual total program record of 198.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Lady Flames Basketball set a program record with 224 3-pointers made. In addition, senior Mya Berkman set the program single-season field goal percentage at 69.5 (No. 1 in NCAA). She

CIRCLE-RIGHT Flames runner Omari Lewis set the program record in the men’s 60-meter dash with a time of 6.70. Donald McClinton’s time of 20.86 in the 200 set the men’s indoor track program record and the ASUN Conference all-time record.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Calli Doan set indoor track program records for the women’s mile with a time of 4:36.52 and the women’s 3K with a time of 9:24.67 (also an ASUN Championship meet record). In the outdoor season, she set a program-record time of 9:57.15 in the women’s steeplechase and an ASUN Conference all-time record of 15:51.38 in the women’s 5K.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Outdoor track & field discus thrower Kevin Nedrick set the ASUN Conference all-time record with a throw of 194 feet, 5 inches. Rayan Holmes set a new ASUN and program record in the men’s 400 hurdles with a time of 50.27.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Senior Taylen Langin set the ASUN Conference all-time record in the women’s pole vault for outdoor track by clearing 13-9.25.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Isis Brooks set outdoor track program records in the women’s 200 with a time of 23.09 and in the women’s 100 (11.23) at the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Flames Basketball guard Darius McGhee set the Liberty and ASUN all-time scoring records with 2,685 total points in his Flames tenure. He also raised his career mark for 3-pointers to 528 and set new program records for 3-pointers in a season (162) and a game (9, twice). McGhee became the first Flame to win conference Player of the Year honors three times.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Lacrosse attacker Lizzy Ferguson set program records for season- and careerbest draw controls with 182 draw controls in 2023 and 288 draw controls in her career.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Josh Wilson set the men’s tennis program standard for all-time career singles wins with 91 and doubles wins with 82. The men’s tennis team won the inaugural 2023 Universal Tennis NIT Championship title.

CIRCLE-RIGHT Esther Lovato set a program record in women’s tennis for all-time career singles wins with 96.

Sarah (Wilkerson) Erps Women’s basketball, 1997-2000

Jonita (Randolph) Joseph Women’s tennis, 2004-07

Todd Pettyjohn Men’s track & field, 1991-94

Brye Ravettine Women’s swimming & diving, 2011-14

Rupert Wright Football, 1977-80

Jeff Meyer Men’s basketball head coach, 1981-97

CLUB SPORTS TEAMS THRIVE ON THE

NATIONAL STAGE

Highlighted by several record-setting performances, the 2022-23 school year was a memorable one for Liberty University’s Club Sports programs.

DIVISION I WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Liberty captured its sixth national championship, becoming the first ACHA women’s or men’s team at any level to win five championships in a row. The Lady Flames (26-2-1) survived back-to-back, one-goal games, rallying from a 4-1 deficit to top Adrian College 5-4 in overtime of the semifinals before securing the title with a 3-2 triumph over No. 3 Minot State.

DIVISION I MEN’S HOCKEY: Seeded No. 5, the Flames (18-13-2) advanced to the semifinals of the National Championships, losing to top-ranked Minot State 3-2. Five players competed on Team USA and one on Team Canada at the World Cup of University Hockey in Cârta, Romania. Team USA defeated Canada to win gold.

MEN’S WRESTLING: Senior Jeff Allen became the NCWA’s first-ever four-time national champion at the NCWA Grand Nationals team championship tournament, held for the first time in Puerto Rico. The Flames came up just short in the quest for their fifth consecutive nationals title.

SHOOTING SPORTS: After back-to-back silver medal performances, the shotgun team struck gold in Division III of the ACUI Clay Target National Championships. The rifle team earned a program-best second-place aggregate finish at the ASSA Intercollegiate Rifle Club National Championships, also notching second- and third-place finishes in smallbore and air rifle, respectively.

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS: Junior Sophie Boone claimed a national title on the balance beam to lead Liberty to a programbest second-place showing behind Penn State at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) Championships. Liberty set a program record with 109.8 points in the finals.

MEN’S LACROSSE: The team advanced to the MCLA Division I National Championships Final Four for the first

time in program history by defeating the University of California Santa Barbara and Georgia in the first two rounds before being eliminated by eventual national champion Concordia Irvine (Calif.). Liberty (15-4) was seeded No. 3 after losing to top-ranked Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Lacrosse Conference championship final 14-13 in double overtime in Lynchburg.

DISC GOLF: The Division I team rose to sixth place out of 63 teams at the College Disc Golf (CDG) National Championships with a 22-under-par 224 total after the final round. The defending national champion Division III men’s team came in third at 21-under 204 after losing a tiebreaking shootoff with North Carolina State.

SKI & SNOWBOARD: The men’s snowboarders landed on the podium with a second-place team showing in the Slopestyle competition and third-place finish in Boardercross at the USCSA National Championships in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (Most of the events were canceled due to record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.)

TAEKWONDO: Liberty freshman Xena Sawyer won the women’s middleweight black belt championship, qualifying to represent Team USA at the World University Games in China in July. Junior Julia Eesley won the blue belt welterweight division gold medal at the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA) National Championships. The Flames and Lady Flames added five bronze medals in various divisions of sparring and breaking.

TRIATHLON: The men’s team placed sixth out of 87 collegiate club programs in the April 14-16 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships while the Lady Flames landed in 10th out of 22 teams for a combined eighth-place overall finish. Giovanni Bianco crossed the finish line 26th out of 590 participants, followed by fellow Liberty graduate student Drew Thibault at 30th.

FIGURE SKATING: Junior Kristine Neumeyer won a gold medal in the Excel Pre-Juvenile freeskate to lead Liberty to a program-best sixth-place finish out of 16 teams at the U.S. Figure Skating Collegiate National Intercollegiate Finals.

CYCLING: Freshman James Povolny won both the Class B criterium and Class B road race at the Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference Championships in Charlottesville, Va., clinching the ACCC men’s overall season title.

MEN’S SWIMMING: The Flames placed second out of 128 programs in the College Club Swimming (CCS) National Championships. Liberty’s 25 swimmers scored in all but one event and set two team and CCS Championships records, in the 800-yard freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. Senior Matt Davidson defended his national title in the 100 backstroke.

NOAH SEIDLITZ

MATT REYNOLDS BROOKE MCDUFFEE

EVA SODERSTROM

HONORING THE PAST WITH EYES ON THE FUTURE

Liberty, like the late Brenda Bonheim, who helped start the women’s basketball and volleyball programs and was our first-ever Senior Woman Administrator, and longtime professor and coach Dr. Linda Farver, as well as several swimming & diving alumni who worked tirelessly in our original facility, the LaHaye Aquatics Center, to build our program into a winner.

weights in the Hancock Athletic Center, take recruits on campus tours past the old Circle dorms, and find shelter in our first offices in the old Schilling Center.

Gratitude, a zero-entitlement attitude, appreciation, reverence, and remembrance. These are attributes that we instill in our program. Thank you, alumni and supporters. Your efforts are not lost on our program. We honor you with gratitude and our work.

Long before Top 25 FBS football, the endowment, and the campus we all know today, our Athletic Department announced the addition of a women’s swimming program to our Division I offerings in 2008. I arrived on Liberty Mountain in the summer of 2009 to start the new swim program from scratch and spent the 2009-10 academic year recruiting and coaching a group of women already on campus who showed an interest in joining the first official NCAA team the following year. Current Associate Head Coach Jessica Barnes was added on as our first assistant in Fall 2010, and the 2010-11 school year marked the beginning of an ongoing journey that will see us start year 14 coaching together this fall.

A vision from Liberty University founder Dr. Jerry Falwell to Train Champions for Christ and achieve academic and athletic excellence fueled us in those early days amid humble beginnings. While we are not fortunate enough to remember the original Thomas Road Baptist Church, watch football practice on Treasure Island or games at Lynchburg City Stadium, or attend Convocation under the tent, we did lift

We officially added women’s diving to the program in 2013, and the recent addition of the state-of-the-art Liberty Natatorium in 2018 spurred a record string of five consecutive titles (and counting) in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA). Diving Coach Andrew Helmich rounds out our staff, and together we work daily to uphold the original vision of Dr. Falwell and co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns, delicately balancing a respect for the past with an eye toward the future.

Our women are superstars, and our culture of excellence in the Liberty Swimming & Diving program allows them to succeed in the classroom, in the water, and on the diving platforms, using this experience as springboards for impactful lives after collegiate athletics. While not perfect, our swimmers and divers have a heart for God, and they give our staff hope for the future of the university and Christianity in general. They are Champions for Christ in every sense of the term and represent Liberty and our alumni family with grace and dignity.

Perhaps just as importantly, our staff instills a spirit of thanksgiving and appreciation of Liberty history as pillars of that culture. We practice an overwhelming sense of gratitude and cultivate a deep reverence for those who paved the way and sacrificed much to build this great university. Every year, our women watch the famous “Do It” speech by Art Williams, a generous supporter of Liberty and the namesake of Williams Stadium. How many enter the stadium gates every year without knowing the “why” behind the name? They also learn about pioneers in women’s sports at

But we do not live in the past. We’re always moving forward. We do not tire nor falter. We strive daily, with Paul’s words in Ephesians reminding us that we were created in Christ’s image to do good works. We honor the past and those who sacrificed to build Liberty and our program, but we do not rest in their accomplishments; we’re busy writing the next chapter and making our contributions to Liberty’s story.

As we’re no longer in the lean years, we’ll use every resource and facility available to further the mission of Training Champions for Christ. We will not deny God’s current blessings. Though we have plenty, we will never let shiny new buildings or the talk of resources lull us into the shallows of mediocrity. We will, without fail, maintain an old-school work ethic of which all Liberty alumni can be proud. We will never waver from Dr. Falwell’s original vision and will always pledge that “If it’s Christian, it ought to be better,” for within Liberty Swimming & Diving, we believe it is.

Jake Shellenberger is entering his 14th season as Liberty’s founding women’s swimming head coach and is coming off his fifth CCSA Coach of the Year honor this past season. Prior to joining the Liberty staff, he served as an assistant coach on Penn State University’s men’s and women’s swimming & diving team. Shellenberger is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, American Swimming Coaches Association, and the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

The women’s swimming & diving team won its fifth consecutive CCSA conference championship in February.

MATT REYNOLDS

The Gift of Family

FOUNDER’S LOVE FOR CHILDREN LIVES ON THROUGH LIVES TOUCHED BY ADOPTION

Years after his death, Liberty University founder Dr. Jerry Falwell continues to leave a profound impact on the Lynchburg and Liberty community as his heartbeat for children still pulses in the lives of many families who have been blessed through adoption.

A preacher emboldened to fight for family values in the public sphere, Falwell always treasured God’s design for the family. He found ways to care for precious babies and children, including establishing the Liberty Godparent Home, a place for young pregnant mothers to receive care and counseling in making parenting and adoption plans, offering them an alternative to abortion.

Countless families have been blessed by Falwell’s kindness and generosity, and his legacy lives on in future generations of families who were brought together by this visionary and compassionate pastor.

Callie Penn, who attended Liberty in the 1970s, said this is a side of his pastor that many people did not get to see. He and his wife, Kendra (’79, ’97), are just one of the many couples who have seen the power of God

at work through Falwell to meet children’s needs. The couple married in 1997 and wanted to start a family but found out soon after that they could not conceive. Around the time they learned this, they had the idea to start free child care for church members.

Even though Callie worked for TRBC and Kendra was a singer who traveled for Falwell’s ministries, the Penns hoped that

babysitting would allow them to serve God together.

“We weren’t doing a particular ministry together, so we thought this would be a great way to serve people and get our baby fix at the same time,” Callie said.

But a week after they decided to volunteer to babysit, they were informed that God had made it financially possible for them to adopt a child.

“My heart sunk because we basically had just told God that we knew we weren’t going to have children; we were just going to babysit. It was almost like God was saying, ‘Oh, yes you are. ’”

They didn’t know at the time that they would receive a double blessing.

“Little did we know that we would end up being blessed, not only with one child, but with two,” Callie said. “God is a good God and will give you double for your trouble.”

They adopted their son Graham in 2001 and six years later adopted their second son, Jackson. Both were private adoptions, and they received the boys straight from the hospital two days after they were born.

Callie and Kendra Penn dedicate their second child, Jackson, on May 13, 2007, at Thomas Road Baptist Church with their older son, Graham, and the Rev. Jerry Falwell.

This photo of Dr. Jerry Falwell in 1987 was used in early promotions for the Liberty Godparent Home.

Jackson was the last baby Falwell would ever dedicate to the Lord; Falwell passed away two days after that church service, on May 15, 2007, at age 73.

“God knew Tuesday, May 15, would be Dr. Falwell’s last day here on earth, and He allowed him to dedicate that precious little gift he gave us before he passed,” Callie said.

Through the years, the Penns never knew who had intervened on their behalf to make the adoptions possible — until a couple of years ago when Callie, who now works as the senior life coordinator at TRBC, was talking with a co-worker who had been with the ministry for many years.

“Unbeknownst to us, she had the privilege of knowing our story and eventually made it known to us,” Callie said. “She and I were reminiscing of our friendships with Dr. Falwell and all the wonderful things he did over the course of his life. She asked me how the boys were doing and, after a while, she asked me this question: ‘You do know who made it possible for you to adopt your boys, don’t you?’ I honestly had to tell her, ‘No, I don’t,’ because that information had never been given to us.’ Tears began to well up in her eyes, and my heart was pounding. This was a secret that had been kept hidden for many years. She said it was ... Dr. Falwell.”

“It just amazes me how he could do that and go to his grave and not say anything,” Callie added. “It just blows my mind. But that was the kind of man he was. Obviously, he was recognized because of his platform, but there’s a lot of things he did that people

never heard about, never saw.”

He said he knew then that “something had to be done in honor of this wonderful man.”

One day in his devotional time, he asked God what he could use in his life as a means of doing good to help others. He said God immediately answered, “Use what I gave you — the boys!”

“It all came full circle,” Callie said. “Everything that had happened with our adoptions up to this point was one big question, but now it all made sense.”

That’s when the Penns had the vision for Jerry’s Kids Adoption Foundation, named in honor of Falwell’s legacy. The name is a fond reminder of how Liberty students and all young people who were a part of the church and other affiliated ministries used to affectionately call themselves “Jerry’s kids.”

“Any kid who went through the Godparent Home, Early Learning Center, Liberty Christian Academy, and Liberty University, we were all known as ‘Jerry’s Kids,’” Callie said. “He had a heart for kids from the cradle to their Ph.D.”

The foundation launched this past Mother’s Day, May 14. Operating as an independent organization with its own advisory board, Jerry’s Kids exists to raise funds for Christian couples who feel God calling them to adopt. The foundation was established to help couples financially who are going through the adoption process with Family Life Services Adoption Agency, which is based in Lynchburg. The foundation is tax-exempt and is run completely by volunteers, with 100 percent of the funds raised going toward adoption expenses.

Callie said the entire endeavor is about honoring Falwell and bringing glory to God by helping other couples enjoy the blessing of adoption.

“I want to be able to take the kindness and generosity that Dr. Falwell showed us and turn that around and pay it forward to help other couples who are in the position we were in at that time.”

Now 22 years after becoming parents, the couple still marvels at God’s providence throughout their lives, even when they thought their dreams were crushed.

“It took 22 years to get to this point, but now I see how God took what Satan meant for harm in our marriage and is turning it into good,” Callie said. “And that’s what Dr. Falwell would want. He would want for God to get the glory in this, because it’s not about us. It’s not even about Dr. Falwell. Although he was the vessel God used, he would point everything to God.”

The Penn family in 2008

Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell at the Liberty Godparent Home in 1982.

Biblically Based

A LOVE FOR GOD’S WORD PROPELS ONE OF LIBERTY’S FIRST STUDENTS INTO A LIFETIME OF COLLECTING RARE BIBLES

For over 40 years, Liberty University alumnus Gene Albert (’75, ’77) has used his passion for preserving some of the world’s oldest Bibles to share the powerful message of the Gospel written within the ancient pages.

Growing up Lutheran in Hagerstown, Md., Albert has always had an interest in the Bible’s teachings. He grew up listening to visiting evangelists and local preachers. Despite his interest in the Scriptures, the Word of God did not become real to him until college.

Albert attended Mount St. Mary’s University, a private Catholic college near his home. Through his courses, he developed a strong appreciation for the Bible. But soon, college party life and smoking marijuana became a habit. He knew he needed to do something different with his life and contacted a local pastor who shared with him that the Rev. Jerry

BY CHRISTIAN SHIELDS

Falwell had just established Lynchburg Baptist College (now Liberty University) and would be opening it the following year. He visited and was accepted.

Only a few weeks into classes, one Wednesday night, God spoke to Albert through one of Falwell’s sermons and he accepted Christ as his Savior, likely becoming the first student to accept Christ under the school’s ministry.

Because of his newfound faith, Albert said his classes became new to him — and so did the Bible. What was once just a fascination turned into a deeper appreciation for God’s Word.

He credits his relationship with former Lynchburg Baptist Theological Seminary professor Dr. Carl Diemer as influential in developing his passion for church history.

“He made those stories come alive about the old, Christian heroes of the faith — Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, and many

others,” he said.

Albert graduated with his undergraduate degree in religion in 1975 as a member of the school’s first four-year graduating class. In 1977, he followed with his master’s degree in Christian education and church history. He spent two years in Dallas, Texas, working alongside a pastor helping to transport native missionaries from other countries to local churches for speaking engagements. When the ministry’s donations decreased, he went back to Maryland and started a real estate business.

As his business thrived, Albert began to collect Bibles and other artifacts. The first item he purchased was a letter written by Charles Spurgeon in Georgetown (Washington, D.C.). Albert later gave that letter as well as a letter signed by D.L. Moody to Falwell, who hung them in his office.

Soon, Gene was traveling the country

to attend annual book shows to add to his collection. In total, Albert has collected and sold over $9 million worth of Bibles and items from church history. His collection at one point contained such rarities as a parchment certificate of ordination signed by Martin Luther.

Eventually, his collection grew enough that he wanted to display it, which sparked the birth of the Christian Heritage Museum in Hagerstown, Md. Fifteen years after founding the museum, Albert decided to sell a large portion of his collection and return to Liberty where he served as the curator of the Rawlings Scriptorium, which opened in 2018 at the base of the Freedom Tower. Albert was involved in planning the scriptorium’s space and helped secure a number of items for the university, which included an 1860 first edition Cherokee Native American Bible,

notes from Spurgeon, and a page from the 1455 Gutenberg Bible (first Bible/book printed on a movable type press.)

Last summer, Albert and his wife, Darlean, moved to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., to open the Tennessee Bible Museum. The museum features seven different rooms filled with rare Bibles and many other items of church history. Exhibits include an 1850 Hebrew Torah Scroll from Germany written on vellum, an original 1480 Latin Vulgate, and hundreds of 16thand 17th-century Bibles. It also includes a Bible that stopped a bullet from hitting a soldier during the Civil War, a “nano Bible” etched on a microchip, a collection of infamous misprint Bibles, such as the 1795 “Child Killer’s Bible” (printed Mark 7:27 with “killed instead of “filled”), and Bibles signed by famous people like evangelist Billy Graham, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Mother

Teresa, Elvis Presley, former presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush, and many others.

While the museum enables Albert to encourage Christians who visit the museum, it is also a ministry to nonbelievers. After hearing the stories of the martyrs, many visitors have expressed their appreciation by having a desire to read their Bibles more. Others come in asking for prayer.

“All of us, from my wife and me to our volunteer staff, are more than willing to share their burdens and pray with them. It is truly an honor and a blessing,” Albert said.

“What’s Christianity without Scriptures?” he added. “Jesus of course is the Living Word, but it’s the written Word. (Just as) you can’t separate my words from me, you can’t separate God’s Word (from God).”

PHOTOS BY ADAM PHELPS

CLASS NOTES

1980s

’82 MELINDA SPLAWN, of Birmingham, Ala., is retiring after 30 years of serving as a teacher, counselor, principal, HR coordinator, and deputy superintendent of education.

’86, ’90 RICHARD ROSSI, of Valley Village, Calif., co-authored a bestselling novel alongside Kelly Tabor (’89) titled, “Lucy and the Lake Monster.” The book is being made into a major motion picture set for release at the end of 2023.

’87 THERESA GARDNER, of Hamlet, N.C., will be starting a new position as principal at Fairview Heights Elementary School after serving as the principal of Rockingham Middle School.

1990s

’91 VANESSA MCCORMICK, of North Java, N.Y., is serving her second term as Supervisor for the town of Java. She has been elected Vice Chair for the county Board of Supervisors and currently serves as Chief of Staff for an assemblyman in N.Y.

’92 DAVID MILLER, of Interlachen, Fla., is retiring after 26 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. He was a senior chaplain at Putnam Correctional Institution and has recently accepted the Senior Pastor position at First United Methodist Church of Interlachen.

2000s

’03 JOHN BURNS, of Indian Head, Md., worked in web development at Liberty after graduating. He is now a senior leader in the Pentagon working in the cyber field supporting with Operational Test and Evaluation.

’07 MONTY FRITTS, of Kingston, Tenn., was elected as the Tennessee House District 32 Representative after retiring from a career in nuclear manufacturing and program management.

’08 KIMBERLY MORGAN, of Elkins, W.Va., is now a full-time Professor of Psychology at David and Elkins College in West Virginia. She previously served as a chaplain and bereavement counselor for hospice and an addiction therapist in recovery centers.

2010s

’12 CRAIG DALIESSIO, of Lynchburg, Va., released a book titled, “An Orphan in the House of God.” The book explores how childhood can affect the view of Christians as a child of God.

’12 THARESA LEE, of New Bern, N.C., serves on the National Day of Prayer Task Force as the

North Carolina State Coordinator alongside her husband, Jimmie.

’16 MARK BODANZA, of Hillsborough, N.H., is now the Director of Programs with His Mansion Ministries after 23 years in law enforcement. The ministry is a co-ed residential facility focused on healing from addiction and mental health. He is now pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling at Liberty.

’16 QUINCY HAYNES, of Virginia Beach, Va., has published a new book titled, “I Believe.”

’16 HARRYSON TURNER, of Raleigh, N.C., was promoted to Senior Vice President and West Raleigh Market President of North State Bank. He will lead the bank’s efforts to serve businesses and individuals in the growing West Raleigh area in this new position.

’17 KRISTIN RAMASSINI, of Tomahawk, Wis., has been named the 2023 Armed Forces Insurance Coast Guard Base National Capital Region Spouse of the Year. Ramassini is stationed with her husband, Capt. Steven Ramassini, at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

’18 SARAH RITCHIE, of King George, Va., was named Elementary School Counselor of the Year in Virginia and Division Educator of the Year. She graduated from Liberty’s school counseling program and serves as the Communications and Public Relations Chair for the Virginia School Counselor Association. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Rappahannock Community Services Board.

’19 JEANETTE EZELL, of Dayton, Ohio, was selected by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation as a Caregiver Fellow for the state of Ohio, where she

advocates for military and veteran caregivers.

’19 SHEILA PRICE, of Easley, S.C., was named Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries. CMCM provides residential care, foster care, family care, and crisis care for children and families in South Carolina.

’19 MARTIN ROBINSON, of Fort Bragg, N.C., is the Fayetteville Technical Community College Assistant Director of Military and Veterans Programs at Fort Bragg. His position allows him to support service members on their educational journey.

’19 JONATHAN WEBSTER, of Oldsmar, Fla., has published two novels in his “Chronicles of Old Glory” series, with two more novels yet to be released.

2020s

’20 NICK DYSON, of Newton, N.C., is serving as a youth pastor at New Vision Ministries in Lincolnton, N.C., leading middle and high school programs alongside his wife.

’20 VALENTINE MULANGO, of San Diego, Calif., is beginning her career with the Navy as a Public Affairs Officer and Navy spokesperson after receiving a master’s in strategic communications.

’22 VINCENZO GIZZI, of Rochester, N.Y., is the youth pastor at Two Rivers Church in Binghamton, N.Y. He pursued his degree through Liberty’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.

’22 VERONICA MASON, of Apex, N.C., is a Resettlement Coordinator with World Relief serving refugees from various countries.

“The new community platform is really exciting. You can join or create a group, find a mentor, or use the platform as a searchable directory. The clean user interface is impressively intuitive to navigate. This community is set up to efficiently return significant social and professional dividends on the investment of every individual.”

Abe Loper, MBA ’10, Ed.S. ’12 | President, the LU Alumni Lynchburg Chapter’

The Next Chapter

COMMUNICATIONS GRADUATE NAMED NEW HOST OF ‘CENTERPOINT’ ON TBN

Throughout her impressive career in media and politics, Liberty University alumna Lyndsay Keith (’10) has been determined to view her vocation as a platform to advance the Kingdom of God.

Keith got her start in broadcasting while at Liberty, working as a sideline reporter for the Liberty Flames Sports Network (LFSN) and as co-anchor for “Game On” (the weekly sports broadcast now called “Flames Central”). Her impressive résumé outside of Lynchburg includes working on Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign, in Google’s marketing department in San Francisco and New York, and most recently serving as co-host on former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s show, “Spicer & Co.,” on Newsmax. She recently accepted a position at Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) to be the host of “Centerpoint,” an evening show covering

BY JACOB COUCH

news from a biblical worldview. TBN is an international Christian-based broadcast network and the largest religious television network in the world.

While she was raised in a Christian home and biblical values were instilled in her at a young age, Keith credits her alma mater for encouraging Christ-centered living as she trained to go out into the world as an ambassador for Christ.

“Liberty is a training ground,” Keith said. “It is an opportunity to hone your faith, to be shaped, to get good friends around you, a good community, good accountability, and to realize that there are people cheering you on who are like-minded. Liberty is a place to build those relationships with people who care about you and who ultimately care about your relationship with God and care about you spiritually. They care about your whole being, not just your education.”

Keith is thankful for the influence of her father, Dr. Steven Keith, director of Liberty’s Center for Chaplaincy. She remembers him teaching his young children about apologetics at the dinner table.

“He really challenged us when we were young to understand our faith. … It was the underpinnings of everything we talked about,” she said. “I didn’t realize what a blessing that was until I got older. It really helped shape my worldview.”

Growing up with a father who was a U.S. Air Force chaplain, the family moved often, around the country and the world. Born in California, she moved 10 times prior to college.

“We were moving all over the place all of the time and got to see a lot of the world at a young age,” she said. “I didn’t even really know how good I had it. I was taking pictures in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa while learning about it. By the time I went to college, I’d already traveled to around 20 countries.”

She said her parents never apologized for all the moves but instead made every change to a new location an exciting adventure.

“They really used it to teach us a biblical worldview and the concept that this world is not your home, you’re just passing through,” she said. “But they would also implement the idea of ‘bloom where you’re planted.’”

Keith has done just that, blooming everywhere she has gone while remaining positive amid uncertainty and transition.

Keith attended Northland International University in Wisconsin, where she played soccer. In 2008, she graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Bible and counseling and decided to pursue a graduate degree in communications at Liberty with hopes of becoming a spokesperson for the pro-life movement.

During her first year of graduate school, Keith auditioned for a sideline reporter position for Flames Football, Baseball, and Basketball left vacant by Samantha Ponder (’09), who had been hired to work for FOX. (Ponder is now host of “Sunday NFL Countdown” on ESPN.) Keith was chosen for the role.

“I was like, ‘These are my people,’” Keith said, acknowledging how at home she felt while being on the sidelines with studentathletes. “I loved it, and I loved the spontaneity of it. I didn’t even care about the camera, I loved the work.”

Keith spent two years as a sideline reporter, completed her degree in 2010, and continued to work for Liberty in other roles, eventually being named director of Convocation, where she had the privilege of hosting and interacting with world leaders, including then-Republican presidential candidate Romney.

Shortly after Romney visited campus to deliver the 2012 Commencement address, his team offered Keith a press lead position on his campaign team. When the campaign ended, she returned to Liberty a year later to join “Game On” as a producer and co-anchor.

“That was a dream job,” she said, noting that the position afforded her the joy of traveling the nation to interview Christian professional athletes like Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, former Washington Commanders running back Alfred Morris, and many others.

As she adjusts to her new role with TBN, she said she is grateful for the support of her former classmates at Liberty, her family, and the friends she has made in recent years who have helped her thrive as a Champion for Christ

“When you go out into the world, it can be dark. It can be lonely,” she said. “I have a community, my family and good friends, who are cheering me on. I stand on the shoulders of many people who are supporting me and encouraging me.”

IN MEMORIAM

SUSAN ADAMS, 75, of Argyle, Texas, died Jan. 12. She was a counseling professor at Liberty from 2018-21 and served in multiple roles with the Texas Counseling Association, including president, and was a member of the strategic planning committee and editorial board of the Journal of Professional Counseling.

JOEL BLACK (’17), 32, of Chambersburg, Pa., died Jan. 29 after a long battle with leukemia. He earned his MBA from Liberty. He worked in politics, running campaigns, lobbying at the Capitol, and working for Pennsylvania State Rep. Jesse Topper. He worked at both the Bedford and Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, he taught business at James Buchanan High School.

JAMES BRADLEY (’11), 90, of Ellijay, Ga., died Feb. 27. He received a master’s degree in apologetics from Liberty at the age of 80. He retired from the U.S. Air Force as a master sergeant serving in the Strategic Air Command and served in the Korean War conflict. He was a chaplain in the Civil Air Patrol in Georgia.

RONALD BROWN, 73, of Lynchburg, Va., died Jan. 12. He concluded his journalism career in publications at Liberty. He previously worked at The Buena Vista News, The News and Advance, and The Roanoke Times. His writing was recognized numerous times by the Virginia Press Association, and he was named Outstanding Journalist in Investigative

JOSIAH FOWLER (2002-2023)

Fowler, of McDonough, Ga., died May 12 in a cycling accident near Lynchburg.

He was a sophomore pursuing a B.S. in Exercise Science: Therapeutic Science and a member of Liberty’s triathlon team.

His teammates and coach remember him for his determination, hard work, generous spirit, and desire to glorify God through his life in and out of competitions.

Triathlon Head Coach Heather Gollnick said Jesus, family, triathlon, and teammates are what Fowler loved most.

“Josi, as he was affectionately called, was simply an exceptional young man, friend, and leader. His selfless attitude and zeal for life were just a few of the myriad positive traits that he possessed. He was one of the most compassionate people on the team who everyone just loved. He loved the Lord with all his heart and soul. As we mourn his loss, we have peace knowing that Josiah is rejoicing at the feet of his Heavenly Father.”

Reporting. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

MICHAEL COOPER (’14), 34, of Ruther Glen, Va., died Jan. 29. He was an IT engineer at Capital One. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Human Services: Christian Ministries. While at Liberty, he met the love of his life, Emily Sharp Cooper.

LINDA BROWN HARRIS (’16), 72, of Midland, Ga., died Feb. 11. She earned her bachelor’s in Psychology: Life Coaching. She was a Marketing Specialist for AFLAC Insurance.

JAMES (JIMMY) JUDGE (’07), 55, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Jan. 14. He served over 31 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, most recently as Assistant Chief over Special Events.

KATHLYN “KAT” MCCULLAR, 56, of Miramar Beach, Fla., died on Jan. 1. She was pursuing a bachelor’s from Liberty. She had recently retired from UnitedHealthcare.

LAMARR MOONEYHAM (’76), 74, of Ringgold, Va., died Jan. 12. In 1972, he received a football scholarship to Liberty (then Lynchburg Baptist College) and was one of the university’s first graduates, earning a degree in theology. During his college years, he planted a church in Boydton, Va. He served as the senior pastor of The Tabernacle in Danville, Va., from 1986 until his retirement in 2016. He also earned a doctorate from Liberty along the way.

KELLY MILLER, 45, of Oneida, Fla., died Jan. 18. She was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in

GEORGE RAWLINGS (1945-2023)

Rawlings passed away on March 16. He was a longtime supporter of Liberty. Together with his brothers Herbert, Harold, and Carrol, George Rawlings and the Rawlings Foundation have made significant financial investments in Liberty over the years, helping it become the world-class Christian institution it is today.

George Rawlings was a successful Kentucky businessman who founded the Rawlings Foundation along with his father, the late Dr. John Rawlings, in 2000 with the purpose of advancing the Gospel and Christian education around the world. The foundation has funded youth camp facilities and Bible college campuses in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Last year, nearly 200,000 young people came to Christ through its work around the world.

Dr. John Rawlings was a pastor and key advisor to Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell in establishing the university.

psychology. She and her husband, Mike, were proprietors of the Creekside Inn in Verona, N.Y. She started the inn’s “Church of the Month” program and donated restaurant proceeds to a chosen church.

NEIL ROSS (’90), 86, of Newport News, Va., died Feb. 24. He devoted over 50 years of his life to his ministry, which included pastoring Community Bible Church in Newport News, missionary work on five continents, and teaching with his wife for a year at Harvesters Bible College in South Africa.

GREGORY SIMMONS (’89), of Charlotte, N.C., died Jan. 28. After graduating from Liberty, he began teaching and coaching baseball at Charlotte Christian School. He coached for 30 years with over 700 wins. In 2016, he was inducted into the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

JESSICA VENOHR (’15), 40, of Alanson, Mich., died on Jan. 24. She received her Certificate of Business Administration from Liberty. She loved God and her church family at Harbor Light Community Chapel.

REBECCA ROGERS VOLPE (’13), 31, of Furquay-Varina, N.C., died May 21. She earned a bachelor’s in fashion merchandising from Liberty, graduating in three years. She served as a prayer leader in her dorm. Rebecca was beloved by her church family at The Gathering Community Church and was a strong Christian; her faith was an inspiration to everyone who knew her.

DR. CHARLES STANLEY (1932-2023)

Stanley passed away on April 18. He delivered the keynote address at Commencement in 1980 and was a founding member of the Moral Majority in 1979 with Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell.

Stanley is known to audiences around the world through his wide-reaching TV and radio broadcasts, where he focused on practical, Christ-centered, biblically based principles for everyday life. In 2020, Stanley transitioned to the role of pastor emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta after serving 50 years as senior pastor. He served two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1985-86).

“Dr. Stanley’s preaching and pulpit ministry was nothing short of iconic,” Chancellor Jonathan Falwell said. “A preacher among preachers, he left an indelible mark upon several generations of men in Gospel ministry. He was a friend of my father’s and a well-known friend of Liberty University.”

With the help of two generous local businessmen, Dan Reber and Jimmy Thomas Sr., The Food Court at ReberThomas opened on Aug. 19, 1992. The namesakes donated $1.4 million — the remaining funds needed to complete

A FINE FARE WELL

Liberty’s first large dining facility. The building has undergone many renovations over the years but will be replaced by a new dining hall opening this fall. Students helped to give the old building a celebratory sendoff before the end of the

semester. On April 25, Liberty Dining and Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider, held “Rotapolooza,” a night of food, music, local vendors, and more. Students were also able to purchase commemorative “R.I.P. the Rot” T-shirts.

The new Reber-Thomas Dining Center, located by Liberty Lake, will provide students with even more dining options than before and feature large seating areas both inside and outside the building, with a peak capacity of 2,900 seats. The two-story, 120,000-square-foot structure will offer an estimated 25 food stations containing various meal options for students, including an allergen-free zone, a bake shop, and an exhibition kitchen station for hosting student cooking classes.

In recent years, Liberty Dining has received a number of accolades for its continued efforts to accommodate students’ needs. This year, Liberty was awarded an A+ rating for campus food and placed No. 3 out of 27 schools in Virginia and No. 19 in the country by Niche.com.

A FAMILIAR RING

Liberty University Co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns has worn the same ring every day, for over 50 years, that commemorates the school’s founding in 1971.

The ring, engraved with “CO-FOUNDER” on the side, features an eight-sided octagon (symbolizing the old Thomas Road Baptist Church’s eight-sided chapel) and a Bible with a flame (representing the school motto “Knowledge Aflame”). The ring also has a “Lynchburg Baptist College” banner (Liberty’s original name) and includes Towns’ initials on the inside.

Towns said he and Liberty’s founder, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, special ordered the rings soon after Liberty’s inaugural year began. They had a crest designed for the university and commissioned a school ring manufacturer to make rings for every student.

Towns has a special attachment to the relic from Liberty’s past.

“I wouldn’t take it off for anything, ever,” he said.

NOV. 3-4

KJ JUGAR

THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE 2023

$1,000,000 and above

Individuals

Anonymous

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James Willard Tumlin*

Organizations

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Jeremy Elliott Scholarship Foundation

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Organizations

Hendrick Motorsports

Lynchburg Life Saving Crew

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Individuals

Jason & Tori Benham

Jasen & Brandi Cassady

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Energy & Automation

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National Christian Foundation Carolinas

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Cutz for Guys

East Side Rides, LLC

F & S Building Innovations, Inc.

Fill the Gap Concerts

Fire Tech Services, Inc.

Garber-Lowe Fence, Inc.

Hargrave Military Academy

Hopewell Baptist Church

Kessler Investment Group, Inc.

Kline’s Ice Cream, Inc.

Liberty Tax Services

Liberty University YouthQuest

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MAC A B’s dba Curtains, Blinds & Bath

Minnick Enterprises, LLC

Northside Christian School, Ministry of Northside Baptist Church

Olde Southern Charm, LLC

Piedmont Airlines, Inc.

Schwab Charitable

Shelley McGhee - Life Anchor Agency

SponsorUp

The Harold and Dorothy Albert Trust

Tickets for Less, LLC

WACH Marketing, Inc.

Wilgus Automotive LLC dba Ed’s Automotive

* Estate Gift

Unpaid pledges from donors are not factored into the giving amounts for this list.

If we have omitted, misspelled, or misplaced your name, please accept our apologies and notify our office by calling toll-free (866) 602-7983.

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

This list recognizes donors whose giving to Liberty University from Jan. 1-April 30, 2023, qualifies for one of the following categories.

Season tickets for the 2023 football season are now available!

FOOTBALL TICKET TYPE REGULAR PRICE SAVINGS**

RECENT GRADUATE SEASON TICKETS BEGIN AT JUST $96! 60% SAVINGS

Be there for Head Coach Jamey Chadwell’s first season as well as the Flames’ first in Conference USA.

*Flames Club membership required for these sections

**Savings based on single game ticket prices

Special pricing on season tickets is available for recent Liberty graduates (2020-23), Liberty faculty & staff, and Letterwinners Association members. Please contact the Ticket Office for more information at 434-582-SEAT (7328).