FA L L 2 0 2 1 S E N I O R M A N AG I N G E D I TO R Mitzi Bible G RA P H I C D E S I G N E R Carrie Mitchell CON T RI B U T I N G E D I TO R S Kristin Conrad Jerry Prevo Amanda Stanley W RI T E R S Ted Allen Mitzi Bible Jacob Couch Ryan Klinker Logan Smith P H OTO G RA P H E RS Isaac Apon Joel Coleman Chase Gyles KJ Jugar Ross Kohl Ellie Richardson Andrew Snyder C R E AT I V E D I RE C TO R Josh Rice P U B L I S H I N G STA F F Rebecca Beem Ashley Deanda Kerry Hogan Leslie Keeney Dawn Neal Brian Shesko Christian Taylor
For more information about the Liberty Journal, email news@liberty.edu, call (434) 592-4955, or write to: Liberty University Office of Communications & Public Engagement 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, Va. 24515 View the digital version and past issues at Liberty.edu/LibertyJournal. For information on Liberty’s academic programs, the admission process, alumni, or athletics, call (434) 582-2000. Liberty University is not affiliated with the Department of Defense or any military service. Liberty University does not engage in unlawful discrimination or harassment because of race, color, ancestry, religion, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, or military veteran status in its educational programs and activities. Liberty University maintains its Christian character and reserves its right to discriminate on the basis of religion to the extent that applicable law respects its right to act in furtherance of its religious objectives.
2 | 50 YEARS OF BLESSINGS
Liberty invites everyone to join its yearlong golden anniversary celebration.
8 | IN OUR FOUNDER’S WORDS
Read an excerpt from a book by Dr. Jerry Falwell that teaches authentic faith and learn about a new center on campus that will honor his legacy.
12 | IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME
A thrilling football game, carnival, concert, and much more welcomed alumni on campus for Homecoming 2021.
20 | EXPANDING LU’s FOOTPRINT
In 50 years, Liberty has gone from a handful of graduates to 250,000 alumni who are impacting their world as Champions for Christ.
26 | FUNNY MAN MARK LOWRY
Catch up with this 1980 grad whose comic relief and spiritual wisdom have allowed him to be a vessel for sharing God’s Word.
32 | A CHAT WITH MALIK WILLIS
The Flames’ starting quarterback is gaining national attention, but he said he prefers to talk about his faith more.
36 | NEWS & EVENTS
Liberty’s new Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, & Recovery offers hope for the hurting.
44 | CLASS NOTES
Alumni share updates on their careers, accomplishments, and families.
MESSAGE from THE PRESIDENT Fifty years ago, Liberty’s first students came to Lynchburg. They had heard the Rev. Jerry Falwell talk about this new school, and it was his words that inspired them. They wanted to be part of that vision and become, as our founder called them, Champions for Christ. What these students and generations after them would learn went far beyond all the books and lectures in their chosen degree programs. They would leave with a diploma in hand, but also with so many lessons about living the Christian life and sharing God’s precious Word wherever He led them. While some people doubted that a small Christian college in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains could have much impact, those who witnessed the faith of our founder, a true servant of God, saw the vision become reality. For five decades, graduates have left Liberty with his words echoing in their ears and stirring in their hearts. They have marched on with the same resolve that he displayed in his own life. His story has inspired so many men and women who are serving the Lord throughout the world. That’s why we want to honor his legacy and continue to tell the story of
Alumni, students, parents, friends: Share your stories with us!
Email news@liberty.edu
Lights on the Freedom Tower, the Montview Student Union, and other buildings along the Academic Lawn shine in the same colors used across campus to celebrate Liberty’s 50th Anniversary.
his life, because the vision is still being fulfilled every day at Liberty. Training Champions for Christ is still our mission. We are excited to announce the new Jerry Falwell Center: Inspiring Champions for Christ, scheduled to open in 2023. As an extension of the Hancock Welcome Center, the new facility will be filled with creative displays that will take you on a journey through Dr. Falwell’s life and serve as a testament to how Liberty is staying true to its foundation and preserving its mission. The center could not have been announced at a better time. As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary this year, we are looking back at all the many blessings God has given us on Liberty Mountain, and we’re also looking forward to the many blessings He has in store for us for the future. I am blessed to be here during such an exciting milestone, and I invite you to join all of us in the yearlong celebration. Read about our history and upcoming events on our special anniversary website, Liberty.edu/50.
Jerry Prevo | President
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LIBERTY’S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY IS WELL UNDERWAY, WITH MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN THE CELEBRATION The big 5-0. It marks a major milestone for anyone, whether blowing out candles on a cake, cherishing the bond of marriage, or celebrating business goals. It brings us to a place where we can pause to reflect on how far we’ve come and focus our sights on a promising future. They call it a “golden” anniversary because it symbolizes years of refinement to reach this foothold and, like the precious mineral, to come out shining with pure strength and beauty. In early August, a few weeks before residential classes began, the first signs of Liberty University’s yearlong 50th Anniversary celebration could be seen across campus. A massive banner bearing an official 50 Years seal adorned the School of Business building. Signs were hung from lamp posts along main campus streets, and even the roundabouts on campus roads were stamped with 50th logos. Emblazoned on the windows of the Montview Student Union, overlooking the Academic Lawn,
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was the anniversary theme: “50 Years of Training Champions for Christ.” It was definitely obvious to students upon their return that this was going to be a special year of celebration. A new website — Liberty.edu/50 — became the hub for all stories, news, and events surrounding the yearlong anniversary. With historical pictures, a timeline of major events in the school’s history, and memories from alumni through the decades, the Liberty family can learn about the past and ways to join the celebration from near and far. Representatives from multiple departments across the university have collaborated on ways to celebrate the anniversary on campus and online, meeting regularly for over a year to coordinate the rollout with Liberty’s Marketing Department. Leadership teams have worked hard to ensure that all members of the Liberty community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters, and family and friends of
the university — have an opportunity to become involved in the celebration. Faculty were the first to learn more about the 50th Anniversary at their orientation on Aug. 12, where President Jerry Prevo emphasized their essential role in preserving the university’s original mission as they serve students and teach them through a Scriptural lens. “I don’t meet with these students every day or every three days, but you do,” Prevo told them. “We’re dependent on you to Train Champions for Christ, to be world changers, and you’ve been doing that, and I know you’re going to continue to. I want you to know that I appreciate that. I know (the late) Dr. Jerry Falwell, our founder, would appreciate that.” He assured them that Falwell’s vision will never be compromised. “We’re celebrating our 50th year,” he said. “What a tremendous accomplishment, and we are still biblically based, upholding the truths of God’s Word that have been in existence for 2,000 years.
We haven’t gone the way other colleges that are Christian have gone (straying from their mission), and we’re not going to go that way.” A few weeks later, on Sept. 3, the student body had their formal introduction to the anniversary celebration during the first Convocation of the school year. The event began with the same powerful message of a vision that began 50 years ago and is being fulfilled today. On the videoboard inside Williams Stadium, students watched scenes from throughout Liberty’s history, narrated in the words of founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, which illustrated the Godinspired vision and tremendous growth
of the university over the last 50 years. Campus Pastor Jonathan Falwell said the day was a culmination of all that his father spoke of when he founded Liberty in 1971. “What you just saw was talking about vision — a vision that came from the heart of God and was given to the heart of a man, and that man was simply saying, ‘God, here I am, use me.’ We sit here now, today, 50 years later, and we see what God can do with anyone who says, ‘God, here I am.’” Falwell said that while the year is a special time to look back at the school’s beginnings, it is also about
looking forward. “We celebrate, this fall, 50 years on this mountain, 50 years of what God has done through Liberty University. And while we take a moment to look back at what God has done in the past, what we really need to be focused on is what God is going to do in the future … through you (students),” he said. “We’re excited about what is ahead for Liberty University, but we are more excited about what is ahead for each and every student who is a part of this campus today as they are becoming Champions for Christ in our world.” Liberty’s academic departments are engaging students and alumni in >>
Liberty University was originally founded as Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971. The first classes were held on Sept. 13, 1971, with 154 students. It was renamed Liberty Baptist College in 1975 and became Liberty University in 1985.
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>> anniversary events. The John W. Rawlings School of Divinity kicked off the school year with its 50 Days of Prayer. Each day, videos were posted to Facebook and Instagram featuring faculty from various academic departments, coaches, and Spiritual Development staff leading prayers for the university, thanking God for the past 50 years and asking for His continued blessings for the next 50 years of impact.
President Prevo, Jonathan Falwell, and School of Divinity leadership helped launch the initiative with Facebook Live events. (You can still take part by watching the videos on Facebook and joining in prayer throughout the year). The School of Communication & the Arts is participating in a series of creative projects. The Liberty University Art Gallery will feature a special exhibit this spring related to the 50th Anniversary and
When Liberty first opened in 1971, students could choose from about 25 degree programs. Now, the choices have expanded to more than 700 unique programs of study, from the certificate to the doctoral level. Over 450 programs are offered online.
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showcasing the work of Studio & Digital Arts students as well as pieces from the university’s permanent collection, including the paintings of the late Macel Falwell, wife of Jerry Falwell Sr. The Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center is producing a special video with footage from major moments in Liberty’s history. The History Department will publish a special commemorative edition of “Bound Away,” its graduate student journal, that
will feature reminiscences from faculty and graduates, including pieces from the late Dr. Mark Steinhoff and Dr. Boyd Rist, former department chair, dean, and provost. The issue is scheduled to publish by the end of the year and will be available on Liberty’s Digital Commons. The Online Provost’s Office, with the assistance of deans from each school, has planned events throughout the academic year. Activities include celebrations for
Liberty’s rise as a global leader in online education, featuring “Fabulous 50” online alumni, and initiatives for Giving Day on Nov. 3. Homecoming ushered in many reunions for the different schools within Liberty, as well as an alumni dinner and a special concert by the School of Music celebrating 50 years of music at Liberty (read more on the following pages). Liberty’s main social media platforms
will continue to celebrate the anniversary this year with Then & Now throwback videos and posts for Founder Fridays and 50 Fridays. Future posts will feature Liberty history trivia, takeovers, and giveaways. The yearlong celebration will culminate on May 7, when Liberty will recognize the Class of 2022 and welcome graduates and their friends and families to Liberty Mountain for a special 50th Anniversary Commencement.
ATHLETICS PROGRAMS TAKE PART IN THE ANNIVERSARY
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Over the last 50 years, Liberty created a diverse, faithful, and global community of Champions for Christ. That community includes student-athletes from Liberty’s 20 NCAA Athletics programs and 42 Club Sports teams who have gone from being game changers to world changers in their chosen fields. Many athletics venues are sporting 50th Anniversary banners and signs. Two large “50” logos have replaced the regular 50-yard line markers in Williams Stadium, and a large “LU 50” flag is carried across the field after every touchdown. The Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band is getting in on the action at home games by forming a 50 in their pregame show. Large anniversary banners adorn the Liberty Baseball Stadium, Liberty Arena, and the press box at the Liberty Lacrosse Fields. Fiftieth logos decorate the boards and the Olympia ice resurfacers in the LaHaye Ice Center. Some student-athletes are also being outfitted with special 50th logo patches and decals on uniforms and helmets. In recognition of the 50th Anniversary, Liberty Athletics is posting special moments in history to its social
media platforms and website, including weekly “Top Moments from the Past 50 Years.” All 68 members of the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame are also being spotlighted in a weekly video feature focusing on their careers at Liberty and beyond. Over Homecoming Weekend, several teams held reunions. The men’s hockey program held an alumni gathering for players dating back to the team’s inaugural season in 1984, and former men’s lacrosse players returned for an annual contest against current players. “What Liberty has been able to do is nothing but a miracle of the Lord to see the progress that’s been made in 50 years,” said Club Sports Athletic Director Kirk Handy, who is in his 22nd season as Head Coach of the ACHA Division I men’s hockey team after playing for the Flames from 1995-99. “I’ve been here half of those years as a student and on staff. A major reason why Liberty was started was to impact the lives of young people, and a true testament (of that) is the studentathletes who come through here and are sent out and make an impact in the world as Champions For Christ through their careers and lives.” C HASE GYLES
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CO-FOUNDER DR. ELMER TOWNS SHARES MEMORIES OF FIRST CHAPEL MESSAGE IN 1971
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With the Vines Center packed with Homecoming guests on Friday, Oct. 8, and the university in the midst of celebrating its 50th Anniversary, it was fitting to welcome the speaker from Liberty’s first chapel service in 1971, Liberty co-founder Dr. Elmer Towns, to Convocation. In introducing Towns, Campus Pastor Jonathan Falwell said that his father, Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, was scheduled to deliver the inaugural chapel
sermon for the 154 students of the first-ever class at Liberty (then called Lynchburg Baptist College). But when Jerry Falwell was unable to attend at the last minute, Towns stepped in. Using the same Bible and handwritten notes he read from that day, Towns recalled that September morning 50 years ago. He said that when he heard that Falwell couldn’t make it to the service, he opened his Bible to a verse he had recently studied in 1 Thessalonians 5:24: “Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.” In his Bible, Towns had underlined those last two words: do it. Despite the limited facilities and small student body at the time, Towns told the students in 1971 that God had great things in store for the young university. “In that first chapel I said, ‘Young people, we don’t have any dormitories, we don’t have any classrooms, we don’t have a library, we have nothing. But God has called you here, God can do something great through you, and faithful is God who calls you to do
50 YEARS OF TRAINING CHAMPIONS FOR CHRIST
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it,’” Towns recalled. “We had nothing but a vision of what we were going to do for God. (Now) God has done it. God has done something great through our students.” The founding of the school came with three main goals, Towns said: to train people to go out into every field of work and change the world, to always look toward the future, and to be based out of the Church. In the five decades since, the school has continued its original mission of Training Champions for Christ, remaining on the cutting edge of higher education, and doing it all with God leading the way. “The greatest thing about Liberty is not the buildings, not the faculty, not the accreditation, not the 7,000 acres we have here,” Towns said. “The greatest thing about Liberty is the graduates, the students, you who have gone out (into the world). Liberty is built on a great leader. That leader is Jesus Christ, and the human leader was Jerry Falwell. I just happened to be along.” Towns explained that going out into the world begins with mirroring the Old Testament actions of Ezra, who “prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it.” “Make sure you ground yourself in the Word of God, make sure you’re in God’s Word and that God’s Word is controlling you and flowing through you, and God will do it,” Towns said. “I don’t know what God has called you to do, but whatever He has called you to do, just do it. Determine now to change your world. If you can change YOUR world, you change THE world.”
All past editions of the Selah Yearbook, dating back to 1973-74, are available to view online! Reminisce about your favorite professors, clubs, and those stylish hairdos. Visit Liberty.edu/Yearbook.
ORDER YOUR COPY AT LIBERTY.EDU/50THBOOK or pick one up at the Liberty University Barnes & Noble Bookstore.
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LEGACY OF FAITH TOUR Created especially for Liberty’s 50th anniversary and launched on Homecoming Weekend, the Legacy of Faith Tour is a self-guided walking tour that takes guests to nine sites on campus where they can view videos about Dr. Jerry Falwell’s vision and hear about God’s blessings on Liberty University.
Available at the Liberty University Barnes & Noble Bookstore on campus or online at liberty.edu/50-years/merchandise
The tour starts at Hancock Welcome Center. At each marker along the way, guests scan a QR code on their mobile device that will take them to the relevant video. Dr. Falwell walked and prayed over much of the same ground, before any campus buildings were constructed. This interactive experience is a literal walk down memory lane, as guests can reflect upon the years of prayer and faith that forged what Liberty is today. The tour will remain available to all guests to the university. The videos can also be viewed at Liberty.edu/LegacyTour.
THE ROCK IS BACK The Spirit Rock, the popular campus gem and spray paint canvas for 25 years, was reinstated as a landmark on Aug. 4. The original rock was removed in 2018 to make way for construction on the School of Business building. The rock and its concrete foundation were crumbling, so a new boulder discovered during recent excavation at the new Reber-Thomas Dining Hall site now takes its place. The first layer of paint helped to kick off Liberty’s 50th anniversary. Over the years, the Spirit Rock has marked many of the school’s special moments and displayed everything from Scriptures to dorm pride to marriage proposals. ROSS KO HL
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THE LEGACY
The Rev. Jerry Falwell formed Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., in 1956. In January 1971, he asked his congregation to catch his vision of training future leaders who would leave undeniable marks on the world. A new college, he said, would be built for “thousands of young men and women, deeply in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, who will go out in all walks of life to shake this world for God.” The first classes were held that fall. A national figure featured on television and the covers of Newsweek and Time magazines for defending conservative
Christian values in the public sphere, Falwell still remained a passionate preacher and Christian educator throughout his life. He imparted spiritual wisdom and encouragement through his sermons and writings. He is the author of 15 books. Falwell passed away on May 15, 2007, at the age of 73. The words of this bold visionary are still poignant today as Liberty celebrates 50 years of Training Champions for Christ. Below, read in Falwell’s own words how a strong faith is essential to the Christian life — the same strong faith that built Liberty University.
“FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS” B Y J E R R Y F A LW E L L , F O U N D E R O F L I B E R T Y U N I V E R S I T Y
Note: This column is an excerpt from “Stepping Out on Faith,” co-authored by Dr. Elmer Towns (1984, Tyndale House Publishers) I accepted Christ as my Savior in January 1952. The Bible describes this as: “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). To me, faith was simply putting my trust in Jesus Christ to save me from sin. My faith became effective by its object, Jesus Christ. That initial act of faith molded my whole perspective of living for Christ and serving Christ. I learned that I not only had to be saved by faith, but live by faith and serve by faith. When I went to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, I encountered people who were trusting God for every aspect of their lives. They were living by faith, and I wanted to have the same type of walk with God. These people were trusting God to take care of their financial needs. My parents were not wealthy, but
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they were comfortable. I had been given $4,000 before I went off to school. I knew the promises in Scripture that God would take care of me. I wanted to put God to the test when he said, “Prove me now” (Malachi 3:10). As an act of faith, I gave away the $4,000 to needy individuals, the school, and the church. During these early formative days of my Christian life, I asked the dean of students for a key to an empty dormitory room. Each afternoon after lunch, I went there and began praying for God’s blessing on my life. I read books by such great men as R.A. Torrey, Hudson Taylor, Watchman Nee, and others who lived by faith. These books, plus the messages I heard at college, challenged me to trust God for everything. I had a new Buick that my mother had given me. I needed gas to use it in Sunday School visitation, so May Hawkins provided me a Texaco account so I could fill it up whenever necessary. God used others to meet my needs. It seemed every time a godly Christian businessman
IN OUR FOUNDER’S WORDS
Jerry Falwell Sr. prays with a campus singing group in April 1979.
passed me at church, he put a $20 bill in my hand. When I returned to Lynchburg to begin Thomas Road Baptist Church, I became aggressive in trying to win souls and reaching the city for Jesus Christ. I was going door to door, trying to win people to Christ. To reach the entire city by the most efficient means possible, I immediately began a daily radio program. When I realized that people were watching TV, I prayed that God would open the door to television. When the opportunity came, I knew God would supply the finances because we were carrying out the Great Commission. Perhaps some have tried to raise money for a radio or television ministry and failed, not because God did not hear their prayers, but perhaps because their motives were not singularly dedicated to carrying out the purpose of God to win souls and edify Christians. When we faced our first anniversary at Thomas Road Baptist Church, we wanted to demonstrate the power of God to Lynchburg. Every Sunday before the evening service, I met with several men, including Emmitt Godsey, to pray for God’s blessing. We met in a small room with a dirt floor. It was there that God burdened us to set a goal of 500 people for our first anniversary. I realize that some critics have misunderstood why we set goals, but I believe faith moves mountains and glorifies God. Faith is not only an instrument; it enables us to intervene in problems and overcome obstacles. The church had 864 on its first anniversary. That victory reinforced my faith to trust
Students enjoy a snow day with Jerry Falwell Sr. in January 2000.
God for bigger goals. Paul challenges us to go “from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17), which I interpret to mean going from one victory by faith to another. It seems we have always been setting goals and making them. A memorable goal was to have 10,000 in attendance for Harvest Day, 1971. I thought we ought to demonstrate that God could glorify himself in a small, central Virginia town by doing what everyone thought was impossible. Jesus had promised, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, ‘Remove hence to yonder place;’ and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). Based on the Word of God, I knew we could reach 10,000. I knew that if soul-winning was our aim, God would have to bless us. But I also knew faith and works go hand in hand (James 2). We organized and worked, saturating Lynchburg by every conceivable means. We had 10,187 in attendance with 157 decisions at the altar. Quite often I get letters from people questioning why we have so many financial crises at Liberty or the Old Time Gospel Hour. I do not feel we should let up or turn back. We have the command of God to go into all the world and win people to Christ. With that staggering command, we have the promise that God will supply our every need. As I write this chapter, I have challenged our people to pray for $10 million (June 1983). We have continued to build new buildings on Liberty Mountain for the college, and we have continued to broadcast the Gospel on over 500 radio and 300 television
stations. Since we have done what God has commanded, I expect God to provide $10 million to take care of the bills. A newspaper reporter asked me, “Suppose the money does not come in; what will happen?” “We do not think that way,” I told her. “Just suppose,” the reporter again asked. “I am not even willing to do that,” I replied. Since God has promised to meet our needs, why should I doubt His integrity by even considering less than His promise? I have never tried to give a complete systematic explanation of faith to the ministry students at Liberty. I believe in what has been called the “hot poker” method of communicating faith. Just as the poker is heated in the fire, I believe these young ministers learn to have faith in God as they trust God with us for the buildings in which they study and the sidewalks on which they walk. They learn faith by exercising faith. I tell the young ministers at Liberty to “go and do it better and do it bigger.” If a ministerial candidate accepts this challenge, his faith is stretched. He realizes he cannot begin a church by human means because it is not easy to plant a church. When a young man commits himself to plant a church, it is a “step of faith” in which he must overcome obstacles. With this challenge, the young man realizes he must grow in faith, overcoming the weakness of his faith. If these men accept the challenge to build a church, they also realize their weak faith; hence, they are placed >>
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IN OUR FOUNDER’S WORDS >> in a crisis in which they must trust the power of God. As they exercise the first step of faith, if they are successful, they will grow in their ability to trust God for bigger projects. The term “saturation evangelism” applies to the principle of completely covering a town with the Gospel, just as a man uses a lawn sprinkler to saturate the ground so the grass will grow. If a young man will saturate his Jerusalem with the Gospel by using visitation, posters, mailings, radio, television, billboards, etc., he will successfully build a church. He does not express faith by just praying for lost people to get saved; rather, faith is expressed by first praying, then aggressively going to as many people as possible and presenting the Gospel to them. Faith is not passively waiting for people to come to your church; faith is actively going to the lost. The term “super-aggressive evangelism” is another way of saying saturation evangelism. The phrase “super-aggressive” means to use all our energy and creative ability to get the Gospel to people in a positive way so they will be saved. Super-aggressive refers to the enthusiasm and zeal with which the task is done. The key to understanding super-aggressive evangelism is to possess or be possessed by a vision of what God can do. The
following verse explains the basis of saturation evangelism: “Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine” (Acts 5:28). The purpose of a church is to fill its “Jerusalem” with the doctrine of Christ. When our Jerusalem, Lynchburg, is saturated, a person under conviction will think first of Thomas Road when he is searching for God. God is able to use saturation evangelism to lead sinners to a church where they can hear the Gospel. The church at Jerusalem was accused of having filled Jerusalem with their doctrine (Acts 5:28). That simply means they had personally talked to every individual in Jerusalem and presented him with the claims of the Gospel. Several years later they were accused of having turned the world upside down. They did all of this without television, radio, a printing press, automobiles, airplanes, or telephones. Today, saturation evangelism is filling one’s “Jerusalem” with the Gospel.
As Liberty students become involved in Christian service in Thomas Road Baptist Church, they “catch the spirit” of church growth. Usually, they see a weekly application of growth as they serve God in the church. After graduation, most students are convinced that the principles they were taught at one of the Liberty schools will produce growth in their new church. I do not believe we give church planters their faith; we simply provide the challenge and opportunity to grow their faith. Faith comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and it grows as a young man actively applies the principles of Scriptures to his life and ministry.
FROM HIS OWN HAND Did you notice something different about the cover of this magazine? The masthead, “LIBERTY JOURNAL,” appears in a handwriting-style font. The custom font was created especially for Liberty’s 50th Anniversary celebration and replicates the distinct handwriting of Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell. The project began in the summer of 2020 with the act of sifting through multiple binders holding years of Falwell’s personal sermon notes, many of which were typed and had handwritten notes in the margins. Rachel Dugan,
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assistant professor in Liberty’s Studio & Digital Arts Department, spearheaded the project and worked closely with the university’s Marketing Department to create the font. The process took about six months, from studying the commonalities in Falwell’s handwriting to tediously replicating numerous versions of each cursive letter so they can be used in multiple letter-to-letter combinations before preparing the font for use in graphic design software. “It’s as close as we can get to his actual handwriting,” said Dugan, who teaches
COMING SOON:
New center will honor founder’s legacy and preserve the mission of Training Champions for Christ On Oct. 8, the Friday of Homecoming, Liberty University announced plans for a major addition to the heart of campus that will honor the legacy of its founder, Jerry Falwell Sr. The new Jerry Falwell Center: Inspiring Champions for Christ will share the story of his life and his impact on the world. Guests will see his legacy living on today as the university remains committed to the original mission that Falwell led at Liberty: Training Champions for Christ. “There is much to learn from our founder’s life,” said Liberty President Jerry Prevo. “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. This center will keep us on track for the next 50 years.” The center will be located directly behind and attached to the Hancock Welcome Center. New and prospective students and their families, along with alumni and friends of the university, will be invited on a journey through the founder’s lifelong work where they will be encouraged to live a life characterized by that same dynamic faith, a God-given vision, prayer, perseverance, and discipline. Guests will leave inspired to apply what they’ve learned and claim the vision that God has placed on their own hearts. Creative displays will showcase the
university’s multifaceted approach to its mission of Training Champions for Christ and will be intentional in the presentation of the Gospel, following Falwell’s example of loving people and pointing them to 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.” Rooms and areas within the center will provide space for learning opportunities, concerts, and special events. The center is anticipated to open in 2023.
Learn how you can help. Visit LIBERTY.EDU/JFCENTER to support the project and be a part of the mission.
courses in graphic design and typography. In her research, Dugan noticed that like many people, Falwell would often write in all capital letters for emphasis. So she developed two separate fonts: the Falwell Scribe and Falwell Caps, each including a full character set of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Dugan first came to Liberty as a freshman in 2006, the year before Falwell died, and remembers some of those same notes she researched being preached at Convocation. She still has her own notes from Dr. Falwell’s messages written in her Bible. To her, the project was a personal endeavor. “I personally wanted to make sure we preserved that heritage,” she said. “I got to hear from him as a freshman — a lot of
my introduction to what Liberty was all about came from him.” As she thought about how many lives Falwell has impacted, Dugan said his words “are still important and powerful, still totally relevant and super inspirational, and still something people will care about. Now, having words in his own writing gives us something unique and different.” A goal of the 50th Anniversary celebration “is to reflect on where we came from,” she said. “I think subtle things like this, creating a font from Dr. Falwell’s handwriting, can bring our history to life.” “Liberty is such a special place in so many ways,” she added, “and this font is something that’s uniquely ours. Our brand is authentic; we
have an authentic nature to our past, and we will remain authentic as we go into the future.”
JUST FOR YOU
Download computer wallpaper images with a Falwell quote featuring his own handwriting at Liberty.edu/50. See how many places you can find the new Falwell fonts used around campus and on the website!
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It’s good to be
HOME.
Alumni help commemorate LU’s 50-year history during Homecoming 2021 Liberty University went full force in celebrating this year’s Homecoming, Oct. 8-9 — an occasion made even more special by the school’s 50th Anniversary. Guests enjoyed a stacked lineup of events and ceremonies leading up to Flames Football’s 41-13 victory against Middle Tennessee State. The weekend’s festivities were headlined by a Convocation message on Friday morning from “Fox News @ Night” host and alumna Shannon Bream (’93). (Read more on Page 16.) Following Convocation, all 15 schools opened their doors for the Meet the Deans and Academic Open Houses, where alumni and guests met with school administration and reminisced about Liberty’s past. The Student Activities Office organized the weekend’s events, offering plenty of fun for entire families. A carnival was held on Friday afternoon, complete with games, food trucks, and rides. A bonfire was held in the evening.
Many of the events centered on Liberty’s golden anniversary, with the chance to look back at the past and praise God for all the work He’s done on campus and, most importantly, in the lives of thousands of students who have become Champions for Christ. The Alumni Relations Office celebrated the anniversary with an Alumni Reunion in the LaHaye Multipurpose Center Friday afternoon, featuring a panel of alumni who told stories of Liberty’s humble beginnings and the vision being fulfilled today. Friday’s festivities also included the School of Music’s Homecoming Concert: Celebrating 50 Years of Music, hosted by alumni Guy Penrod and Meredith Andrews and featuring alumni from Liberty’s music programs throughout the decades, including Christian singer and comedian Mark Lowry. (Read more about the concert on Page 17.) Saturday’s events brought a parade down University Boulevard, featuring
NASCAR driver and current student William Byron, along with Miss Virginia Tatum Sheppard, a 2020 Liberty alumna. Guests then gathered for Fan Fest and the Alumni Tailgate as they prepared to cheer on the Flames Football team. During the game, Liberty’s first class of students, who came to Lynchburg in 1971, were honored for being pioneers and laying the foundation for what the school is today. The night was capped off by a fireworks show above Williams Stadium. “Homecoming has been wonderful. We try to come every year,” said Rachel Vetley (’17), who received a degree in accounting from Liberty’s online program. “We love it, and now my son is a student here as well, so it’s become a family tradition.” “It’s great to just walk around and see a new generation of people, all who are hyped to be here,” said James Russell (’18), who studied social sciences with a secondary teacher licensure. “I’ve seen how much Liberty has grown just since I’ve
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NEWS ANCHOR
SHANNON BREAM (’93)
on finding light in the darkness of depression
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Shannon Bream (’93), anchor for “FOX News @ Night,” helped kick off Homecoming during the Oct. 8 Convocation. Even though she has risen to broadcast journalism fame, Bream said she has not forgotten her alma mater. “I want you guys to know I pray for you,” she said. “I pray for this campus, I pray for every student, every teacher, administration worker, and staff member who works here because there is no other place like this in the world. … I am confident in the future of this country and in this world because of you.” Bream has played an active role as a Liberty alumna in Washington, D.C. She regularly meets with students and alumni interning or working in the capital and takes students on tours of the network’s studio. Bream earned her undergraduate degree in business from Liberty and went on to earn a juris doctor with honors from Florida State University College of Law. In May 2013, Bream made Liberty history as the university’s first female keynote Commencement speaker. Looking back on her own college days, Bream said the faithfulness of Liberty’s founder, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, still inspires her today. “He would say, ‘The minute we take our eyes off of God, glorifying Christ, and spreading the Gospel, burn it all down.’ That is what this school is about. … You guys are sold out (for Christ), and it’s a beautiful thing to see.” Bream shared her story of growing closer to God through a painful, yearslong experience with major eye pain. “There were many nights where I ended up on the floor of my bathroom, and I could not put together a prayer of any substance,” she said. She could only repeat, “Lord help me,” over and over. “After months and months of this, I was spiraling into a darker and darker place,” she admitted. “I felt the walls closing in around me. I had no answers. I had nothing but chronic pain and a mystery.”
She was beginning to lose hope. “No food tasted good, no jokes were funny, there was not a trip I looked forward to going on, there was no one I wanted to see,” Bream said. “I was just in a shell of depression.” Bream pleaded with students to never isolate and to always remember that no matter the crisis, the Liberty family will be present for them. “Don’t get to such a dark place that you feel like you can’t get out. That is where I felt I was at.” A specialist later diagnosed Bream with a rare eye issue that causes continual tearing of the cornea. There is no cure; however, she underwent surgery almost four years ago and most of her pain has left. She said that through the trial, she has grown closer to Christ than she ever has before. At her worst, she had to remind herself that she had the Creator of the world on her side. “It was enough for me to keep going and to believe that in our darkest pain, in our worst moments, He is always there,” she said. Later that afternoon, Bream visited with students from the School of Law and Helms School of Government in Liberty Law’s Supreme Courtroom to share stories of her career journey and answer students’ questions. She reminded the future professionals that work is not the most important aspect of their existence. “Your job cannot be your life,” she said. “I fight that every day, because it can be all-consuming. In whatever you do, you cannot find your worth there. It is just never going to love you back.” Bream said that her best days on the job are the ones where she begins with time alone, reading Scripture, praying, and journaling. “(Your job) can be a platform and a place the Lord has you in for a season, and I am thankful for where I am now, but I have to remember that He’s got a grander plan,” she said.
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MUSIC AND MEMORIES
Alumni return for 50th Anniversary Homecoming Concert
Liberty University’s rich musical heritage was on display during the School of Music’s Celebrating 50 Years of Music concert on the Friday night of Homecoming. The free concert was held in the Thomas Road Baptist Church sanctuary and was hosted by contemporary Christian recording artist Meredith Andrews (’05) and nationally known gospel singer and former Gaither Vocal Band member Guy Penrod (’85). Concert performers included former Gaither Vocal Band singer and comedian Mark Lowry (’80), former Sounds of Liberty singer and recording artist Jody McBrayer, drummer Elizabeth Chan (’13), and former campus worship leader Justin Kintzel (’09), among many others who have had prominent careers in the music industry. The concert also featured reunion groups with former members of the Sounds of Liberty, LU Praise, and Campus Band. Music alumni from throughout the decades enjoyed the opportunity to rejoice in what the Lord has done at Liberty over 50 years. “Let’s let the theme of love hang over this entire evening because that is what the founder of this school (Jerry Falwell Sr.) sowed into every one of us on this
platform, and I’m sure into everyone in this room to some extent,” Penrod said. “This is a product of vision. And isn’t that a beautiful image to see 50 years of it here tonight?” he added. Much of the night was spent in praise and worship, as the audience was asked to join the performers in song. Guests were treated to varying styles of music, from contemporary Christian to worship, gospel, and even some hip-hop with Humble Tip (Jason Lewis, ’05, ’10). Between songs, video interviews were shown featuring music faculty, alumni, and others who have been connected to Liberty’s music ministry teams in the last 50 years. They paid tribute to those who built the music program. Other videos helped guests reflect on the past by showing photos and footage of music teams over the years. Video greetings were also played from artists who could not be present in person, including Toby McKeehan (TobyMac, ’88) and Michael Tait (’89), who formed DC Talk while at Liberty, and Tait’s sister, gospel singer Lynda Tait Randle (’89). “(At Liberty) I learned the Word of God and I learned how to apply it to my life, and it’s been the foundation for everything I’ve done,” TobyMac said.
Andrews said that the spirit of the Lord, which has been present on Liberty’s campus throughout the university’s history, is still alive and well today. “One of the things that struck me and has stayed with me from when I was a student and was with the (Campus) Band was how hungry the students were for the presence of God,” she said. “They weren’t there for a show. … I got to lead worship this past Wednesday at Campus Community and it was the exact same thing.” “Wow, what a night,” Liberty School of Music Dean Dr. Stephen Müller said. “It was great to see Liberty alumni and friends gather to celebrate what God has done. I am again reminded that the same God Who did this is the One doing it now and Who will keep on doing it as we continue to Train Champions for Christ.” Before closing in prayer, Campus Pastor Jonathan Falwell expressed his appreciation to the alumni, who are prime examples of his father’s vision being fulfilled. “All I could think about was I wish my dad could’ve seen this,” Falwell said. “And then it hit me that he saw this before any of us did. … May Liberty University always be a place that stands on the truth of the Word of God and preaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only way.”
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Grandfather, granddaughter share special connection as past and present Liberty students BY RYAN KLINKER
As a 30-year-old Army veteran with a wife and two children, Anthony Cuci (’75) wasn’t the typical college student when he came to Liberty in 1973. Cuci had been a drummer in a premier Army band, and he wanted to funnel his love of music into a career as a music teacher. After being turned down by other Christian colleges due to his age, he heard about a new school in Lynchburg, Va. “(The campus) was just the church on Thomas Road at the time, that’s all it was,” Cuci said. “I was impressed by what I heard, and I felt encouraged to apply. I decided to quit my good-paying job, and we moved down to Lynchburg.” Cuci already had some college credits, so he completed his bachelor’s degree in music in two years. While still a student, Cuci was asked by the head of Liberty’s music department to become a professor and instructor. He taught a percussion class and also served as an assistant band leader in the first year the marching band performed on the football field. “The band director instructed me to come up with a show, and all I knew was
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music, but the kids in the band knew all about how to march, so they helped me set that up,” he said. Over four decades later, it came time for his granddaughter Olivia Matson to decide on her own college plans. Living in Virginia and attending a Christian high school, Matson wanted to go anywhere but Liberty since she knew so many of her peers were headed there and she wanted to branch out from the familiar. That changed when she spent a week on campus for a church camp. “That’s when I really started falling in love with the campus and how just lovely everything is,” Matson said. “I made the decision in my heart that I wanted to come here. After not wanting to come, then falling in love with it, I think that has got to be God bringing (me) to this university.” Her grandfather’s stories of his time in Lynchburg almost 50 years ago also made her want to explore the Liberty of today. “It’s really cool to be able to say that my grandfather came here back when it was Lynchburg Baptist College and that he was also part of one of the
first graduating classes,” said Matson, now a sophomore pursuing a writing degree. “It’s so fun to share that with people I meet here when they ask why I came here. It’s a really cool and special (connection) to have.” With his granddaughter on campus, Cuci said he has even more of a reason to visit his alma mater more often. He last visited on Homecoming Weekend. “When she said she wanted to come here, I knew it was a chance to come back and see just how much was different, which is a lot,” Cuci said. “It’s absolutely amazing; the school is way beyond what we (early students) could have possibly imagined. I’m glad Olivia picked this school, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for her.” “I think it’s so cool and such a privilege to go here,” Matson added. “I think it really speaks to the fact that even after Jerry Falwell passed away and after he started the school 50 years ago, his legacy is still living on, and his vision is still thriving. God is still working at this school, and above all I feel really grateful to be a part of it.”
‘Super Alumnus’ uses social media group to help inform and encourage fellow alumni BY RYAN KLINKER
K J JU GAR
Mark Roberts (’79) has kept a close connection to the many names and faces from Liberty University’s history for much of his life — so much so that many have called him Liberty’s “Super Alumnus.” He’s the man behind the popular Liberty University Friends Facebook group, now with over 4,400 members. From his home outside Dallas, Texas, Roberts spends an average of one to two hours a day updating the group on news and events at Liberty, sharing historical photos, quotes, and special memories, as well as celebrating members’ birthdays and wedding anniversaries. Roberts’ introduction to the school came from Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell’s “Old Time Gospel Hour,” a weekly television program from Thomas Road Baptist Church. “My mom would watch it and keep telling me, ‘That’s where I want you to go to school,’” Roberts said. In 1973, Roberts left his home in Pennsylvania with a suitcase and a footlocker. He arrived on Treasure Island, a property in the James River that the church used primarily as a summer camp. Cabin-style bunk beds were the only sleeping arrangements. “I watched my parents drive across the bridge after dropping me off. They drove up the hill, out of sight, and I looked around me and thought, ‘Where am I? What am I doing here?’” Roberts joked. He pursued degrees in history and youth ministry, spending much of his time with the Student Government Association and music ministry teams like the LBC Chorale and the Enpsalms. Looking back at those years of traveling to events where Dr. Falwell would speak about his big aspirations for the young school — even when students didn’t have a campus to call their own — Roberts admits he had doubts. “I was standing in the snow with Jerry in 1977 when he said he was going to build a campus here, and we all were freezing and saying, ‘Yeah right,’” Roberts said, referring to a special prayer meeting where the student body, faculty, and leadership asked God for the finances needed to begin campus construction.
“He would say things like, ‘Liberty will someday have 50,000 students,’ and just about all of us thought that there was no way it would happen. He, along with maybe a small handful of people, had the vision of what was going to happen there. So looking back, we sort of think about why we didn’t have that same vision ... why didn’t we believe him?” But the doubts turned to belief as just seven months later, students entered two new classroom buildings as well as new residence halls. The miracles continued, and Roberts kept a close eye on the progress after graduation. He spent the first two years as a history teacher at Lynchburg Christian Academy (now Liberty Christian Academy) before moving to Texas and beginning a career that has included a variety of sales and financial planning positions. Roberts remained an active alumnus, serving as president of the Alumni Association and its Texas chapter throughout the 1980s and early ’90s. After marrying and starting a family, Roberts said he wasn’t as actively involved with Liberty, but that changed when his daughter, Emily, chose to attend LU. He found himself reengaging with the university on a new level, this time through the wide-reaching medium of social media. “Around the time my daughter was getting ready to go to school, I kept feeling
that there was some reason or (inclination) to start a Liberty alumni Facebook page.” He created the Liberty University Friends group in June 2015 primarily with his own former classmates, but the page’s following grew quickly from there. Today, members represent every decade of Liberty’s history. “To me, I look at it as a ministry,” he said. “I think of it as a way to connect with people who love Liberty, and it’s got a life of its own really. I can barely keep up with it. I didn’t want to make it all about nostalgia … but history is important because it reminds you where you’ve come from and what happened 30, 40, 50 years ago.” To Roberts, Liberty is also a part of his family’s legacy. He is one of six siblings to attend; his son, Logan, is the 27th family member. In August, Roberts was invited to speak to students at the School of Business about Liberty’s early days and the importance of staying connected to Liberty after graduation. Roberts was also part of an alumni panel at the Homecoming Alumni Reunion. Roberts said alumni are drawn back to Liberty because they see that the core values are still the same, and they are proud to have played a part in fulfilling the mission. In spite of the big changes and even the hardships that have come over five decades, “It’s still God’s school,” he said.
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WHERE IN THE
WORLD? GRADUATES EXTEND LIBERTY’S FOOTPRINT ACROSS THE GLOBE
“Maintaining the vision of the founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University develops Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world. “Through its residential and online programs, services, facilities, and collaborations, the university educates men and women who will make important contributions to their workplaces and communities, follow their chosen vocations as callings to glorify God, and fulfill the Great Commission.” The phrases above come from Liberty University’s formal Statement of Mission and Purpose. From the beginning, the vision was to go global — to impact the world. The first group to call themselves Liberty alumni could fit around a dining room table. Nine students received the school’s first diplomas at an impromptu ceremony in 1973. A few dozen more turned their tassels a year later when Liberty held its first official Commencement. It wasn’t long before Liberty was being called one of the fastest-growing evangelical schools in the country. By its 25th year, the alumni family had reached 26,000. But that growth wouldn’t compare with the next 25 years, as enrollment skyrocketed when Liberty arrived early to the online learning scene and greatly expanded its degree offerings.
ILLUST RAT I O N BY HANNA H BA R R
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Today, there are over 250,000 alumni all across the globe who are effecting change and sharing God’s love in their workplaces and in their neighborhoods. God led some of them from Lynchburg, Va., into the mission field overseas. Some enrolled as international students with the sole desire to earn a degree so they could return to their homeland and be a part of God’s work there. Other alumni living outside the U.S. have taken courses from the comfort of their own homes — wherever an internet connection could turn their dream of receiving a quality Christian education from an ocean away into reality. There is no doubt that Liberty’s brand is now exceptionally strong and widespread. It’s a compelling story for such a young institution. Higher education has not seen the likes of the growth that Liberty has experienced in its short 50 years.
From the first year, when 154 students attended classes in church Sunday School classrooms, to decades later when thousands of students witnessed a state-of-the-art campus emerge out of farmland on a mountainside, the progress is obvious. But while today’s images show a thriving campus with world-class academics and NCAA Division I athletic programs, Liberty’s greatest assets at every stage in its 50-year history have always been its students. This issue is dedicated to our alumni — from those who stepped out on faith to enroll in the first classes at a new college with no formal campus to call its own, to those who followed in their footsteps, caught the same vision on Liberty Mountain, and left that mountain to impact the world around them as Champions for Christ. >>
MEET SOME OF OUR ALUMNI MAKING THEIR MARK ON THE WORLD.
CONNECT WITH US
Alumni: Where in the world has God taken you? We’d love to know! Update your contact information and learn more about becoming a mentor to future Champions for Christ. Email alumni@liberty.edu or call (800) 628-7973.
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ROBERTO REYES
’11, B.S. in Religion: Youth Ministry Saltillo Coahuila, Mexico Camp Program Director, Rawlings Foundation
“Liberty has been monumental in my life. All of the pastors and professors who invested in me there helped me in preparing for my current missions work here in Mexico. “Remembering all of the messages that I heard while at Liberty and remembering to never ever give up as I was told back then is something that I carry with me in my everyday life. … Liberty has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. I’ve been able to share with so many people throughout my ministry what I learned from my professors.”
FAITHE SACCSARA
’17, B.S. in Global Studies with minors in Spanish and Sports Ministry Tarapoto, San Martin, Peru Founder and Director, Empowering Quechuas ministry
“I remember hearing while at Liberty that if it’s Christian, then it ought to be better. We run sports academies (soccer) and obviously we have lots of competition in this market that’s not Christian. We don’t want to be mediocre as a Christian, nonprofit soccer academy. We want to go above and beyond what those more wealthy academies do, and we believe we can because if it’s Christian, then it really should be better. We have the inside scoop on how our lives are supposed to work because of our access to the Holy Spirit and because of our access to the Bible. We hold that excellence to a high standard in our soccer academies — the same way Liberty holds excellence to a high standard with the university.”
DOMINIQUE MCKAY
’09, B.S. in Communications: Journalism Washington, D.C. Communications Director, U.S. Senate
“What I love most about being a Liberty alumna is how our personal stories point people to Christ. When meeting and getting to know new people, Liberty — and by extension my faith — is a central part of the story of where I came from and how I got to where I am today. “During my time on Capitol Hill, I have made it my focus to be very public about my faith life and worked to develop relationships with people from all backgrounds. As Christians, evangelism is something we should strive to be actively engaged in no matter our career choice. Whether you’re a nurse, professor, cashier, or businesswoman, I believe that God has placed you in the position you are in to do good work and share about the good work He is doing in you.”
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ALBERT MAVUNGA
’09, A.A. in Religion; ’10, B.S. in Communications; ’13, M.A. in Executive Leadership Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Africa Founder and Director, Smile for Africa Foundation
“Liberty shaped me into knowing what God’s purpose for my life was. If it wasn’t for Liberty, I believe that I’d be chasing worldly dreams that I had, which weren’t bad but weren’t in line with what God had purposed for my life. Liberty helped to refocus me and direct me into what God had called me to do in life. “Liberty is special to me because not only was I equipped there to be a Champion for Christ, but I was also given the necessary networks and capabilities to move back to Zimbabwe and to be able to engage my people for the sake of the Kingdom. … It’s also special because I’m coming from Liberty Mountain where the focus is solely about Training Champions for Christ.”
TARAN TEEKAY KERR
’15, B.S. in Psychology: Clinical Research & Counseling Chiang Rai, Thailand Secondary Principal and Head of ICT at Chiang Rai International School
“Liberty helped me learn so much more about the Bible and how it relates to people. The background that I came from was that I did all of the religious things, but there was not much of a relationship with Jesus. At Liberty, I learned that I needed a deeper relationship with God. “Just recently I had the opportunity to share with one of my students that you are not born into Christianity, but it is rather a decision that you have to make, which he was unaware of. I told him that if he ever wanted to accept Jesus, he could come to my office at any time. He told me he would think it over and come to my office the next week.”
GRACE RIPLEY
’17, B.S. in Global Studies with a minor in Sign Language Dakar, Senegal Renaissance School of the Deaf
“In Senegal, the deaf population is largely unreached. I have the great opportunity to work at the country’s only Christian deaf school. I have the privilege to speak freely regarding the Gospel to my students, and I do that quite regularly. I often work with little kids, and I’ll use Bible stories to work on vocabulary, and I also invite the older students to my house so that I can continue to speak into their lives. “I feel so privileged that I was able to have an education with Liberty’s Global Studies program, and I’m thankful for how I was able to learn how to be involved and invested in another culture. I received a lot of great tools for how to do this well and to incorporate the Gospel into different settings.”
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‘FI N D O U T WH ERE G O D WA N T S TO US E YO U ’ At the Sept. 23 Convocation, Campus Pastor Jonathan Falwell encouraged the student body to take advantage of the many opportunities to learn and serve during Global Focus Week. “Find out where God wants to use you,” he said. “Every single one of us has the opportunity to reach this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we not only have the opportunity but the imperative. Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. It’s not an option; God has told us to do it.” Global Focus Week is an annual event aimed at raising global awareness among Liberty students, faculty, and staff. Throughout the week, students connected with representatives of global organizations, experienced a variety of cultures, and participated in interactive events, such as World Relief Refugee Simulations. A Global Marketplace was set up on the
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Academic Lawn, and the popular Taste of Nations event returned for another year, offering food authentic to over 20 nations. Students could take a self-guided prayer walk every day, starting at Worley Prayer Chapel and leading to eight stations on main campus. The week was also a chance to celebrate the cultures of over 70 countries represented by Liberty’s 700 residential international students. While students learned to think and serve globally, the week also emphasized the importance of ministering to those closer to home. Special “City Spotlights” sessions were held for Miami, San Diego, and New York, where students learned ways to serve multiple ethnic groups in a large U.S. city. Students volunteered to pack hygiene kits for migrants and refugees to support the ministry and humanitarian outreach of the San Diego Baptist Association. Students also helped load a
trailer of supplies headed to Fort Pickett, Va., to assist Afghan refugees. “Global Focus Week is an enjoyable experience each year for the student body,” said LU Serve Director of Strategic Partnerships and Special Projects Steven Gillum. “But more than fun, it is a time to simply pause, learn, pray, and consider how God might use them in another place around the world through engineering, education, medicine, business, or vocational ministry.” “This is an important time for students to discover how they can leverage their future career, passions, and talents in order to fulfill the Great Commission — whether in London, São Paulo, or San Diego,” he added. “Students are challenged in their perspectives and exposed to different worldviews through engaging content, cultural experiences, and the development opportunities at LU Serve within the Office of Spiritual Development.”
FAITH IN FOCUS
FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN BY DR . ED HINDSON
“I Want That Mountain” was the popular gospel song that expressed the vision of Dr. Jerry Falwell as he launched the new college in 1971. By that time, he was already pastoring one of America’s largest churches and preaching the Gospel on television to a national audience of thousands. As he shared his vision to build a world-class Christian university, God began calling students, teachers, and staff from all over the world to fulfill his dream. Jerry Falwell was bigger than life in those days. A big man with a big heart, he had an irresistible and captivating presence. He also had a photographic memory and never forgot a name or phone number. He was personable, passionate, and powerful all at the same time. He could make total strangers feel like they were his best friends. For those of us who were privileged to spend time with him personally, every encounter was a learning experience. He was the epitome of grace on fire. Constantly in motion, Jerry moved from one challenge to another with undiminished energy. THE EARLY YEARS There was a dynamic spiritual excitement that permeated the atmosphere of the school in the 1970s. Great expressions of prayers, faith, revival, and evangelism were happening almost daily. Visitors were immediately captivated by what God was doing as the new school grew rapidly beyond most people’s
expectations. Most people, that is, except Jerry Falwell. From the very beginning, he began to foresee what he believed would become the world’s largest evangelical institution, training young people not only for the ministry, but for every possible profession to impact the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was that Gospel that God had used to capture and change his own life as a 19-year-old college student years earlier. Always an advocate of quality Christian education, Jerry would often say: “If it’s Christian, it ought to be better.” He also believed: “The problem with America’s universities is not the students; it’s the teachers!” He thought if he could assemble a faculty of born-again Christian professors, God would speak through them to bring His truth to the minds and hearts of the students. Those students in turn, he said, would be God’s ambassadors to the world and the change-agents to the next generation. THE 21ST CENTURY The dawning of the new millennium brought a new day of growth and transformation for the university. The launching of Liberty’s extensive online degree programs brought the greatest growth the school had ever experienced. Soon there were 15,000 residential students and over 110,000 students online. Dr. Falwell’s dream became a reality and has now outlived him by 14 years (since
his death in 2007). Liberty University has become the school he dreamed it eventually would become. Faith, prayer, and perseverance brought God’s blessing and kept the flame alive. Fifty years have now gone by, and many of Jerry’s original goals have been accomplished by the grace of God. “This is God’s school,” he would often exclaim, “and we need to keep it that way!” Looking back, we realize that only God could do such an amazing work — raising up Liberty in the closing decades of the 20th century to confront the everchanging culture of the 21st century. Liberty is now primed to provide the evangelical leadership for the next generation. It is now time to reignite that original vision to set the mountain aflame again for the next 50 years. To God be the Glory … great things He has done. Dr. Ed Hindson is the Dean Emeritus of the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity and Distinguished Professor of Religion. He has served in various roles at Liberty University since 1974 and was instrumental in helping to lay the foundation for the school, build upon the founder’s dreams, and advance the original mission. Over the years, he has taught over 100,000 students, residentially and online.
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NOT ALL
JOKES ASIDE... MARK LOWRY (’80) BRINGS LESSONS AND LAUGHS IN STORIED CAREER
BY TED ALLEN
EL LIE RIC HARDSON
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“HEARING THE AUDIENCE LAUGH … I know they’re hanging on every word, and I’m fixin’ to lay them at the foot of the cross and they’re not going to see it coming, and I love that.
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That is my favorite thing to do.
Mark Lowry poses on campus during Homecoming in October. He participated in many weekend events, including an alumni reunion dinner and the School of Music’s “Celebrating 50 Years of Music” concert.
Mark Lowry’s greatest spiritual gift may be the gift of gab. Known for his humor and harmony, Lowry said he has used comedy as a ministry to reach more people with the Gospel message than he has through his baritone ballads with the Gaither Vocal Band. “Much, much, much more,” Lowry said. “I’m an average singer. I think I’ve gotten better with age, but I never was that great a singer. But I knew I could talk, and in 1977, the Lord spoke to me — and I’m Baptist, so He doesn’t do that often,” he joked. God told him to go into the music industry, which he did upon graduating from Liberty University in 1980 with a degree in youth ministry. “I surrendered to that (calling) and within a week, I was booked up through the end of the year,” Lowry said. “I started just traveling and singing in churches.” Fellow student Roy Morgan offered to schedule and promote Lowry’s concerts after graduation. “His job was mopping floors in his dorm, and I didn’t know him from Adam’s housecat, but he took a Baptist Bible Fellowship directory and booked me in 43 concerts in 41 days, and I was off and running,” Lowry said. Morgan scheduled Lowry when he wasn’t traveling with the Gaither Vocal Band (1988-2001 and 2009-13). “I had eight years of that, driving myself with my Bose PA system in the back of my car and my polyester suits on a bar across the back seat, where underneath the seat were cassettes and albums,” Lowry said.
He said his flair for comedy sprang out of a desire to avoid awkward silences during his concerts. “I had to do something while the tracks were changing, right?” Lowry said. “A few-second silence can seem like eternity when people are staring at you.” When he broke that silence with humor, it warmed the crowd to the Gospel message he shared through his songs and testimonies. “They were such an easy audience because Baptists back then, Independent Baptists, especially, they wouldn’t clap, because that’s giving glory to men,” Lowry said. “So when you’d finish a song, you’d hear an ‘Amen,’ maybe, but no one would clap. They’d never shout. They wouldn’t raise their hands back then, or people would think they’re Pentecostal. But they would laugh, and that’s how I knew they were listening, and that’s all I cared about. “I wanted to convince them that a Man rose from the dead, and if they’re not listening, then how am I going to do that? Hearing the audience laugh … I know they’re hanging on every word, and I’m fixin’ to lay them at the foot of the cross and they’re not going to see it coming, and I love that. That is my favorite thing to do.” Lowry said his comedic means for communicating the Gospel came from a God with a sense of humor, since laughter is both good for the soul and as effective as medicine for those who are hurting. It’s a universal language, even transcending denominations. “Every good and perfect gift comes from Him, and humor — oh my Lord, >>
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Mark Lowry sings with his mother, Beverly Lowry, at Thomas Road Baptist Church in 1981.
>>during this time of the plague (COVID19) and all the other stuff we’ve been going through — humor really helps,” Lowry said. Growing up in a Baptist church in Texas, Lowry recalls a time he responded to the preacher’s invitation to receive Solomonic wisdom. “I said, ‘Well, I could use some of that,’ so I’d go to the altar and I’d ask the Lord for wisdom, and then I remembered before I got up, I asked for two more things. I said, ‘I’d like an interesting life.’ And come to find out later that’s the Chinese curse.” God has answered that prayer over and over, providing Lowry a wealth of comedic material for his concerts. “I don’t consider myself a comedian,” he said. “I’ve been labeled that and that’s fine, but I’m a storyteller. That’s the reason it takes so long for me to come up with new material, because I have to go through a dysfunctional childhood, a van wreck, tumor surgeries, a tornado on a houseboat, I mean all of these horrible events. Breaking my leg on a motorcycle, that’s one of the funniest stories I’ve ever told. But it was a tragedy, so I don’t ask the Lord for anything except, ‘Can I have some new material that doesn’t hurt?’” Having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) — he describes himself as a “poster boy for hyperactivity” in one of his songs — gives his comedy a spontaneity and freshness that often surprises himself. “Sometimes, I’m hearing this stuff, literally for the first time,” Lowry said,
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Mark Lowry (middle) performs a skit in the “Living Christmas Tree” at TRBC in 1981.
“I don’t consider myself a comedian. I’ve been labeled that and that’s fine, but I’m a storyteller. That’s the reason it takes so long for me to come up with new material, because I have to go through a dysfunctional childhood, a van wreck, tumor surgeries, a tornado on a houseboat, I mean all of these horrible events. Breaking my leg on a motorcycle, that’s one of the funniest stories I’ve ever told. But it was a tragedy, so I don’t ask the Lord for anything except, ‘Can I have some new material that doesn’t hurt?’” MARK LOWRY
attributing anything good he blurts out to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. “I’ve been on stage before and stuff will come out of me, and I know it’s got to be the Lord because I’m learning from it myself. It is unbelievable how weird that is.” The other prayer he offered up to God
at the altar that day was that he would do something that would outlive him. The answer to that request has most clearly come to fruition through penning the lyrics to the Christmas classic, “Mary, Did You Know?” The idea behind the song actually started with a request from Liberty’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, who asked Lowry to set the program for “A Living Christmas Tree,” the annual Christmas program at Thomas Road Baptist Church, where Falwell served as pastor. He began with secular Christmas songs in the first half and spiritual Christmas songs in the second half and wrote monologues to go between them. “One of the monologues that I wrote out was this: ‘I wonder if Mary realized the power and the authority and the majesty she cradled in her arms that first Christmas?’” Lowry said. “I wonder if she realized those little fingers that were wrapped around hers were the same fingers that had scooped out the oceans and formed the rivers, and those feet were the same feet that had walked on streets of gold and then brushed up to angels?” “Then I said, ‘Did she realize the little boy she delivered that first Christmas one day on a cross would deliver her?’ I’ll never forget the chills that came over me when I wrote that, because I had not heard that before — deliver and deliver. And then, ‘When she kissed a little baby, she was kissing the face of God?’” Falwell would requote parts of that monologue before giving the invitation every performance night. Lowry polished off the lyrics by 1984
Mark Lowry starred as Harold Hill in Liberty’s first-ever musical, “The Music Man,” in 1980.
and carried them around until 1991, when, on a Gaither Vocal Band weekend bus tour, he gave them to fellow Southern Gospel singer Buddy Greene to put to music. Greene called him back the following Monday and sang it to Lowry for the first time over the phone. It has since been recorded by more than 30 artists, including Donnie Osmond, Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Zach Williams, and Pentatonix. “There’s just so many versions, it’s amazing,” Lowry said. “Michael English recorded it first, then Kathy Mattea, then Kathleen Battle, so it went from contemporary Christian to country to opera, and now there’s even a disco version.” He is glad to know that he will leave something behind that will have an impact for eternity, but he admitted his songwriting skills stalled after the song gained fame. “Honestly, ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ did take the wind out of my sails as far as writing songs, because I really set out to write songs just to see if I could. Then once I realized I could, I just didn’t care. … That’s the way I’ve always done things. I’ll do something and do it, do it, do it until I figure it out, and then I’m onto the next thing.” Lowry has released several albums since then, including his latest, “Sit Up Straight and Sing,” an acoustic hymns project with Kevin Williams on guitar. He has authored a number of books, including “Out of Control” and “Live Long, Die Laughing,” which are compilations of some of his monologues and stories.
As a special guest for Homecoming in 1993, Mark Lowry performed pieces from his Comic Belief Tour.
Lowry performed in the Liberty University School of Music’s Homecoming Concert on Oct. 8, along with Liberty alumni artists Meredith Andrews (’05), Jody McBrayer from Avalon, and former Gaither Vocal Band member Guy Penrod (’85). (See story on Page 17.) He often returns to Lynchburg to visit his father, Charles, but Homecoming, held in conjunction with Liberty’s 50th Anniversary celebration, was the first time he had made a public appearance on campus in many years. Lowry appreciates the spiritual foundation he received at Liberty, which he used as a springboard to launch his performing career. Liberty is where he made friendships that have lasted a lifetime and where he developed a passion for storytelling and communicating the Gospel. “It did prepare me,” he said. “Really, I look at Liberty as a great part of the journey. Those were some of the most enjoyable, fun, exciting five years of my life. I’ve had many, many exciting years since then, but boy, those were great years. If you’ve missed college, you’ve missed a lot.” Now, over 40 years later, Lowry has continued to gain a wider audience through social media, including his website, MarkLowry.com. He recently eclipsed 1 million followers on Facebook, where he regularly hosts “Just Whenever” live sessions, with fans tuning in to sing hymns with him and enjoy his charismatic personality. Whether virtually or in person, Lowry especially enjoys deep spiritual conversation
with fellow believers and prayer. “If somebody I meet knows more about Jesus than I do, I’ve got questions,” said Lowry. “I’m a freak, a fraud, and a failure on my best days compared to Jesus. (But) I’m curious. I think there’s nothing more interesting than the fact that if there is a God, then we can know Him. That’s got to be the most fascinating thing on Earth. And the more I learn about Him, the less frightened I am of Him and the more in love I become with Him.” He said his mom, longtime psychology professor Beverly Lowry (’84) who died in 2013, was the source of many of his humorous and heartwarming stories, and she also inspired his singing career. Falwell called her the “Loretta Lynn of gospel music” and she was a featured soloist on his “Old Time Gospel Hour” for several years. She also instructed Lowry in the Word of God growing up and encouraged him in every step of his spiritual journey. “My momma used to quote that Scripture, ‘The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,’” Lowry said. “I say, ‘Well it may be the beginning, but it’s not the ending.’ The ending is when you fall madly in love with the One who is already madly in love with you, and that’s the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He proved that at Calvary, and He didn’t stop there. He got up, thank God. What does the Scripture say? ‘That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead.’ That’s so important, and that’s been the hub of my ministry career.”
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IN TUNE WITH THE MISSION 50 YEARS OF MUSIC MINISTRY AT LIBERTY BY JACOB COUCH
Sounds of Liberty, 1976
Because of a strong belief in a magnificent vision cast before them in the school’s early years, Liberty University music faculty willingly worked out of small storage closets while their students rehearsed in an old building on a dairy farm where Williams Stadium now stands. In the 1970s, members of the Lynchburg Baptist College Chorale Road Team took a year off from school to tour for 11 months and help raise money for their young institution, inspired by that same vision. Liberty founder Jerry Falwell Sr. often declared that music and athletics were two universal languages for young people and therefore a major part of building a world-class educational institution. Now, almost 50 years since its founding, his larger-than-life vision has come to fruition with a state-of-the-art Center for Music and the Worship Arts, thriving traveling ministry teams, and a robust network of industry partnerships that offer students a wide variety of internship and professional opportunities. Along with a 1,600-seat concert hall, 50 practice rooms, and 43 teaching studios where students can hone their crafts, the
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students who call the music building their home have also become something that Falwell would be proud of. “Dr. Falwell would not be surprised by what the realm of music at Liberty has turned into,” Department of Music Theory and History Chair Dr. John Hugo said. “If he was still alive today, he would have said, ‘I told you.’” “(Falwell) was that bigger-than-life leader that you may experience just once in your lifetime,” added School of Music Director of Ministry Teams Scott Bullman. “He could cast a vision, he could motivate, he could inspire — just in one speech. He really became a champion for the music program. He would do that from the platform, and he would do that one-on-one with professors and leaders.” Falwell backed up his beliefs by hiring the late David Randlett in 1973 to head up the school’s music education department. Randlett helped Falwell in launching the LBC Concert Choir and the LBC Chorale, singing groups that performed at Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC). The Concert Choir often led worship on Sundays at TRBC and occasionally at events on
campus or out in the community during the week. “One of the points of emphasis for the entire school was to have an actionoriented curriculum,” Randlett’s son and Liberty graduate Paul Randlett (’93, ’09) said. “When students came to Lynchburg Baptist College, TRBC was kind of the incubator or the training ground where students would have opportunities to minister.” The first traveling music groups were also the first storytellers for the new college, spreading the message of Falwell’s vision for Liberty while ministering through music. The Chorale predominantly traveled with Falwell to speaking engagements across the country. They helped Falwell lead his “I Love America” rallies at several state capitols throughout the 1970s. Out of the Concert Choir, Falwell and David Randlett created a traveling group, the Enpsalms, which became the Sounds of Liberty traveling ministry team in 1975. In 1978, the late music professor Kim Renas founded the Chamber Choir, a group of 30 members comprised of the school’s
finest voices who led the student body during their Wednesday night worship services at TRBC and traveled to sing at various churches along the East Coast during fall and spring breaks. In the late 1980s, the Sounds of Liberty became the group that traveled with Falwell consistently until he established the LBN Singers (standing for Liberty Broadcast Network) in the 1990s. That group took on more of those touring opportunities, allowing the Sounds of Liberty to become a greater presence on campus while still traveling on weekends. By the mid-1990s, the Sounds of Liberty, YouthQuest, and The Light Singers — directed by then-Dean of Student Affairs Vernon Brewer (Liberty’s first graduate and founder of World Help) — were the three traveling ministry teams that the university commissioned. “There always seemed to be a new group popping up,” Hugo said. “Some would come and go, but the Sounds of Liberty and YouthQuest were really the two that seemed to last the longest.” Through their travel with Falwell, the music teams were blessed beyond measure. “He was certainly an inspiration to them,” Hugo said. “He was like a father to them, and he loved them like they were his own children.” Throughout the 2000s, Liberty’s Campus Band became the primary team to lead campus services. In addition to Convocation, the band also led worship for Campus Church services on Sunday mornings in the Vines Center and on Wednesday nights in the TRBC sanctuary. Multiple ministry teams traveled across the country during the 2000s and the 2010s. From the all-male group Crimson Flood to the all-female Awaken and modern worship bands Exodus and Seventy-One, students shared different styles of music but the same Gospel message. Since Falwell’s passing in 2007, Liberty has continued to prioritize his vision
“Dr. Falwell would not be surprised by what the realm of music at Liberty has turned into. If he was still alive today, he would have said, ‘I told you.’” DR. JOHN HUGO through the Worship Collective, formed in 2014. This large, diverse group of singers, songwriters, and musicians often leads worship at Convocation, and members are dispatched to serve at churches and events across the nation. The Sounds of Liberty still exists as a branch of the Collective, and under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, YouthQuest continues to spread the Gospel by partnering with area churches to put on weekend conferences. Falwell’s passion for excellence in every area of life is continuing to be honored by Liberty’s Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band. Professor of Music and Director of Bands Dr. Stephen Kerr (’82), a member of Liberty’s first marching band, which was directed by Raymond Locy in 1977, said it is incredible to look back and realize how far the band has come since its first year. “The band came along little by little, but that first year we only had 48 students,” he said. “We practiced at Thomas Road Baptist Church in the lower parking lot, and we found a spot that was mostly devoid of other things, except that it had a telephone pole in the middle.” They didn’t even have uniforms in that first year, but now the band is an exciting company of brass, woodwind, and percussion instrumentalists, accented and accompanied by a full color guard. The Spirit of the Mountain has appeared
in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, at the New York Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands for 80,000 spectators, and at colleges and universities throughout the eastern United States. “I love thinking about Dr. Falwell’s vision and the key role both athletics and music would play,” Liberty School of Music Dean Dr. Stephen Müller said. “We are living in the blessing of his vision and faith.” Through God’s faithfulness and one man’s willingness to pursue a calling the Lord had placed on his heart, Liberty’s music teams are still shining brightly — and melodiously — for Christ..
Worship Collective, 2019 LBC Orchestra, 1983
Liberty Baptist College Chorale, 1977
Crimson Flood, 2008
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LIBERTY QUARTERBACK FOCUSES ON FAITH RATHER THAN FLEETING FAME BY JACOB COUCH
Calm, cool, and collected accurately describes Liberty University starting quarterback and national award contender Malik Willis. Coming off the 2020 season in which he led the Flames to an impressive 10-1 record capped by a second consecutive Cure Bowl victory, Willis is looking to add another championship to the Flames trophy case this season. In 2020, the Atlanta native led the nation in quarterback rushing yards with 944 while tallying 14 touchdowns on the ground. The talented dual-threat passer also threw for 2,260 yards and 20 TDs, contributing to multiple nominations to preseason award lists and watchlists heading into the 2021 campaign. A number of sports media outlets are touting him as a possible Heisman candidate. But Willis’ journey to college football stardom has not always been an easy one. He began his high school sports career at Atlanta’s Westlake High School, where he played both football and baseball before choosing to transfer
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I SAAC AP O N
MALIK WILLIS A C H AT W I T H
“I feel like I was blessed with this ability and this platform to bring people to Him. That’s what we were put on Earth to do, to point others to God.” MALIK WILLIS
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to Roswell High School for his senior year. In June 2016, Willis committed to Virginia Tech but would later decommit in favor of Auburn. After a couple seasons with the Tigers, he recognized that a starting role there was not likely in his future. “There have been bumps and bruises along the way, but I feel like I needed those in order to get to where I am today,” Willis said. “I feel like God puts you through things to make you realize how much you need Him and to realize just how much love He has for you.” Determined to continue following his passion for football that he felt certain the Lord had given him, Willis transferred to Liberty in 2019. He had to redshirt that season due to NCAA transfer regulations. During that season, Willis began wearing a “God’s Plan” armband that he now wears every game so that opponents and media members realize Who is first in his life. “It gives me an opportunity to talk about my faith with the press and media that we meet,” he said. “Just being able to talk about it, that’s a first step. I feel like I was blessed with this ability and this platform to bring people to Him. That’s what we were put on Earth to do, to point others to God.” While he has blossomed into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and is projected to be an early selection in the
NFL Draft, Willis is humble in media interviews. He said he prefers to talk about his faith and spending time in his community rather than his on-the-field success. “I’m just a guy trying to get better every day,” he said. “I’m nobody special. I just play the game, try to make my family proud, and bring glory to God.” Since arriving at Liberty, Willis said his relationship with Christ has gone to a deeper level, due in part to the brotherhood of his teammates as they strive side by side to grow closer to the Lord together. “It makes it more about the actual relationships than about winning and just football,” he said. “It’s deeper than that. These are relationships we’ll have throughout life. It’s just another level of depth in my opinion. As someone who has played for another school, I can say that is true.” While enjoying what the Flames Football program has to offer, Willis has also enjoyed his time in the classroom, an environment that he said fosters opportunities to grow in his faith. After graduating this past spring with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, Willis is currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Executive Leadership. “When I first got here, I really enjoyed the Bible classes,” he said. “They are classes that help you to learn about God.
What more can you ask for? It’s like church, but you’re at school.” Willis said that if he had not played football, he probably would have pursued a career in baseball, a sport he ceased after his junior year of high school when he decided to graduate halfway through his senior year in order to enroll early at Auburn. “That whole recruiting process in baseball is just way different than football,” he said. “They don’t give full scholarships for baseball, so that’s kind of tough.” Willis has come a long way since his beginning days of playing college football. But the growing fame of Liberty’s elite signal-caller has not hindered him from understanding his purpose in life. Asked what he will miss most after his time on Liberty Mountain comes to an end, Willis answered that he will miss those special times off the field more than the team’s heroics on the gridiron. “Winning games is cool and fun and we get to glorify God, but I feel like growing with each other in the little Bible studies we do and building those relationships and getting closer to God with each other is way more valuable,” he said. “We’re going to forget how many touchdowns we scored, and we’ll forget how many games we won, but those relationships won’t be forgotten.”
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BASKETBALL SQUADS FIRED UP FOR SECOND SEASON IN LIBERTY ARENA, THIS TIME WITH FULL FAN CAPACITY Excitement abounds for the Liberty men’s and women’s basketball teams heading into the 2021-22 season. The Flames and Lady Flames enjoyed a successful inaugural season at Liberty Arena, going a combined 25-0 at their new home court and 42-14 overall in 2020-21. This fall, the Flames are eager to open the Liberty Arena at full capacity for the first time. The 2021-22 home schedule is headlined by a visit from SEC member
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Missouri’s men’s basketball team on Dec. 2 and a matchup with ACC member Virginia Tech’s women’s basketball squad on Dec. 7. Liberty men’s basketball has been on a historic run the past three seasons, winning three straight ASUN regularseason titles and three straight ASUN Tournament championships. The Flames are the only team in the country to achieve that feat during each of the last three seasons. Liberty men’s
basketball has proven to be one of the nation’s top programs over recent years. With 82 wins in the last three seasons, Liberty ranks third in the country behind Gonzaga (95 wins) and Houston (84 wins). Liberty returns three starters from last year’s squad, including reigning ASUN Player of the Year Darius McGhee. The junior is coming off a sensational season in which he ranked No. 4 in the nation in three-pointers made. McGhee
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SINGLE GAME AND SEASON TICKETS:
LIBERTY.EDU/TICKETS 434-582-SEAT (7328) was the third Liberty player in the last two seasons to be named to the Lou Henson All-America Team, joining Caleb Homesley and Scottie James after averaging 15.6points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game this past season. Lethal at all three levels, McGhee shot 45.8 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from three-point range and 84.8 percent from the free throw line. Liberty also returns Kyle Rode, who is entering his junior year and is coming off an exceptional season in which he started all 29 games, averaging 7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists and was named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team. The Flames are led by Head Coach Ritchie McKay, who is coming off backto-back ASUN Coach of the Year honors. McKay leads a squad that currently owns a 36-game winning streak at home, which is the second-longest active winning streak in the country. The Flames ranked No. 3 in scoring defense last season, allowing just 60 points a game with six wins over Power 5 opponents in the last five seasons. Like the Liberty men’s basketball team, the Lady Flames have advanced to the ASUN Tournament title game during each of their three seasons as conference members. This season, the Lady Flames
will be looking to cut down the nets and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Liberty Head Coach Carey Green is quite familiar with the NCAA Tournament, taking the Lady Flames into March Madness 14 times during his 22 seasons as head coach. Green should make history early on in the 2021-22 campaign, as he enters the season just five wins shy of 500 for his career. Green’s teams have long been known for strong post play, and this year’s squad should be no exception. The Lady Flames will be anchored by the trio of 6’5” Bella Smuda, 6’3” Mya Berkman, and 6’2” Bridgette Rettstatt. Smuda was a member of the 2021 ASUN All-Freshman Team while Berkman was the team’s leading rebounder (6.1 rebounds per game) and set a program record by making 68.9
percent of her field goals last season. Rettstatt, a second team All-ASUN performer in 2019, enters her final season needing only 125 points to reach 1,000 for her career. Kennedi Williams takes over the reins as starting point guard this season. Playing in a reserve role a season ago, she paced the Lady Flames and ranked No. 4 in the ASUN with 3.5 assists per game. Liberty brings a 17-game home winning streak into the 2021-22 campaign. The Lady Flames have 16 home games on this year’s slate, beginning with Belmont Abbey on Nov. 9 and wrapping up with a showdown against defending ASUN champion FGCU on Feb. 24. Other featured home games include matchups with Commonwealth rival James Madison (Nov. 18) and defending Big South champion High Point (Dec. 4).
FLAMES CLUB
Fans can support Liberty men’s and women’s basketball and enjoy special game day privileges by joining the Flames Club. The Flames Club exists to underwrite Liberty Athletics’ three-fold mission to Train Champions for Christ, provide a world-class studentathlete experience, and achieve victory with integrity. Membership starts at just $60, and members can enjoy preferred parking, seating, and pregame hospitality benefits, based upon membership level. Call 434-582-CLUB (2582), email FlamesClub@liberty.edu, or visit Liberty.edu/FlamesClub.
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New Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery takes aim at widespread crisis With the goal of creating an educational epicenter on its campus for the combining of faith and worldwide advancement in mental health care, Liberty University launched the Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery this fall. The center is the first of its kind for the university, drawing together academic departments and multiple campus resources to advance research and provide education, training, advocacy, and services to help deal with the massive mental health and addiction crisis in the church and global community. Dr. Tim Clinton serves as executive director. He is the president of the American Association of Christian Counselors and serves as co-host of “Family Talk” with Dr. James Dobson. For over 30 years, he has served in academic administration and as a professor of counseling and pastoral care at Liberty. To Clinton, mental health is an overarching issue, and providers of this care are in high demand. “Tell me where doesn’t mental health touch? The family, the workplace, what
we look at all around the globe,” he said. “With that, you realize that there really is a huge need for providers. One of the big pieces that we do here at Liberty is train mental health leaders to step into this moment and help lead the way with a voice of reason, clinical excellence, and a faith that transcends hopelessness.” The new center is launching at a particularly relevant time, he said: “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States was already in the midst of a massive mental health crisis. Issues like depression, stress and anxiety, abuse, personality and obsessive-compulsive disorders, addiction, and others had caused a surge of hopelessness in our culture, and now the current pandemic and its related societal and relational issues have only taken it a step further.” “The American people are exhausted, running on empty, and emotionally shot,” Clinton added. “The brokenness is profound. Not bringing help and hope to them in these issues — that’s the mistake. Crisis is the moment when we (the Church) should be there.” The center’s highly qualified board of advisors comprises leading pastors,
psychiatrists, counselors, and other experts in the field. Dr. Ron Hawkins, a longtime counseling professional and Liberty administrator, has helped to launch the center. He said there is significance in a mental health initiative with such a large scope being birthed in an academic institution to solve real-world problems. Liberty is taking on the challenge, looking at many different facets, he said, from “the science of addiction, the science of mental health, and the whole legal issue of policies that are being changed and addressed as we speak.” “We’ve never had something that is this comprehensive to address such an important issue, and out of it we look for a path forward,” Hawkins added. “We are looking for a way to intelligently, responsibly, and, speaking from a faith position and biblical worldview, address solutions.” Faculty, staff, and students from across Liberty’s residential and online programs will also be served through the center’s work. Visit Liberty.edu/Mental-Health to learn more.
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Fall enrollment hits records for its online program, which has risen by 6,000 this year to over 114,000 students currently enrolled. “After all the challenges that hit universities this past year, we’re overjoyed to see our largest incoming class come to LU,” said Ron Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing. “Because our online enrollment grew to over 114,000 students, we know that Liberty’s impact is felt across the nation. We feel
gratitude to God for what He is doing through this institution to train and send out Champions for Christ.” Liberty’s graduate professional programs are also experiencing growth. Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine greeted the Class of 2025, with 162 new students, marking its largest incoming class in history. Liberty University School of Law announced its largest incoming class in the last 10 years with 135 first-year students.
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As new residential students began moving in on Aug. 18, Liberty University President Jerry Prevo announced that the university had hit an enrollment record. Liberty welcomed its largest incoming class for fall residential enrollment in school history, with nearly 5,500 new and transfer students. “We have the greatest number of first-time enrollees in the history of our university,” Prevo said. “What’s more, our retention rate has increased over the last year, which is all the more remarkable because so many institutions of higher education are struggling in this very area. I believe that God has great things in store for Liberty University.” The university also reported a jump
5,500
NEW AND TRANSFER RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS
114,000+ ONLINE STUDENTS
New professors bring strong backgrounds in national security at Pentagon, White House Liberty University’s Helms School of Government welcomed two new professors this fall who each have 30 years of robust experience in policy and intelligence at the top levels of our nation’s government and military. Rear Admiral Tony Cothron was the 62nd director of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in the Pentagon, with other assignments that included the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Following his career in government, Cothron spent 12 years in the defense industry. He is teaching courses on
ethics and intelligence, introduction to intelligence and national security, and terrorism. He will also be responsible for establishing the learning objectives for both the online and residential intelligence programs. Scott Roenicke retired from a
30-year career at the Pentagon as a Senior Advisor for Russia Affairs to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in addition to serving as the Director for Russia Affairs at the White House in the National Security Council. Radical extremism hits close to home for Roenicke, who will also be teaching courses in terrorism as well as international relations and advanced intelligence analytics. Roenicke was working at the Pentagon on 9/11 as the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building, killing many of his comrades.
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Job-ready Training This past summer was a time of hands-on learning and career exploration as Liberty University students spread out across the country and the globe for various internships. From science to design to music, students seized opportunities to gain experience for future careers and set their sights on what lies ahead after graduation. MEETING NEEDS: Just one semester after the School of Business launched its new humanitarian aid concentration under the B.S. in Business Administration, students were able to use this new specialty to serve through internships at Christian organizations like longtime Liberty partners Samaritan’s Purse in Boone, N.C., and disaster relief organization God’s Pit Crew in Danville, Va.
MINISTRY PARTNERS: Seven students spent 10 weeks interning at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, N.C. They worked in departments like multimedia, donor relations, and human resources, with the added benefit of serving alongside BGEA staff members who inspired them to grow in their faith and integrate it into their approaching careers. SAFETY FIRST: Computer engineering student Chinemerem “David” Osuji interned at Liberty’s Center for Engineering Research & Education, contributing to a School of Engineering project involving the research and design of a safer football helmet. He focused on developing a telemetry system embedded in the helmet that can notify coaches and trainers of the magnitude and severity of a head impact sustained by a player on the field. RIGHT ON KEY: Close to 75 School of Music students completed internships at churches, schools, recording studios, and arts organizations in 15 states and three countries. From Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tenn., to Waymaker Ministries in Greece, the opportunities continued to build off the school’s legacy of maximizing industry partnerships. DESIRE TO DESIGN: Junior interior design student Elloa Mathis lived out her passion while working as an intern for designer Heather Fox, host of HGTV’s “Should I Stay or Go,” in Minneapolis, Minn. Mathis spent her days either in the design studio or in clients’ homes observing and supporting renovation projects at varying phases, from initial construction meetings to styling and staging for pictures. LA ADVENTURA: The Liberty University Spanish Institute partnered with LU Send to take 49 students to Ecuador for eight weeks, where they interned at various churches and organizations while sharing the love of Christ and experiencing the culture. Students had the opportunity to fulfill their Christian Community Service (CSER) hours and Spanish credit hours.
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Liberty University Career Services provides multiple resources to assist students in securing an internship. Students can meet with industry specific career coaches, attend internship search workshop trainings, visit career fairs, and use Handshake to explore other opportunities. The Washington (D.C.) Fellowship offers an exciting internship experience in the nation’s capital. Visit Liberty.edu/Careers.
Responding to a Need
NEWS & EVENTS
Disaster relief team dispatched to Louisiana after Hurricane Ida
In partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, a Liberty University Serve Now team traveled to Hammond, La., from Sept. 25-Oct. 3 to minister to families whose homes had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Ida in late August. LU Serve’s mission is to minister to and serve the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and communities, working alongside worldclass organizations and leaders. Led by LU Serve Director Chad Nelson
and fellow staff member Abby Sanders, the team of seven students worked on 13 different homes, from taking down sheet rock and insulation to pulling up flooring and throwing away furniture and clothing damaged by mold. They also cleared yards of storm debris and spent time ministering to and sharing the Gospel with each family before offering them a new Bible. “The mission of Liberty University is Training Champions for Christ,” Nelson said. “Everything about a trip such as this one is very Christ-centric. Students are really spurred to grow in Christ.” Throughout the trip, students were able to serve those who have given their lives to serve others, even in small and seemingly insignificant ways.
“Oftentimes on the trip, chaplains would serve us meals,” Nelson said. “On a couple of different days, Liberty students on their own initiative just got up and told the chaplains to go sit down so that they could serve the meal. Even outside of a jobsite, you’d see the spirit of Christ being exemplified in the students.” Micah Seguin, a senior studying business administration, said that while the team was able to assist in property cleanup, the main highlight of their trip was the spiritual impact it had on the families. “This was a great way to practice being like Christ,” Seguin said. “Not just meeting their physical needs, but meeting their emotional and spiritual needs as well. ... We saw a lot of people come to Christ.”
Students assist Afghan refugees living on Army base
Every Saturday since late September, student volunteers have started their days early by filing onto buses and heading about 1 1/2 hours southeast to Fort Pickett Army Base in Blackstone, Va., where thousands of refugees from Afghanistan are being processed. The refugees arrived there in August following the fall of their country to the Taliban’s control. The trips were coordinated by LU Serve Now, through Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development as part of the
Department of Defense’s Operation Allies Welcome and Operation Allies Refuge facilitated by the U.S. Army National Guard and Marine Corps. The volunteers have unloaded, sorted, and distributed donated items. When the first Liberty groups came, there were about 6,000 Afghans living at the base; a few thousand more were expected in the following weeks. Liberty also sent a semi-trailer full of supplies to the base; students and members of Thomas Road Baptist Church donated baby and personal hygiene items as well as toys and clothing. Students helped to sort and pack the donations into the trailer as part of a service project for Global Focus Week. Reese Braband, assistant athletic director for spiritual development for Club Sports,
accompanied 24 members of the men’s volleyball team to Fort Pickett on Sept. 23. “It was incredible,” he said. “The purpose was to have fun and give them something to do as they have come out of a traumatic experience and don’t know how long they’re going to be there. They were all asking when we would be coming back.” The team set up courts on two different compounds with close to 1,500 people gathered at both locations. “We were able to go and be a light to these people, to love on them,” Braband said. “There was definitely a language barrier, though enough of them had learned some English. But the universal language of sport is one that everybody can understand.” Liberty’s women’s and men’s soccer coaches have also put on clinics at the base.
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Convocation guests educate, motivate, and inspire Just as it has since the very beginning, Liberty University created opportunities in the fall semester for students to become inspired to be Christian ambassadors in their future careers — Champions for Christ — as they listened to pastors and other influential Christian speakers share this unified message. Before classes began in August, Campus Pastor Jonathan Falwell welcomed incoming freshmen in the Liberty Arena and discussed the upcoming Convocation lineup. “We are so excited about this brandnew year at Liberty, and we are excited for what God is going to do on this campus as 15,000 students descend on this place to learn, to grow, and to hear the Word of God,” Falwell said. The Office of Spiritual Development holds Convocation on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. EST. Convocation remains the largest weekly gathering of Christian young people in the world. The first Convocation of the 2021-22 school year was held on Sept. 3 in Williams Stadium, setting the tone for Liberty’s
50th Anniversary celebration. The day’s special guest was renowned pastor Dr. Tony Evans, who walked students through what it means to be a true disciple of God and representative of His Kingdom. “(A disciple) is not merely a person who is a Christian on their way to Heaven,” Evans said. “It’s a Christian who has grabbed Heaven, brought it down to Earth, and is living it out as a full-time follower of Jesus Christ. This is what makes Liberty University so great, as you celebrate your 50 years. Young men and young ladies have gone out (from Liberty) into every sphere and discipline, not just in church work but in church life, and have manifested the Kingdom of God in the chaos of man.” On Sept. 8, author and pastor Samuel Rodriguez emboldened students to be a light in our dark world, followed by pastor and author David Jeremiah on Sept. 17 with a message about the dangers of socialism and how to stand firm as a Christian in a culture straying from God. On Sept. 29, personal finance expert Dave Ramsey spoke on the importance
of unity in the workplace, and Liberty alumna and Fox News anchor Shannon Bream headlined Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 8. Other special guests on this semester’s lineup were author and speaker Margaret Feinberg, evangelist Jay Lowder, and pastors H.B. Charles, Gary Hamrick, Levi Lusko, Jim Cymbala, Crawford and Karen Loritts, Matt Barnett, and J.D. Greear, as well as Bible teacher and author Kay Arthur and Liberty alumna and Concerned Women for America President Penny Young Nance. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled for a Veterans Day Convocation on Nov. 12. Students attending Campus Community on Wednesday nights have been engaging in a series called “Mementos: Moments that Matter,” which outlines the turning points in the lives of biblical heroes and how God used those major moments to do the impossible. Special guest pastors have included David Nasser, a former Liberty campus pastor, and evangelist Clayton King.
LIVE STREAMS: Convocations are broadcast live on the Liberty University Facebook page.
ROSS KOH L
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NEWS & EVENTS
1974 Do you remember? While the venue may have changed over the years, Liberty University has always made it a priority to provide special times to gather as a student body for praise and worship and to hear impassioned messages based on the Word of God. Before the first campus buildings opened on Liberty Mountain, these times were called “chapel,” and students met in the main sanctuary of the original Thomas Road Baptist Church. In the late 1970s, as campus began to take shape, a 3,000seat tent was set up because no facility at the time could house the rapidly growing student body. Students continued to attend Convocation in the tent through the winter months; a heater was set up, and students brought blankets to stay warm. From the tent, Convocation was moved to the Multipurpose Center (later called the Schilling Center), a building that once stood near where the Jerry Falwell Library is located today. In 1990, the Vines Center opened and Convocation had a new home.
1978 1982 2003
ALUMNI: What are some of the favorite messages you heard as a student that helped shape your life after graduation? Share them with us. Email news@liberty.edu.
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DHS grant supports research on opioid epidemic For the last two years, a team of School of Business faculty and students, led by Dr. Daniel O’Malley, residential chair for Computer Science, has utilized a grant from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct research and develop a data-collection application in an effort to strengthen the United States’ fight against the ongoing opioid epidemic. The team began the process in early 2019 after seeing a report by the CDC stating that around 70,000 people in the U.S. died from an overdose in 2018, many of whom were living in the Appalachia region. They approached the issue by studying trends and activity on social media by state. By looking at what people are posting on these publicly available
platforms, noting what words or phrases they’re using, and comparing them to a list of keywords linked to opioid usage, the goal was to anticipate possible hotspots for opioid overdoses. With their work now concluded and the publication process underway, O’Malley said the team was successful in anticipating opioid increases in certain regions. In addition to these findings, the grant also supported the team in developing an application, the Criminal Predictive Analytic Platform (CPAP), that will soon be used by the DHS’ cybercrimes division to gather a large number of publicly available data sets in order to further predict geographic areas of future opioid abuse.
Liberty opens new Pediatric and Young Adult Medical Clinic Liberty University, along with Liberty Mountain Medical Group (LMMG) and Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), has opened a new Pediatric and Young Adult Medical Clinic on Lakeside Drive in Lynchburg. The new medical practice was especially designed to meet the needs of Liberty’s employees. Those who are eligible for the university’s Direct Primary Care program under their insurance plan will benefit from this new option that will lower costs and provide consistent, excellent care for children and young adults.
The clinic is staffed by LMMG boardcertified pediatricians with expertise in pediatric and young adult medicine. The new practice will also enhance active learning opportunities and community-based clinical experiences for Liberty’s osteopathic medicine students. Third- and fourth-year LUCOM students will work on teams led by clinical faculty physicians. For more information, visit LibertyMountainMedical.com or call (434) 404-7200.
Colonial-era property designated state historical landmark The Liberty University-owned property of Mead’s Tavern, located in the nearby historic community of New London, has been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Built in 1763, Mead’s Tavern once served as an ordinary that provided meals and a night’s stay to travelers. The building was later turned into a school and doctor’s office before becoming a single-family dwelling during the 1820s. It is the oldest standing structure in Central Virginia. Since purchasing Mead’s Tavern in 2015, Liberty has used the site as a
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living history lab for students who have participated in ongoing excavation and restoration projects in association with the local nonprofit preservation group Friends of New London and local archaeologists. Students have assisted in unearthing thousands of domestic and architectural artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries. Mead’s Tavern is the second universityowned property to be recognized by the Department of Historic Resources. The Montview Mansion on campus (now called Montview) was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Built in 1923, the home was originally owned by former Secretary of the Treasury and U.S.
Sen. Carter Glass, most well-known as the co-founder of the Federal Reserve. Liberty acquired the home in 1977, and it housed the office of Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty’s founder, from 1990 until his death in 2007.
NEWS & EVENTS
Liberty Athletics retires Jennings’ No. 23 During the Homecoming football game on Oct. 9, Liberty University Athletics retired the No. 23 jersey of former All-American and NFL running
back Rashad Jennings (’09). In his three years with Flames Football (2006-08), Jennings rushed for 3,633 yards and set program records for career rushing I SAAC AP O N
touchdowns (42), 100-yard games (22), and points scored (278). Jennings became the sixth LU player to be selected in the NFL Draft when the Jacksonville Jaguars picked him in the seventh round in 2008. He had a sevenyear career in the NFL, rushing for 3,772 yards and 23 touchdowns, while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2009-12), the Oakland Raiders (2013), and the New York Giants (2014-16). Following his professional playing days, Jennings competed on the 24th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, winning the Mirrorball trophy. His autobiography, “The IF in Life: How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self,” was named to the New York Times Bestseller List. Homecoming marked the second time Liberty Athletics has recognized Jennings. He was one of five inductees named to the 2018 Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame class. The native of Forest, Va., has continued to have an impact on his community and alma mater more than a decade later. The Rashad Jennings Foundation holds Camp 180 on campus every summer, where Jennings trains and mentors about 500 young men and women.
Letterwinners have more chances to show their support of LU Athletics After launching in 2019, Liberty University’s Letterwinners Association for Athletics had to cancel nearly all events last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the 50th Anniversary of the school’s founding this fall, Director Paul Rutigliano and a board of advisors are excited to reignite their efforts and further their mission of engaging former student-athletes and acknowledging their contributions to their individual sports programs as Champions for Christ. The association held its first event of the academic year during Football Alumni
Weekend, Sept. 3-4. Members attended the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet and a tailgate in the Liberty University Indoor Practice Facility, among other activities prior to the Flames Football season opener at home against Campbell. The association is working on completing its advisory team, with each sport having two former player representatives. “They’ll be able to help us reconnect with the athletics staff and say what they would like for us to do to help,” Rutigliano said. “All the coaches know about it and
are excited about it. We are strictly here to help each coach with their program and with fundraising for their programs.” The association also gives former student-athletes the chance to share a part of Liberty’s history with current students. “There are so many athletes on campus who have no idea how Liberty got started, and hopefully this will help them learn about the school’s roots,” Rutigliano said. For more information on joining the association, email Letterwinners@liberty.edu or call (434) 582-3505.
CLASS NOTES S H A R E Y O U R N E W S AT L I B E R T Y. E D U / C L A S S N OT E S
1990s ’90 MIKE MONTORO, of Morgantown, W.Va., has been promoted to Assistant Athletics Director for Football Operations at West Virginia University, where he leads all daily external communications for Mountaineer Football. His department was highlighted by the Football Writers Association of America “Super 11” for being a premier football media relations office.
2000s ’02 JOHN ALDEN, of Libson Falls, Maine, has been in full-time ministry since 2012 at Libson Falls Baptist Church after serving as a lay youth and adult Sunday School teacher, deacon, and elder. He focuses on biblical counseling ministry and was recently a guest pastor at Wilson Memorial Chapel. ’07 CLEVELAND WAY, of Williamsport, Pa., was promoted to Facility Director at the new Transitional Living Center, which helps men transition from state correctional institutions back into the community. Way launched the center’s Fresh Start program that teaches men how to be self-sufficient through desirable employer skills, determined work ethic, community support, and right core competencies to be successful in life, both personally and professionally.
MAKING HEADLINES READ THESE STORIES AND MORE AT LIBERTY.EDU/NEWS/ALUMNI:
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’08 CHRISTOPHER CALLAGHAN, of Gulf Shores, Ala., was recently sworn in as the new Orange Beach Municipal Judge. ’08 MIKE HAMLAR, of Roanoke, Va., was elected president of the Virginia Morticians Association. He is a third-generation owner and president of the Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home & Crematory. He has received accolades for his professional and community achievements, including a “Top 40 Under 40” nomination. ’09 JOSHUA MCKENNEY, of Nags Head, N.C., received the North Carolina EMT Public Servant Citation Award. He was nominated by Dare County EMS Director Jennie Collins for his indisputable love for people, servant leadership, and strong community engagement. ’09 DAVINA SMITH, of Dumfries, Va., has been selected as a Top 25 Business Mentor (placing No. 4 nationally) and the Dumfries 2021 Local Main Street Mentor of the Year. The award recognition was announced through Alignable.com, the largest online referral network for small businesses.
2010s ’10 JACKIE MATHENY, of McMinnville, Tenn., announced his decision to run for Warren County Sheriff in the 2022 local election. ’10 JORDAN WENDY, of Burlington, N.C., is running for a position on the Burlington City Council. Wendy brings a wealth of community involvement and civic engagement after working for the Burlington Police Department for over 28 years. ’11 MALCOM BROWN, of Covington, Va., was promoted to Principal of Liberty Middle School by the Newton County Board of
Education. Brown was previously the school’s Assistant Principal. ’11 SUZANNE MAPLES, of Madisonville, Ky., along with her husband, Kevin Maples, are celebrating the growth of their family coffee business, Campfire Roasters Coffee. They currently have two locations and plan on opening a third soon. The couple also pastors Madisonville First Baptist Church. ’11 AMY ORLOVICH, of Boise, Idaho, recently published a children’s book, “Wilson and the Wombat: and the Nighttime What-if Worries.” She integrates biblical principles through a therapeutic perspective and includes illustrations and true facts about the animals highlighted in her book. ’11 TRAVIS WILSON, of High Point, N.C., published a book, “Let’s Go! Weekly Devotions for Godly Competition in the Game of Life,” which teaches Christian principles about winning in life through the true stories of professional and collegiate athletes. ’12 ZACHARY HETFIELD, of Madison, Wis., joined the law firm of Bender, Larson, Chidley, Koppes and Associates. He practices in personal injury and class action securities litigation. He has prior experience in real estate, landlord/tenant, estate planning, corporate, and municipal law. ’13 AMY MAKEEF, of Minot, N.D., was promoted to Assistant Chief Credit Officer at First Western Bank and Trust. ’14 JOY HEMPHILL, of Simpsonville, S.C., recently joined the Greenville Economic Development Board as a board member. She also spends the bulk of her time as the Regional Director. ’15 RACHEL BYLSMA, of Anchorage, Alaska, was promoted to External Affairs Manager for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association.
TATUM SHEPPARD (’20)
BRANDON FLEMING (’13)
As the reigning Miss Virginia, Tatum is traveling on her “ABC School Tour” to 70 different schools promoting her social impact initiative “Mentoring Matters” through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and talking with students about drug and alcohol abuse prevention. The musical theatre graduate worked as a tour guide at Liberty’s Hancock Welcome Center.
After years of turning his life story once characterized by delinquency and failure into a platform to spark change in education and beyond, Brandon has published a memoir, “Miseducated.” He is the founder and CEO of the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project, which recruits underserved high school youth to compete against hundreds of elite debaters from over 25 countries.
’15 WILL CAMPBELL, of Baton Rouge, La., has been tapped to lead b1Bank and its associated foundation providing education and economic development to small businesses in the Baton Rouge community. ’15 LANCE DAVIS, of Danville, Ark., was hired as a new faculty member for the 2021-22 academic year at Arkansas Tech University and teaches criminal justice technology. He holds a law enforcement certification from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy. ’15 CHARLES HELM, a graduate of Liberty University School of Law, has been named by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the third judge for Citrus County. Helm has worked as Assistant United States Attorney in Ocala, Fla., since March 2021 and previously served as Assistant State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Prior to attending Liberty Law, Helm was a police officer. ’15 ALEJANDRO ZAPATA, represented his home country of Colombia in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He placed 36th in the Men’s 400 and 13th in the 4x400 Relay. This was Zapata’s second consecutive Olympic appearance. ’16 TORI BERT, of Vienna, Ill., was hired as Technology and Communications Director at Vienna High School. ’16 DANNY FUQUA, of Daytona Beach, Fla., has announced he is running for Volusia County Council seat in 2022.
it pertains to the impact of human freedom and mental health.
the Tillman scholarship will continue to help further his education.
’17 DEREK JACKSON, of Phoenix, Ariz., has been selected for the Phoenix Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list. He serves as Chief Technology Officer of Cyber Dive.
’17 ROBERT PERRY, of Fredericksburg, Va., was promoted to Vice President for the Fredericksburg Nationals (FredNats) Minor League Baseball team. Perry manages all creative objectives for the FredNats, from advertising to community relations.
’17 SAM LONG, of San Diego, Calif., was named as a Tillman Scholar at the University of Virginia School of Law. He has served his country as a Marine infantry officer, and
FREE FOR ALUMNI Represent your Flames pride and enjoy local, regional, and national benefits with your free Liberty Alumni ID card. The card is available at any time of the year, but for a limited time, the Alumni Relations Office is offering cards featuring a special 50th Anniversary seal. (If you already have a card, you can replace it with this new design.) The Alumni ID card offers discounts anywhere Flames Cash is accepted, including the campus bookstore and campus dining venues, as well as discounts at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre and IT Marketplace. The card also gives alumni access to the Jerry Falwell Library. Regional and national benefits include discounts at a number of businesses, such as the Museum of the Bible, Enterprise, Hyatt, Avis, and more. (Visit Liberty.edu/Alumni/Benefits for a complete list.)
ORDER YOUR CARD AT LIBERTY.EDU/ALUMNI OR EMAIL ALUMNI@LIBERTY.EDU. (CURRENT STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR AN ID CARD.)
’16 RYAN SMITH, of Camp Lejeune, S.C., is the new Camp Lejeune Community Superintendent. Smith is a decorated Marine Corps veteran who served in the role of nuclear biological chemical defense specialist for six years. ’17 CAITLIN BASSETT, of Forest, Va., was recognized for an article she published about Google Glass through the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. Her main focus is in the field of technology as
CHARLES CARPENTER (’16, ’17)
JANE MARCZEWSKI (’13)
Charles is the co-founder of Saving Sparrows, a nonprofit that collaborates with governmental and non-governmental leaders and organizations to combat human trafficking. The Marine Corps veteran and current Secret Service officer takes his message into schools, churches, and community-based groups. He felt led to start his nonprofit after meeting victims on a trip to Greece in 2015 with Liberty’s Department of Psychology.
Despite battling cancer off and on since 2017, Jane, known professionally as Nightbirde, has not allowed her tragedy to become her identity. The singersongwriter became a viral sensation when she was awarded the Golden Buzzer on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in June after performing her original song, “It’s OK.” In August, she announced she will not be continuing with the show due to her health.
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’18 MAKAYLA BUCHANAN, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., has been appointed to the St. Johns River State College District Board of Trustees. She is currently Executive Director of the Clay Education Foundation. She has been recognized on the Jacksonville Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” list and works on the Clay Women’s Empowerment Council. ’18 AURORA HEMRAJ, of Laurinburg, N.C., joins Scotland Health as an internal medicine hospitalist. Dr. Hemraj just completed her three-year residency program as a physician with experience in both hospital and outpatient settings. Her specifications include preventative medicine, underserved communities, women’s health, and mental health. ’18 JEREMIAH RIGGS, of Elmwood Park, Ill., is the new Principal at John Early Middle School. He returns to Metro Nashville Public Schools after several years as an administrator in Chicago. ’18 JAY ROWE, M.S., MBA, DBA, CFP, of Madison, Tenn., serves as a financial advisor with Ascend Retirement and Investment Services. He recently earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. ’19 MICHAELIA BLACK, of Cleveland, Tenn., joined Lee University’s School of Business as an Assistant Professor of Accounting. Black is a certified public accountant and has been teaching accounting and other quantitative courses at Lee University since 2013. ’19 BOB BURNER, of Shephardstown, W.Va., was named Director of Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency (JCESA), where he has served since 2011. ’19 JAMELLA FOSTER, of Roanoke, Va., was recently hired as a Production Assistant for ESPN’s “NFL Live” through ESPN Next, a leadership developmental program based in content production.
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’19 JENNIFER GOODMAN, of Danville, Va., was hired by the Danville Community College’s Nursing program as a Nurse Instructor. ’19 DAVID JEREMIAH, of El Cajon, Calif., has been recognized for his work with PassagesTV, a video devotional series, and his involvement with Turning Point Ministries. His family legacy is dedicated to spreading the Gospel, and through PassagesTV, he’s established his own ministry aimed at reaching young adults. ’19 MARK LASHLEY, of Townsend, Del., is a church planter who recently established LifeHouse Church along with his wife, Tammy. The couple met on Liberty’s campus in 2002. ’19 STEPHANIE MEYER, of Seminole, Fla., has entered the 2022 race for District 6 on the Pinellas County School Board. ’19 T.K. WATERS, of Pointe Verda, Fla., recently announced his decision to run for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief of Investigations.
2020s ’20 BRITTANY ECKERT, of Warrenton, Va., was recently promoted to Vice President and Controller of the Oak View National Bank, where she has worked for 11 years. Eckert also serves on the Fauquier SPCA Board of Directors. ’20 JONATHAN MILLS, of Farmville, Va., has recently joined the Virginia State Police and completed the required 27-week training tenure of the VSP Academy. ’20 TIFFANY NELSON, of Houston, Texas, was recently hired by Keep US Fed Montgomery County as its new Executive Director. She has over 20 years of nonprofit experience with a focus in marketing, public relations, media relations, and fundraising.
’20 ROBIN PRUITT, of Florence, Ky., joined Chatfield College as its Department Coordinator of Human Services. ’20 MAURICE VICTOR, of Pittsburgh, Pa., joined the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Basketball team as its Director of Creative Content. Previously, he was a videographer for Maverick City Music, where he recorded and edited digital content for its social media platforms and produced marketing content for its merchandise line. ’21 CORY COVER, of Hamersville, Ohio, was recently hired as Park Manager at Rocky Fork, Paint Creek, and Adams Lake state parks through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. ’21 REBEKAH DRURY, M.A., LPC, of Hillsboro, Ohio, has opened a new counseling practice. She assists with anxiety, depression, grief counseling, and the development of healthy conflict resolution and communication skills. Drury integrates a Christian focus into her work. ’21 KELSEY GOODMAN, of New London, Conn., was recently hired as the Women’s Volleyball Head Coach at Mitchell College. Previously, she served as an assistant coach at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va., and has several years of experience both coaching and as a player. ’21 DWAYNE HARRIS, of Berlin, N.J., was called to serve as Municipal Clerk for Howell County. He has served on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Human Development Corporation. ’21 TIANNA PILAND, of Mountain Home, Ariz., was promoted to Client Advisor with Arvest Wealth Management. She has been employed with Arvest Bank since 2006. ’21 DOMINIQUE SHAFFER, of Halifax, Va., and her mother, Desiree Shaffer, worked with Microsoft and the Better Block Foundation to decorate buildings with murals, paying respect to farming and gardening in and around Clarksville, Va.
NATHAN SIDEY (’18)
IRENE SLOOF (’01)
When his dreams of becoming a pilot were halted by a car accident after his freshman year, Nathan found a new career path in the sports industry. He returned to his job as Liberty’s favorite eagle, Sparky, and later interned with the Indianapolis Colts and became the Tulsa Drillers’ mascot. He is currently the Mascot Program Coordinator for the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
The former Liberty University women’s basketball standout served as the assistant coach of The Netherlands’ women’s wheelchair basketball team at the Tokyo Paralympics, where she helped lead the team to its first gold medal in September. Irene, a native of The Netherlands, also serves as head coach of her country’s Paralympic development program, which she helped start in 2007.
IN MEMORIAM JENNA (VANDEN BROOK) BAKER (’15), of Middleton, Wis., died July 6 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and MBA from Liberty. DAN BATHURST (’84), of Lynchburg, Va., died Sept. 25. He studied radio, television, and film at Liberty and dedicated his talents to the university for 37 years in media and broadcasting. He produced and directed the Old Time Gospel Hour with the late Dr. Jerry Falwell for many years, edited and produced documentaries, and did various sporting events for Liberty. He was a longtime member of Thomas Road Baptist Church. JOHN BINE (’89), of Weirton, W.Va., died Sept. 14. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Liberty. He was retired from the Weirton Steel Corporation where he worked as a foreman in the tin mill for over 30 years. BILLIE BRIGHT (’16), of Irmo, S.C., died Aug. 12. He will be remembered for his duty and commitment to the Irmo Police Department. He was also a chaplain and served the Lord in his local community.
Corps in 1986 and had three duties overseas, including Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his military career, John received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Liberty University. He was serving as senior pastor at First Church of God in Mercersburg, Pa., and the Blairs Valley First Church of God in Clear Spring. JOHN WILLIAM DONALDSON, of Rustburg, Va., died Sept. 4. He was a longtime professor of geography and education at Liberty, from 1978-2007. He is fondly remembered for his detailed biblical devotions and his passion for missions, particularly missions in China. Dr. Donaldson and his wife, Dr. Pauline Donaldson, who died in 2013, had a combined service to Liberty of nearly 60 years. DWIGHT ERICKSON, of Georges Mills, N.H., died Dec. 18. He played football his freshman year at Liberty University before transferring to Drexel University. KENISELI “KEN” FETUAO, of Orangeburg, S.C., died Sept. 8. He earned a master’s degree from Liberty and served the Lord as a pastor of Unity Baptist Church in Sumter, S.C.
MASTER SGT. (RETIRED) RANDOLPH DALE BRUMGARD JR., of Louisburg, N.C., died Aug. 8. He dedicated his life to the United States Army and had over 20 years experience in the Special Operations, Joint, interagency, and combined forces as a Special Forces Operator, Sniper, Communications Sergeant, and Weapons Specialist.
DAVID SCOTT HANCOCK, of Lynchburg, Va., died Oct. 2. He was an IT Project Manager for Liberty University. He also served as a bi-vocational pastor for 11 years, moderator for the Williamson County Baptist Association, a humanitarian aid worker in the Middle East for 11 years, and as an elder at Amman International Church.
CINDY BRYANT (’90), of Titusville, Pa., died Sept. 24. She studied early childhood development at Liberty.
NADINE LEWIS, of Washington, D.C., died Aug. 28. She was pursuing a master’s degree from Liberty. Nadine was a member of the Jubilee World Outreach Church in Johnson City, Tenn.
PHILIP A. CAPTAIN, of Lynchburg, Va., died July 14. He was a retired psychology professor at Liberty University and a member of Thomas Road Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir. He was also an avid sports enthusiast and rarely missed a Liberty sporting event. JOHN COOK (’15), of Clear Spring, Md., died Sept. 6. He joined the United States Marine
MASTER GUNNERY SGT. (RETIRED) MICHAEL MCGLYNN (’12, ’19), of Raleigh, N.C., died Aug. 18. He served 30 years with the Marine Corps, stationed in the U.S., Japan, Philippines, Italy, and Korea. Under the Bush administration, he was assigned to the Marine Helicopter Squadron One. After retirement, he worked for the Department of Defense. He earned his
Bachelor of Science in Aviation Technology with a minor in Business Management and his Master of Arts in History from Liberty University. TRACIE KIEFER MCMILLAN (’14), of Fayetteville, N.C., died Aug. 15. She served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus a three-year stint in Spain at the U.S. Embassy. Upon her retirement, she earned her Master of Business Administration from Liberty. CRYSTAL MILLER (’11), of Williamsburg, Va., died Aug. 19. She was a professional counselor with a main goal to enrich the lives of those in need in her community. MARVIN MILLS (’10), of Kegley, W.Va., was an ordained pastor and dedicated 28 years to serving families within the funeral profession for three different funeral home services. DR. MARK WAYNE STEINHOFF, of Madison Heights, Va., died Sept. 19. He was a longtime history professor at Liberty, from 1977-2011. Affectionately called “Steiny” by his students, he is remembered for making history come alive, often by teaching in character dressed as St. Benedict, Confucius, or Machiavelli. He taught a wide range of courses, including Medieval history, Western Civilization, Greek and Roman history, and Asian history. He served as faculty advisor for Liberty’s Phi Alpha Theta chapter for over 20 years. LARRY THOMPSON died Sept. 12. A native of Fredericktown, Ohio, Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in religion from Liberty. He was director of missions for the Washington Baptist Association in Alabama since 2015 and served as a pastor while also helping to start Christians on Missions, a group of men who have done construction projects for people with needs in the community for about 40 years. JUSTIN WHITE (’20), of Port Orange, Fla., died June 15. He was a 15-year veteran officer of the Port Orange Police Department who had a passion for protecting and serving his community. He managed the K9 Unit and was a certified instructor.
TONY PERKINS (’92)
JOHN HOOGEVEEN (’18, ’21)
The U.S. Marine Corps veteran and police officer has served as president of Family Research Council since 2003. Tony is an innovative pro-life and pro-family policy leader and led the Stand Courageous men’s conference at Liberty in August. He served two terms in the Louisiana state legislature (1996-2002), passing the nation’s first Covenant Marriage law. He is serving his second term on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
After serving as a missionary throughout the Caribbean, mainly in Puerto Rico in recent years, John now resides in Michigan. He recently released his second book, “Awakening The Sleeping Giant: Church Re-Discovered,” which walks readers through the structures of the New Testament Church and the Church in North America, suggesting biblical ways that churches can begin to be transformed to look more like the body of Christ in the New Testament.
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THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE 2021 The President’s Circle recognizes donors whose giving to Liberty University qualifies for one of the following categories. This list recognizes donors from Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 2021. $1,000,000 - and above Individuals George Rawlings Charles R. Stone*
$100,000 - $499,999 Individuals Juanita P. Holt* Margaret P. Ricks* Earl & Virginia Stoltzfus Organizations BB&T Charitable Fund NAMB dba SEND Network
$50,000 - $99,999 Individuals Mae V. Beuter* Melvin W. Buster* Jasen & Brandi Cassady Virginia I. Erwin* Dale Miller* Marlene Senner Richard F. & Linda P. Smith Jimmy & Rhonda Thomas Gilbert & Mary Margaret Tinney
$25,000 - $49,999 Individuals Roy R. Anderson Dan & Jodi Leja Jon & Margie Lienemann Adeeb F. Mickahail Richard & Karin Osborne Richard P. Schwieter* Zach & Lisa Tran Dorris D. Williams Organizations Freedom Aviation Permanens Capital
$10,000 - $24,999 Individuals Tony & Polly Byrd Ralph & Joan Campbell Barry & Pam Clarkson Chris & Cindy Cruz Leonard D’Addesi Beatrice L. Dickinson* David & Kristi Dolan Drew & Mary-Elizabeth Ellenburg Dennis & Sonya Fields Watt & Jennifer Foster Reuben Gobezie Todd & Gillian Granger Scott & Melanie Hicks Laura Elizabeth Higginbotham* Carroll & Nancy Hudson Reynold F. Keller Louis & Joan LaMay Jeanette C. Miller Rachel Polley Barry & Robyn Woodard Organizations Beacon Credit Union Boxley Materials Company Lee & Tonja Hall-Chick-fil-A at Wards Rd & River Ridge Mall Cloudfit Software
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Energy & Automation Environmental Options, Inc. Foster Fuels, Inc. Hill City Pharmacy International Plastics, Inc. James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction Co., Inc. KMR Aviation Services, Inc. LifeWay Christian Resources Mabry Automotive Group North American Mission Board Patel & Dalrymple Attorneys at Law SET, Inc. dba Caterpillar Clubhouse Sodexo, Inc. & Affiliates The Bolick Foundation The Rosewood Providential Fund Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment, LLC
$5,000 - $9,999 Individuals Daniel Barbir Tony & Kellie Bartlett Glenn Arlan Bashore* Tim & Julie Clinton Joseph & Nancy Corbin Lois Mae Duggan Louis & Margaret Edwards Hugh Freeze Bob & Tracey Good Paul J. Greene, Sr. Charles & Shelvie Holmes Brian & Melissa Hufhand Paul & Jacquelyn Johnson Kevin & Mary Jones Ron & Rachel Justice Dwayne & Gail Kamphuis Donald & Janice Kolts Michael & Christina LaFleur Paul Lokey Ian & Heather McCaw Ritchie & Julie McKay Wallace & Mayme Miller* Gene & Joyce Myers John Petrozelli Karl C. Salz Jim & Patsy Sanders Todd & Rachelle Sorensen Jesse & Heather Stephens Roy Unsin* Charles & Claudia Wigglesworth Scott & Shelly Wolf Organizations Charities Aid Foundation of America Kenny & Jennifer Cobbs-Domino’s Pizza Freedom Defense Group Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. Musser Lumber Company, Inc. Powell’s Truck & Equipment, Inc. ResCare, Inc. Runk & Pratt Health Care Enterprises, Inc. ServPro Of Lynchburg/Bedford & Campbell County Southern Air, Inc. SponsorUp
The Boyd & Joan Kelley Charitable Foundation The Ellenburg Chair Co., Inc.
$2,500 - $4,999 Individuals David & Kari Adams Jason & Aven Alford Carla Allen Anonymous Carter County OK* Keith Ashley Jay & Mary Bachar Tim & Kathy Baldree John M. Beard Billy & Jane Belcher Brandon & Ida Blankinship Angela Bowers Andy & Linda Bowling Randy & Cynthia Brackett Eldon & Dixie Brammer Veronica Bratton Steve & Patty Brooks David & Pamela Brown Bryce & Lori Brumm Elvin & Pam Burford Ray Butler Cole Candler Ernest & Amber Carter Ron Cooper Janine Crowe Bob & Sandra Day Rick & Angie DeBoard Dianne Deutsch Chris Eaves Olive M. Eckmann* Richard Eng Brad Epps Charlie & Barbara Falwell Jonathan & Shari Falwell Jennifer Fink Greg Fontaine Christopher Gentry Congressman Bob Goodlatte Mervyn L. Gray Carey & Denise Green Theresa H. Green Joel & Theresa Hesch Rodney & Melissa Hizy Michael D. Horne Rick & Debbie Huff Leslie L. Jacoby, Jr. Jeffrey Jamerson Trevor & Jane Johnson Lee & Janette Jones John Jordan Linda F. Kay Brian Kirschner Phill & Deborah Kline Richard B. Kreider Stewart Langley Stevie & Jessica Lloyd Steve & Kathy Lloyd Davance & Torrey Locklear Herbert E. Maxey, Jr. Jeff & Cindy McCaw Mike & Lisa Misjuns Stephen & Tricia Mock J. Arthur Moore*
Rich Moore Arthur Nicholson* Scott & Kelli Overton Sean Owen Mike & Donalyn Parker Bill & Vida Parker James Pate Gary & Christine Pearson James Pittman Robert & Deborah Ritz Wanda H. Robertson David Rockabrand Mike & Kelli Rosas Michael Russo Jack Schewel Gary & Traci Schmincke Matt & Johanna Schubert Troy & Hollie Schultz Mark Scott Steve Shockley Jennifer Stonebreaker Doug & Amy Strohmeier Bo & Kipplyn Summers Robert Traylor Dan & Rachel Vollmer Lori Watkins Jade White Carey Wrenn Organizations 701 Korean Church Amherst Dry Cleaners, Inc. Awakening Events Bates Orthodontics Blue Ridge Apothecary C12 Virginia Blue Ridge, LLC Capital Repair Services, LLC Chesapeake RV Solutions Endurance Auto Repair & Tire English Construction Company, Inc. First Bank & Trust Company G. F. Walls Agency, Inc. Gentle Shepherd Hospice, Inc. HSC Wealth Advisors Impact Living Services Law Office of Jesus Reyes, PLLC MH Masonry & Associates, Inc. OrthoVirginia, Inc. Purple Princess Properties, Inc. R. Coffee, Ltd. SBC of Virginia Foundation Sonny Merryman, Inc. The H. T. Hackney Company Inc. The Upside Travel Company, LLC The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company W.E.L., Inc. WACH Marketing, Inc. Zaki Gordon Memorial Charitable Gift Fund
$1,000 - $2,499 Individuals Wendy Adamek Dr. & Mrs. Gregg Albers Pastor Harold I. Albert Warren & Ann Andersen Bob & Sue Anderson Rob & Susan Andrews
Dr. & Mrs. William R. Armstrong Christie Bailey Dennis Bailey Ron & Jeris Bashor Rodney & Marlee Beckom Beverly Bedell James D. Berens Al & Lisa Billingsly Lance & Kelly Bingham Dale & Tina Birdsall Keith & Kris Boan Bob Bonheim Carrie Bradley Bernadette E. Bream David Bryant Vallejo Bullis* Jeremy Burns John & Phyllis Carstens Omar Clark Huyla Coker Larry & Barbara Compter Tom F. Craven, Jr. Johnny & Anne Crist Barry & Melody Dahllof Leora Elizabeth Daniel* Mark L. D’Arezzo Gregg & Dana Davidson Doug & Julia Deming Doug & Sheila Diehl Thomas & Elizabeth DiPaolo Derek & Stacy Doss Frances Eskridge Linda L. Farver Lois E. Fergerson Chris & Pam Ficco Christopher E. Fogal Larry & Judy Fredricks Tina Friar Bill Fry Teresa George Frank Gibb Lee & Donna Gibson Karen Gilbert Larry & Mary Lou Gilbert Madison Glynn Cindy Goodrich C. Haan Mike & Erin Hagen Steven D. Hall Jan Halvorsen Kirk & Jannie Handy Craig Hardee Carol A. Harris Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Harris Gwenn Harth Darrell & Margaret Hartline Calvin & Pam Hatchell Owen & Maryellen Heinrich* Dr. Jeffrey D. Hendrix Aaron S. Herwig Dr. Mark & Toy Hine Gary Hingst Bernard Holder Tim Houghton Daniel Hull Jay Todd Hunt James Larry Ingram Clovis Jackson
Vicklon O. Jaynes Todd Jones Michael B. Keever Barry G. Kelley Roy J. Kelley Randy Klaus John Koleznar Andrew Law Betty Lewis Randy Lively James & Deborah Livingston Tom Lougheed Lance & Stephanie MacKenzie Brock & Ronda Malcolm Jon Manson David & Linda Martin Michael J. Martin James & Megan Mason Kathy McCavanagh Mark D. McClure Andrew Meadows Michael P. Meredith Mark G. Minar P. H. Mitchell, Jr. Doug & Debbie Monahan Mitch & Elizabeth Morrison
Jeremy Nance Dr. & Mrs. Jerry C. Nims Yvonne Norman-Rice Tamara Page Linwood & Trudy Parker Pam Parks Debra Patsel Samantha A. Peebles Michael Phillips Beth Picciano Shane Pierce Jason & Rachael Porter Mark Priest John & Janna Pyle Nick Reichenbach Dr. & Mrs. James L. Rhoades Bob Pinto & Dot Richardson Steve & Rachel Ridout Anthony Rodgers Wes & Robbin Ruiz Josann G. Rutsch Mary Ann Saunders Bob & Pam Schmidt William J. Schnarr Samantha M. Shivock Archie & Carlita Smith
Dave & Kim Smith Karyn Smith Rick Smith Georgia Anne Snyder-Falkinham Jim & Michelle Sorenson Kathie Sprinkle Jeff & Galene Staley Heather Stogsdill Michael & Barbara Stone Brian & Amanda Summers Hendrick Tabue John & Anne Thompson Brant & Nancy Tolsma Edgar & Allison Tuck Michael Varner Robin P. Vestal Dr. Fred & Joanne Volk Deborah Walker Gene & Debbie Walker Duke & Carlene Westover David & Debbie Wheeler Sonny & Sharon White Alan R. Whitlow Katherine Williams Wyatt & Gwen Wilson Dr. Lian-Tuu & Mrs. Arlene Yeh
Steve & Tracey Young Gary G. Zimmerman Organizations A.G. Jefferson Opticians Bair of Virginia Benchmark Benefits BWX Technologies, Inc. C12 Mid-Atlantic, LLC Cardinal Environmental Consultants, LLC Costar Realty Curtains, Blinds & Bath Custom Siding & Remodeling, LLC Cutz for Guys Doyle’s Florist, Inc. Enterprise Holdings Foundation Faith Fellowship Church, Inc. Fidelity Charitable First Baptist Church of Roanoke Garber-Lowe Fence, Inc. Glens Transmission and Automotive Grace Community Church - Lynchburg Grace Community Church - Arlington Holman Masonry, Inc. Ignite Men, LLC Interacvault, Inc. K & J Enterprises, Inc. dba McDonalds
Lynchburg Ready Mix Concrete Co, Inc. MAC-A-B’s dba Curtains, Blinds & Bath Mardel Christian & Education Supply Miller Farms Parkwood Baptist Church, Inc. Perimeter Roofing VA, LLC Rhema Christian Center Roanoke Valley Harley-Davidson S&R Cleaning & Floor Services of Roanoke Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church Spears Consulting Group LLC Swift Creek Baptist William and Pamela Malinchak Foundation
* Estate Gift If we have omitted, misspelled, or misplaced your name, please accept our apologies and notify our office by calling toll-free (866) 602-7983. For more information on planned giving to Liberty University, visit Liberty.edu/ Giving or call (800) 543-5309.
NEWLY RENOVATED WEIGHT ROOM PAYS HOMAGE TO MEN OF ARMOUR MINISTRY The newly renovated weight room in the Liberty Football Center (LFC) has officially been named the Men of Armour Football Alumni Weight Room, after an evangelistic ministry led by the team’s strength and conditioning programs from the 1970s to the ’90s. Multiple football alumni from the ministry attended a plaque unveiling and dedication ceremony on Sept. 3 during Football Alumni Weekend. Men of Armour, which was based on Ephesians 6:10-20, was integral in the whole-person development of many Flames Football players. They traveled with the strength coaching staff to different high schools, churches,
and youth events to perform feats of strength and teach the basics of strength
and conditioning, following it up with a Gospel presentation. Many young people came to know Christ and grow in the faith through this ministry. Two rooms were also named for two strength coach titans of the Flames Football legacy who organized and
Left to right, Liberty Football alumni Mike Henson, Brad Butler, Bill Gillespie, Bill “Spud” Morris, and Richard Osborne
To learn more about naming opportunities and how to leave a legacy for a family member or loved one, please contact Jeff Alder at (434) 473-9214, jtalder@liberty.edu, or visit LibertyFlamesClub.org.
implemented the outreach. The Football Head Strength Coach’s Office was named after Bill Gillespie, former football player, track & field team member and coach, and longtime football strength coach. The Head Strength Coach’s Office in the Liberty Athletic Center was named after Dave Williams, a longtime strength coach with the Flames and a Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame member. Liberty Athletics and the Flames Club completed a multi-year fundraising campaign in July to rename the facility, with a gracious matching gift from Richard Osborne, a football alumnus, and his wife, Karin. A total of $250,000 was raised by dedicated fans and supporters, among them football players from every decade of Liberty Football. The funds raised will be used to improve and maintain national-caliber facilities for current Liberty student-athletes. “We are deeply indebted to Karin and Richard Osborne, who made a generous lead gift, and a number of our former student-athletes for commemorating the Men of Armour ministry and honoring two very deserving Liberty legends in Bill Gillespie and Dave Williams,” said Director of Athletics Ian McCaw.
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