Liberty Journal Spring 2021

GAME

PLAN for LIFE

A Christian mission is part of Liberty’s playbook for all students

PREPARING THE PROS

Chip Smith (’77), on scoring LU’s first touchdown and training today’s star athletes

MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE

Outdoor adventures await students on Liberty Mountain

SEASON OF COURAGE

Coach Freeze tells how his players remained spiritually focused during their best season ever

SPRING 2021

INSIDE this ISSUE

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

2 | A GAME PLAN FOR LIFE

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

Ever since a true visionary with grand ambitions launched Liberty nearly 50 years ago, the faculty and staff have remained committed to their task of guiding students in biblical principles, instilling lessons deeply rooted in a Christian worldview.

W R I T E RS Ted Allen Mitzi Bible Jacob Couch Ryan Klinker Logan Smith

6 | PREPARING THE PROS

P H OTO G R A P H E R S Luke Bobbey Joel Coleman Chase Gyles KJ Jugar Ross Kohl Ellie Richardson Andrew Snyder

As a pioneer in Liberty Athletics, Chip Smith (’77) was a standout football and baseball player. Now, he’s a standout in the field of sports performance training, preparing more players for the NFL than any other trainer.

10 | MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE

C R E AT I V E D I R E C TO R Josh Rice

Horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, biking, and skeet shooting. Liberty Mountain has all of that and more, giving students a recreational paradise in their own backyard.

STA F F Rebecca Beem Ashley Deanda Kerry Hogan Leslie Keeney Dawn Neal Brian Shesko

12 | NEWS & EVENTS

Construction will begin in May on a new, larger dining hall, and Liberty’s nursing and medical school students are helping on the front lines of a pandemic.

STILL MAKING A PITCH FOR 22 | GOD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS He played in the major leagues and started Liberty’s baseball program.

There were times his faith was tested, but Coach Al Worthington proved to be a true man of God. At age 92, he reflects on the faith that carried him through.

25 | CLASS NOTES

Stay connected with Liberty’s growing family of alumni, friends, and supporters and see who is making the headlines as a Champion for Christ.

Are we hitting the mark?

O N T H E COV E R

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

Jaivian Lofton, a junior wide receiver, kneels to pray in the end zone before the Flames take on the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) at Williams Stadium on Oct. 10.

PHOTO BY KJ JUGAR

Liberty University Office of Communications & Public Engagement 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, Va. 24515 View the digital version and past issues at Liberty.edu/LibertyJournal.

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For more information about the Liberty Journal, email news@liberty.edu, call (434) 592-4955, or write to:

Campus glistens after a snowfall in January. In the forefront is the Vines Center, sporting a new roof, and the Liberty Arena, the new home for the Flames and Lady Flames basketball teams and the women's volleyball team.

MESSAGE from THE PRESIDENT We are in the middle of an exciting spring semester at Liberty, and every day, Carol and I say that this campus just feels like home. We are getting to know more of our wonderful students, and we are seeing firsthand all the hard work that our professors, staff, and leadership teams are doing to make Liberty such a special place for them even during challenging times in our country.

For 48 years, we have been closely involved in Christian education, and we know how important it is. When we took over a small mission work in Alaska in 1971, we heard from so many parents who were seeking an alternative to public schools. So, in 1973, we started Anchorage Christian Schools, which eventually grew to about 800 students enrolled in preschool through 12th grade. We developed a competitive athletics program for our students. Everything we did was centered on keeping Christ first — our mission was similar to the mission being embraced at a new university over 4,000 miles away in Lynchburg, Va. As our first students in Alaska graduated, they told us that they gained the foundation for their faith in our schools and that they learned their work ethic there.

In more recent years, we started to see a different kind of student, a student influenced by a media-saturated culture. What they were watching on television, in the movies, and on social media did not match the morals their parents had tried to instill in them. As a school, we had to meet that challenge and stand our ground, reinforcing a Christian worldview. We set out to recruit schoolteachers who weren’t only qualified to teach the curriculum but also had the heart for Christian education.

To change a student’s worldview from what the culture was showing them to a solid Christian worldview, we had to first explain to them the difference, point them back to believing that the Bible is the Word of God, and then base everything on His Word and teach them to apply it to their everyday lives.

Here at Liberty, we are doing all of that through our spiritual development programs, including Convocation, Campus Community, and our LU Shepherd office. We encourage our professors to work the Christian worldview into their lessons, and the students witness them practicing what they preach.

From my many years in education, I understand the concerns that parents have, how they hope and pray that the biblical morals they’ve taught their children since they were infants will remain with them as they become adults. At Liberty, I can assure you that we are reinforcing what has been taught in Christian homes.

In this issue, you can read about the ways we are protecting Liberty’s mission and learn about the many exciting developments taking place on Liberty Mountain this semester.

May God bless you with a renewed, joyful spirit this spring as we look forward to more of His many blessings on this university.

Jerry Prevo | President

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A GAME PLAN for LIFE FROM THE BALLFIELD TO THE CLASSROOM, LIBERTY

STUDENTS LEARN THE LESSONS THAT MATTER MOST A second Cure Bowl trophy. A No. 17 national ranking — the first time LU ended a season in the Top 25.

Flames Football’s best year is now in the books.

But all the triumph didn’t come without a game plan, a set of plays carefully designed by coaches and ingrained in the minds of the players, all bound by a firm commitment to follow through with that plan.

Liberty University has used a deliberate game plan for all of its students from the very beginning — a plan that not only sets them up to reach their career goals after graduation but to also lead fulfilling lives as Champions for Christ where they live, work, and serve.

ell Jerry Falw

1 Sr. in 198

Ever since a true visionary with grand ambitions launched Liberty nearly 50 years ago, the faculty and staff have remained committed to their task of guiding students in biblical principles, instilling lessons deeply rooted in a Christian worldview. With coaches, professors, campus pastors, and scores of other mentors, the university is carrying out the very words that its founder, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, preached at a Wednesday night church service in January 1971:

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“Young people are the hope of our nation and our world. I believe we have a sacred obligation to provide thousands of young people with a solid Christian education.

Let us dedicate ourselves tonight to starting a college with the goal of seeing 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.”

That was Falwell’s game plan for Liberty, and the university remains dedicated to rolling out plays from his playbook every day.

This semester, just a few days before classes met in person, the faculty gathered in the new Liberty Arena. It was a time to reflect on their own calling and purpose before stepping into the classroom. They watched a video of Falwell sharing his vision and were encouraged to kick off another semester with the same firm focus and an awesome sense of responsibility.

“When parents send their child here to Liberty University,” President Jerry Prevo told the faculty, “they’re entrusting us to train them up; they have allowed us to adopt them.

They’re depending upon us, and they’re depending upon each one of you because you’re really the ones who are going to have more direct contact with their child than anybody else. They’re depending upon us to carry out the vision they’re all familiar with, Training Champions

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fall. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for dragging me through everything He did to ultimately put me in this position.”

Falwell often said that athletics would raise the national profile of the school as it trains Champions for Christ in all fields of study, and he was right.

On Dec. 26, over 2.6 million tuned in from across the country to watch these champions on the field.

And it’s not just athletics that has arrived dramatically on a national stage.

Liberty students are demonstrating academic excellence, proving how an evangelical university can indeed persist in its Christian teachings while offering world-class programs.

Liberty’s debate team remains the only team in the history of collegiate debate to sweep all three national titles in the same year — and they did this not only once but 10 times in the last 14 years. In the fall, their success caught the attention of then-Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, who held a special virtual session with them on their season’s timely topic of foreign policy.

Already this semester, a moot court team in the Helms School of Government took the national title following a season that focused on arguments for First Amendment rights.

Liberty University School of Law is graduating students every year who are fighting some of the country’s most intense culture wars. This year marked the highest number of applications to Liberty Law since its opening in 2004.

And from its perch on Liberty Mountain, the medical school is training the next generation of osteopathic >>

Cure Bowl, De c.

85 ell Sr. in 19 Jerry Falw

Presid ent Pr evo ad dresse s facu lty on Jan. 2 0, 202 1

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“Essential” has become a buzz word amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determining something as essential places a high value on the service that is provided. A Christian education has always been essential. The founders

of our nation’s first universities knew this. They wrote Christian principles into their creeds and even carved Bible passages in stone on their buildings.

But sadly, many of those institutions have parted ways with their roots. As they built prestige in academia, they abandoned their very foundation in the Creator who is the source of all the knowledge that they impart.

But at Liberty, although it’s one of the youngest universities of its size in America, topping 15,000 in its residential programs and another 100,000 online, the mission has never been altered or avoided.

Even as academic and athletic offerings have expanded, elevating Liberty to the highest levels of competition, the mission rings out loud and clear.

Each semester, faculty, staff, students, and alumni are proving that Liberty doesn’t just say it’s Christian but shows it boldly to the world.

If you watched the Flames battle Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl on ESPN the day after Christmas, you saw quarterback Malik Willis sporting an armband with the words, “God’s Plan.”

“My journey to Liberty has given me a chance to find myself as a football player and as a man,” Willis wrote in a column for a game day program last

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for Christ, and that’s what we want to do here at Liberty University academically, spiritually, and morally.”

Ed Gomes first came to Liberty as a student in 1972. Now, in his role as director of spiritual development with Flames Football, he shows how the lessons taught on the field and in the classroom are lessons for life.

“We have a game plan to help our young men and young women here at Liberty University succeed academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually,” he said. “We have a plan of action that can help them become true Champions for Christ if they embrace what we have to offer. That’s what makes us unique; that’s what separates us from any other university.”

The emphasis on spiritual development throughout every facet of student life is Liberty’s defining characteristic.

“I tell our guys that God has brought them to Liberty more than just to play football or to get a college education.

God wants to do something in them so He can do something through them.

That’s our prayer,” Gomes said. “My mission, my passion, the thing that wakes me up in the morning is how I want to help our young men become intentional about their relationship with God and make an impact on our football team.”

26, 2020

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>> physicians. Last fall, three secondyear osteopathic medical students earned first place at a Scholarly Symposium of Virginia Academy of Family Physicians for their research on e-cigarette effects on the unborn.

Liberty students first learn what it means to be a Champion for Christ through a Christian Life and Evangelism course, required for all incoming freshmen. It was the founder’s vision for graduates to go out into the world as missionaries in their chosen vocation, impacting the world through their professions and their Christian witness.

“While I have no problem with the church adapting to the culture,” Falwell once said, “we must ensure that we remain painstakingly true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that we remain obedient servants to His truths.”

Before every class, Liberty professors hold prayer time, and across every academic department, there’s a direct correlation to God’s Word, the primary textbook.

In the School of Engineering, students are learning a term that Liberty has trademarked for ongoing research projects: Creationeering. By taking lessons from God’s own designs in nature, like studying the way a woodpecker’s beak can sustain impact after impact, students are developing a better football helmet to reduce the risk of concussions.

In the Biology & Chemistry Department, professors have been leading the conservation efforts for a salamander species in the Blue Ridge Mountains, pointing to Genesis 2 as

“

THE EMPHASIS O N S P I R I T UA L DEVELOPMENT T H R O U G H O U T E V E RY FA C E T O F S T U D E N T L I F E I S L I B E RT Y ’ S DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC.

” students graduate with, the industry loves it because it comes down to trust,” said Dr. Michael Lehrfeld, executive director of the Center for Cyber Excellence at the School of Business.

“That’s what makes us unique. It’s a cool thing to see these students go forward and take Christ into those areas.”

There are many websites that analyze and compare the values of degrees from institutions all across the country, often reported in the form of dollar figures that one can expect to make if they attach the institution’s name to their résumé.

But these lists often neglect to factor in the overall student experience. When faith is a primary focus, the value of a degree becomes so much more. While

employers will look at the skills and knowledge attained, every person who encounters a Liberty graduate will also see in them the value of a life lived for Christ.

When some of Liberty’s earliest alumni visit campus, they often remark that their old stomping grounds are hardly recognizable. The residence halls have grown several stories skyward.

There’s a new roof on the Vines Center, and its new next door neighbor, the Liberty Arena, just opened. The Academic Lawn is lined with state-ofthe-art buildings equipped with the latest technology for students to learn about the futures of their fields today.

But the work within all of these walls is still producing the same kind of champions the world desperately needs.

Alumni are surely happy for the physical changes, but what is still recognizable to them is the way that their alma mater has never wavered from its game plan and continues to “shake the world” unlike any other college has done.

Vernon Brewer (’73) was among the first group of students to receive a Liberty diploma. He joined fellow alumni last fall at Liberty’s Fifty Years

by Faith event held at Thomas Road Baptist Church. After a night of worship, reflection, and celebration, Brewer echoed the sentiments of Liberty’s leadership in attendance by saying, “the best is yet to come.”

As the founder and president of World Help, a large, faith-based global humanitarian organization that serves the physical and spiritual needs of impoverished families, Brewer said he is a living testimony of that vision being fulfilled.

“I’ve been able to literally reach the world with my ministry because of that vision,” he said. “I just think the best is yet to come — and it’s God’s timing, and this is what so many people have prayed for and waited for. It’s just God.”

>> Liberty’s 50th anniversary celebration will kick off this fall, marking a vision fulfilled through God’s many blessings on the university. Stay informed on upcoming events through Liberty.edu and Liberty’s main social media channels.

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their charge to honor and care for God’s creation.

In Liberty’s Studio & Digital Arts Department, students are inspired to reflect God’s gift of creativity and expression through their pieces.

At the School of Nursing, students are regularly taught servanthood and how to show the same care and compassion to patients as Jesus taught his own disciples. As they serve at a Hands and Feet Clinic for underserved individuals in Lynchburg, they truly become the hands and feet of Christ to their community.

And as students work toward degrees in cybersecurity — one of the fastest growing career fields today — integrity is emphasized as a key virtue in the field.

“The strong Christian values that these

FAITH IN FOCUS R OSS KOH L

SOLD OUT for THE MISSION

BY DR . SCOT T HICKS

“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

— Luke 10: 27 The two greatest Commandments appear in the Bible many times, and in Luke, Jesus reminds us of them just as He is about to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan in order to help us understand what should really drive us to live out our faith.

When people visit our campus, from parents to CEOs of major corporations, they often ask me what our mission, Training Champions for Christ, means. I always go back to this verse. It’s spoken before the parable because Jesus knows we can all end up being the three types of people in the story and, at some point, we must choose which one we will be in life.

The meaning of our mission, therefore, is simple: as we train our students in their career fields, we teach them to become champions, people who choose to love God wholeheartedly and are sold out to serving Him with every fiber of their being.

I have seen and heard so many stories of our students being mindful of those around them, stopping to show love to their neighbors. At the library one day this semester, a student overheard another student, whom she didn’t know, calling home to tell her parents how she felt homesick and overwhelmed. Before she got off the phone, the other student slipped her an encouraging note with her

number on it. This turned the student’s day around — maybe even her whole semester. At the School of Business, we recently welcomed a guest speaker, and after the class, students asked him if they could pray for him. One student asked if he could pray for his feet. I thought how strange that sounded until our guest told me that the student knelt down, touched his feet, and prayed for him, saying that as a business leader he had carried many burdens and needed God’s strength to hold him up. Our guest told me afterward: “I’ve never had that happen with a young person. I had hope in our country all of a sudden.” I thought: “Only at Liberty would that happen.”

These stories bring tears to my eyes.

That’s when I know that, yes, we are training champions who are choosing to be sold out for Him. So how do we go about creating this nurturing environment for our students while providing them an education that exceeds the expectations at any other university? To start, we don’t stumble into it — we’re deliberate. We have a plan, and that is the chief end of man: to glorify God through what we do. We deliver the Gospel through the vehicle of education, helping our students understand there’s a Creator who died for them and loves them and has a plan for them, and if their plan is His plan, they will be blown away with how He uses them. Then we strive to do it with excellence through our people, starting by hiring key faculty who are focused on adding value to others.

Our faculty not only have to state on paper that they agree with our mission

and sign up as a willing participant, but they have to share it out loud to a committee of peers. This group of faculty and staff from different academic departments will listen to the interviewee talk about their walk with God, then peel back their faith and ask them what they’re made of. This is an important part of protecting the mission of Liberty University.

God is certainly blessing us here through our personnel. The caliber of our faculty is phenomenal — we are not only drawing some of the top individuals in their fields, but we are gaining partners in the mission. Many of them have taken huge cuts in pay to be here, but they are here because they want to serve. They know our mission is bigger than anything they could acquire for themselves.

We view our jobs as a calling — and you will find that’s true for employees throughout this whole university. We believe this is God’s university and that

by Training Champions for Christ we are bringing hope to a world in desperate need of His saving grace.

Dr. Scott Hicks is Liberty’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer. He has previously served as vice provost of graduate education and as dean of the School of Business. Prior to coming to Liberty, Hicks spent several years in the oil industry and served as director of retail operations for Mansfield Oil Company, one of America’s largest Forbes 400 companies.

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PREPARING

THE PROS

BY TED ALLEN | PHOTOS BY KJ JUGAR

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Chip Smith shares a laugh with some of his athletes (from left) Sean Harper (Houston Texans), Tony Garcia (New England Patriots, behind Harper), and Coby Gossett (Cleveland Browns). Also pictured (from right) is former LU running back DJ Abnar (’16), Ian Berryman (Pittsburgh Steelers), and Jared Southers (Georgia Tech).

Smith works with David Curry (Georgia Tech), left, and Malik Grant (Marshall University), right, out of his training facility near Atlanta.

CHIP SMITH (’77) WAS ONE OF LU’S FIRST STUDENT-ATHLETES. NOW HE’S A HEAVYWEIGHT IN THE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TRAINING WORLD. Former Liberty University football and baseball standout Carlton “Chip” Smith (’77) didn’t even have a weight room to work out in when he arrived at the college’s football training complex on Treasure Island in the James River near downtown Lynchburg, Va., in 1973.

Smith, son of a Baptist pastor from Chesapeake, Va., was a pioneer for both programs after Liberty’s founder, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, personally recruited him away from the University of North Carolina by offering him the school’s first full athletic scholarship.

Smith scored the first touchdown in Liberty history that fall and delivered the first hit for the baseball team when it debuted the following spring.

Since graduating from Liberty with a degree in physical education, Smith has revolutionized sports performance training out of his Chip Smith Performance Systems facility near Atlanta. Over the

past 32 years, he has helped transform thousands of players from all over the world into world-class athletes.

“I never envisioned doing all that, but I do know that God had a plan, and Dr. Falwell always preached for us to be — and to develop — Champions for Christ,” said Smith, who sees his training center as a ministry. “We serve an awesome God, and I never take credit for any of this.”

Smith’s dream was to play in the NFL, but God’s plan led him to becoming one of the country’s foremost speed, strength, and sports performance experts who has trained more athletes for the NFL than any other trainer.

“God says if you honor Him, ‘He will give you the desires of your heart,’” said Smith, who went through free agent tryouts with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. “He had a bigger plan for me, and because I’ve honored Him, He has blessed me in my business.”

NFL STARS AND BALLERINAS In 1987, as part of U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s cultural exchange program, Smith was one of six Americans selected to study abroad at the world-renowned Soviet Sports Institute in Moscow, Russia. Smith learned techniques for speed and strength development that led to his own innovative MORR >>

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P R OVI D ED BY CH I P S M I TH

>> (Movement, Overspeed, Resistance, and Reaction) training system.

“The training is very sport-specific, position-specific, and movementspecific,” said Smith, who helps create bigger, stronger, faster athletes, equipping them with greater mobility and explosiveness.

Smith’s system is used by more professional, Olympic, and elite-level athletes than any other training system in the world.

He has now helped more than 2,000 football players reach the professional ranks, including Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, who were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Smith has provided NFL Combine preparation for hundreds of players selected in the NFL Draft, training more than 60 Pro Bowlers, 40 firstround draft picks, and four Heisman Trophy winners.

Ali Marpet is one of the diamonds in the rough Smith helped lead to NFL stardom. The NCAA Division III Hobart (N.Y.) College graduate was selected in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft

by Tampa Bay. In April, the Buccaneers signed him to a four-year, $55-million contract extension, making him the highest-paid guard in NFL history.

“God brought Ali Marpet to me, and he has God-given talent,” Smith said.

“It’s not about me at all; it’s about guys who believe in the process. We’ve got a system that works, that can make guys jump high and run fast. When I polish that diamond and tilt it toward the Son to make it sparkle, it can be priceless.”

While football may be his forté, Smith has also worked with hundreds of players in Major League Baseball, the NBA, Major League Soccer, National Hockey League, ATP tennis, and PGA golf. He spent four years as the strength and conditioning coach for the Colorado Silver Bullets, a barnstorming women’s professional baseball team coached by MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro.

Smith also trained 32 Olympic champions from all over the world in all different sports at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Previously, he worked with 14 Chinese Olympic Teams in Beijing, where he molded 41 Olympic medalists, including 21 who struck gold, at the 2008 Summer Games.

Chip Smith has trained several Liberty alumni, including (from left) quarterback/wide receiver Mike Brown (’12, Jacksonville Jaguars), wide receiver Chris Summers (’12, Minnesota Vikings), running back Rashad Jennings (’09, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, New York Giants), and linebacker Ian Childress (’09), one of Smith’s sports performance coaches.

“It is humbling for me to be able to mentor and share my faith with people in the international community,” Smith said.

He has even worked with Joy Womack, a prima ballerina from Santa Monica, Calif., who has performed with the Bolshevik Ballet in Russia.

“Because of her, we had three more of the top ballerinas in the world come train with us — from South Korea, Atlanta, and Tulsa, Okla.,” Smith said. “God has been faithful to bring athletes across our path.”

As an author, Smith has written articles for several trade magazines and a book, “Football Training Like the Pros,” published in 2007. He is a frequent guest on syndicated and local radio and television sports programs, including ESPN, CNN, NFL, Sirius Radio, and CSS, and a sought-after speaker as well as a consultant to numerous sports teams.

Smith has lectured in Russia, Germany, China, Liberia, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and at various other locations in the United States and around the world.

In the latest chapter of his illustrious career, Smith signed a five-year deal with the NFL to work as director of sports performance at the new NFL Alumni Academy, based at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. Last fall, he prepared free agents and prospects who were released in training camps or have rehabilitated from injuries to be activated by any of the NFL’s 32 teams.

“If they brought me here, it’s because they wanted someone with proven experience,” Smith said. “I’ve trained more NFL players than anybody in the world. If I can help one more player get there, I want to do that.”

He also is working with the academy’s diversity program to develop mostly

African-American NFL veterans into coaches or administrators.

“For those young men, having a small part in maybe helping them achieve their dreams and aspirations is really why I’m passionate about doing what I’m doing,” Smith said.

MAKING HISTORY AT LU At Liberty, Smith was a phenomenal athlete in his own right. He was a fast and furious player on the football field, often sprinting past linebackers into the secondary before trampling over defensive backs in his path. He rushed for 3,342 yards and 33 touchdowns over his four-year career.

“He had an extra gear that others didn’t have,” said Dean Phillips (’77), Smith’s quarterback for all four years.

“Usually, there was no need for a stiffarm. He would juke left, juke right, head butt, and then run over them. He was strong, but he was also fast, and he had good moves and great hands too.”

As a four-year starter and team captain in both football and baseball, Smith served as a catalyst for the teams’ success from the start.

“Chip was just a natural-born leader,” Phillips said. “You see great athletes sometimes who don’t have any leadership ability. He was definitely the leader of our team, and that leadership ability translated naturally to his training business. It is no surprise to me that he’s had the success that he’s had.”

Smith and Phillips were two out of about a dozen players who stayed with Liberty’s football program after its founding head coach, Rock Royer, was killed in a plane crash right before Thanksgiving in 1973.

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John Cartwright, who succeeded Royer in the program’s second year and guided the Flames for the next three seasons, is thankful for the faithfulness demonstrated by Smith and his teammates.

“They showed a lot of character and loyalty because we didn’t have anything,” Cartwright said. “These kids came to play football, but there weren’t a lot of extras. It was all a very pioneering program. Those kids stuck with it. They wanted to honor the Lord and do their best.”

Smith has never forgotten his fellow players who remained true to Dr. Falwell’s vision for Flames Football, which has been fulfilled with its rise to the FBS ranks in 2018, first bowl game and Cure Bowl win in 2019, and its second Cure Bowl trophy in December.

“Teammates I played with at Liberty to this day are my closest friends,” he said. “We’ve stayed in touch for 40 years, and I love those guys like brothers. We all feel like God brought us together.”

Smith also met his wife, Joy, a fellow 1977 grad, at Liberty. They married in 1978. He was inducted into the 2010 Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame, and, like all of the founding members of Liberty’s Athletics programs, he is a product of humble beginnings.

“I graduated from Liberty, but I never stepped foot on Liberty Mountain,” Smith said, other than for a prayer service near the site where Williams Stadium now sits on the day Dr. Falwell cast a vision for a campus on its foothills.

Ed Gomes (’76), a standout basketball player for Liberty who has served as director of spiritual development for Flames Football since 2001, shared a similar experience.

“I went to school with Chip and he was a great football player and baseball player, but when we showed up, there was no football stadium, there was no baseball diamond, there was no basketball court,” Gomes said. “Chip Smith and I heard Dr. Falwell talk about the future. Now, we have not only heard it, but we have seen it.”

“We were pioneers,” Smith said. “God brought some unbelievable athletes together in those early years who could have gone anywhere. We made sacrifices to help Liberty get where it is today.

There was no school; we basically lived on an island and went to classes in a church. God just used us to build that foundation. I’m humbled to have been a part of that.”

KEEPING IT PERSONAL Former Flames linebacker Ian Childress (’09), Smith’s son-in-law, who has worked out of Smith’s Atlanta facility for the past 10 years, said Smith’s business success comes from “treating everybody like family.”

“When athletes walk into the facility, he welcomes them in with a hug, and when they leave, he prays over them,” Childress said.

“It’s all about personal relationships,” Smith added. “We have been extremely blessed and fortunate to get that opportunity to invest in their lives. When you really get to know people and what motivates them and what their needs are, you develop those relationships and they’re not contingent on being a firstround draft pick.”

He takes a holistic approach to developing athletes who will excel both on and off the field.

“When you leave me after training with me, you’re going to be in the best shape of your life,” he said. “We tell every athlete, ‘You’ve got to be physically, mentally, and spiritually fit.

And if you’re lacking in any area, you’re not a total person.’ With that, we hold ourselves to a higher standard with the way that we coach.”

Smith has trained fellow Liberty alumni Mike Brown, Kevin Fogg, and Rashad Jennings, among close to 20 others, and he expects to see more Liberty alumni reach the professional ranks — as players, coaches, athletic trainers, or even in the front office running NFL teams. Smith’s MORR system has been integrated into three classes in the Strength and Conditioning specialization under Liberty’s M.S. in Human Performance as well as the Fitness and Performance concentration within the M.S. in Exercise Science and Wellness.

“Liberty has a great sport management program, and the exercise science department is top-notch in the world,” he said.

Last summer, Dr. Jim Schoffstall, chair of Liberty’s Allied Health Professions Department and director of its Human Performance Lab, took his family to Smith’s training base, where they received a personalized tour of the facility decked out with hundreds of framed, autographed NFL jerseys from players who trained there.

“What Chip brings to his athletes is very unique,” Schoffstall said. “You see the physical attributes growing, but to also see these strong, powerful men taking a knee before Christ, that’s awe-inspiring.”

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Mountaintop Experience STUDENTS EXPLORE UNIQUE VENUES FOR OUTDOOR FUN

BY TED ALLEN

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JOEL ISIME ME

Liberty University’s Campus Recreation Department invites students to come up for a breath of fresh air — while practicing social distancing in the Great Outdoors — with a short escape to Liberty Mountain, a recreational paradise in their own backyard.

In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just above main campus, spectacular views abound along the 50-plus miles of single- and double-track hiking and mountain bike trails traversing 3,500 acres of the Liberty Mountain Trail System — especially from 1,350-foot summits at the LU Monogram and the Barrick-Falwell Lodge at the Snowflex Centre.

Just a few minutes’ drive from main campus, Liberty’s Hydaway Outdoor Center has become a popular student retreat, featuring an 8-acre lake for swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, or standup paddleboarding. Other warmweather attractions include a beach and giant water slide. The center also features a high ropes challenge course and zip lines as well as eight campsites with rentals of tents and other camping gear.

Tucked higher up in the woods is one of the premier collegiate gun ranges in the country. Featuring a full-service shotgun facility, a rifle and pistol range, Olympicstyle and 3D archery ranges, and a lodge, the new Liberty Mountain Gun Club is home to educational, recreational, and competitive shooting activities. The lodge holds a classroom for safety and certification classes and a dining and lounge area for events. With Wi-Fi access and a beautiful landscape, the lodge has become a popular study spot.

Liberty Mountain is also home to the 380-acre Equestrian Center with more than 50 miles of trails winding around

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the back of the mountain, where students can participate in group rides by appointment. One of the larger collegiate facilities in the state, the center includes over 70 stalls at the main barn and two other smaller barns, which are connected to an indoor arena, where students can take horseback riding lessons and horsemanship classes.

Next to the Equestrian Center is the university’s Astronomical Observatory featuring a 24-inch DFM Engineering telescope, ideal for stargazing the heavens on clear nights.

Students also have access to two, 20-hole disc golf courses on the mountain, including one near

Hydaway that spans more than 3 miles as it meanders along creeks and through the woods. An additional ninehole pitch-and-putt disc golf course is planned this spring.

Winter extreme sports enthusiasts can take to the mountain’s most visible recreational venue — the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre. The yearround slopes for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing make it the only fully functional facility of its kind in North America. Like many of Liberty Mountain’s offerings, the Snowflex Centre is also open to the public.

The Liberty Mountain Intramural Complex, located at the base of the mountain near the Liberty

Indoor Track Complex and Liberty Natatorium, provides ample field space for recreational team sports such as ultimate, softball, and football, as well as four beach volleyball courts.

“Having an expansive mountain property adjacent to Liberty’s campus is a wonderful resource and provides so many opportunities,” said Campus Recreation Executive Director Jamie Swyers. “We are blessed to be able to offer such a wide array of programs and facilities that truly benefit students, faculty, and staff in a holistic way.”

Visit Liberty.edu/CampusRec for more information.

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NEWS & EVENTS CAMPUS TO SERVE UP NEW DINING HOT SPOT IN 2022 Construction is scheduled to begin in May on a new dining hall, located between Residential Commons III and Liberty Lake, that will become one of the premier college dining facilities in the country.

The building will be called the New Reber-Thomas, honoring Dan Reber and Jimmy Thomas Sr., the original donors of the current dining hall, The Food Court at Reber-Thomas.

At 130,000 square feet, the new

building will be much larger than the current dining hall and will allow for increased seating — up to 2,700 seats initially, including a covered patio, with the ability to expand to 3,600 seats to meet future needs. The entryway will feature more overhead coverage and more turnstiles.

The interior will bear a similar layout to the existing dining hall, featuring about 30 food stations across the venue

that will offer a wide array of menu items, including an allergen-free room, a front-facing bake shop in the dessert area (including a gluten-free bake shop), and exhibition kitchen station for hosting cooking classes for students.

Liberty’s Planning and Construction Office has been engaging with student groups to gather input on the design.

The new dining hall is slated to open in Fall 2022.

Liberty was recently ranked No. 10 in College Magazine’s Top 10 colleges with the best dining options, based on health and wellness, variety, and production in recycling food waste. Liberty and Sodexo, the university’s dining services provider, offer gluten-free and allergen-free meals and operate over 20 different dining locations across campus, including some popular national chains like Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’, and Starbucks.

Indoor Tennis Center open for action The Liberty Indoor Tennis Center officially opened on Feb. 23 with a dedication ceremony. The Lady Flames had the honor of playing the first-ever match inside the 48,000-square-foot building on Feb. 13 and christened it in grand fashion with a 7-0 sweep over Davidson and a 6-1 win over Towson.

The men’s team followed that up on Feb. 15, taking down William & Mary 5-2.

The center now stands among the

finest tennis facilities in the country, featuring six courts and seating for 100 fans. The building also houses team locker rooms, a team lounge, a laundry facility, and a concessions area.

The project was made possible by an anonymous $3 million donation, the largest single gift in Flames Club history.

The new center, coupled with the 12 outdoor courts, make up the Liberty Tennis Complex.

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“A building takes a team — funding, architects, construction management and crew, an athletic director with a long-term vision to support excellent coaches and supply them with the space they need to excel,” Liberty President Jerry Prevo said. “This was the vision of our school’s founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr. — that we would train students, including student-athletes, who would use their talents for the glory of God.”

CATH RYN FAR NSWORT H

“I’m very proud that I got an education from Liberty, because I don’t know of any other Christian university right now that’s standing for biblical truth on all aspects of family and government.

I will always be an advocate for Liberty University.”

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& COLLEGE

TV, MOVIES,

HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS AND LU ALUMNA SAYS HER FAITH WAS IMPORTANT FACTOR IN CHOOSING AN ONLINE PROGRAM

BY LOGAN SMITH

At the age of 10, actress Tiffany Espensen (’19) signed her first autograph, a mark she penned to perfection several years prior just in case a fan ever asked.

Espensen, now 22, earned a bachelor’s in political science through Liberty University’s online program while building an impressive acting résumé in Hollywood that includes roles in major motion pictures like Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Spiderman: Homecoming” and on the Disney XD television show “Kirby Buckets.”

But before all that, she was a normal 7-year-old in Los Angeles trying to decide how to spend her summer break.

Her mom offered her several options, including soccer camp and science camp, but one stood out: acting camp.

The camp equipped her with the skills and discipline to pursue acting full time. As an avid television and movie enthusiast, the experience also grew her love for storytelling.

“Movies have such a big impact on people,” Espensen said. “I enjoy looking at a movie and a script and thinking, ‘Wow, I would really love to bring this to life.’”

During her young acting career, Espensen was most known for her roles

in children’s TV and movies. She landed minor roles in the Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana” and “Phineas and Ferb” and appeared on “NCIS” on CBS. Her more steady roles included Piper in Nickelodeon’s “Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures” and Belinda in Disney XD’s “Kirby Buckets,” which stretched three seasons.

Fast-forward just over a decade, and Espensen now holds an impressive portfolio, landing more parts in films like “R.L. Stine’s Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls,” and the role of Cindy in “Spiderman: Homecoming,” a character she would later revisit in “Avengers: Infinity War” for a brief appearance. Both superhero blockbuster hits collectively brought in nearly $3 billion at the box office.

Espensen’s most recent roles include Jessica in season three of Netflix’s “Alexa & Katie” and the voices of Heng Heng the panda and Rama the goat on the third season of Disney Junior’s “Lion Guard.”

Along with acting, Espensen is also a Global Ambassador for Wildlife Warriors and sponsors two children through Compassion International. She holds a black belt in Wushu, a Chinese martial art.

Her acting journey was never easy.

Each chapter provided challenges but

also fulfilling rewards.

“As an actor or actress, you’re never guaranteed a job,” Espensen said. “You’re constantly having to prove your talent over and over again.”

Some actors work other part-time jobs while auditioning for films.

“You could go on 100 auditions and not get one job,” she added. “It’s just a lot of hard work. You get rejected a lot.

I think that’s something a lot of people don’t see. It’s a lot of sacrifice, and it’s a lot of hard work. You have to be focused and want to do this.”

The young actress has portrayed multiple characters, but she is careful to remain in tune with her Christian principles and values.

“I know that I represent God first and foremost,” she said. “… At the end of the day, I’m still Tiffany. With my principles, I try adamantly to stay away from obvious subjects that blatantly go against my values.”

Espensen’s faith was also an important factor in her education. She graduated high school at age 15, and in 2016, she discovered Liberty University and was attracted to the school because of its commitment to incorporating a biblical worldview in the classroom. Liberty is a pioneer in distance education, and she knew that its leading online program could provide an avenue to continue her education without forfeiting her acting career.

“Education is really important for me,” she said. “Liberty was super flexible, which is something I really appreciated.”

She chose to study political science because of her interest in learning more about affecting society.

“Policies affect everyday life, from driving, where you send your child to school, and where you buy a house,” she said. “It’s more about understanding social issues and figuring out a way to make your community better.”

While filming for “Spiderman: Homecoming” in Georgia in 2017, Espensen and her mother drove to Lynchburg to visit campus.

“I’m very proud that I got an education from Liberty, because I don’t know of any other Christian university right now that’s standing for biblical truth on all aspects of family and government,” she said. “I will always be an advocate for Liberty University.”

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Students join Liberty’s first Life March on campus

Hundreds of students joined Liberty University’s first Life March on Jan. 29 — the same day the March for Life in Washington, D.C., held virtual ceremonies — representing the more than 60 million babies killed since the signing of Roe v. Wade.

The march followed a virtual Convocation that featured warriors in the battle for life: Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the Relatable podcast (keynote speaker);

conservative activists and Liberty alumni David and Jason Benham; Be Their Village founder Christine Yeargin; and Susan Campbell, executive director of the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in Lynchburg. (Watch the Convocation on Liberty’s YouTube channel).

The event was sponsored by Liberty’s Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty, the student group Culture of Life 1972 (COL1972), and the Students for Life club. President Jerry Prevo gave a speech before the march.

“We gather here today so that here in America and around the world the hearts of people will be changed so we can overturn Roe v. Wade,” he said.

“Today, abortion is the greatest injustice going on in the world. And we’re here today to stand up for those unborn who

deserve, like you and me, a right to be born, to live, and to follow God’s purpose for their lives.”

The march began at the Freedom Tower and followed a route around the bookstore, down University Boulevard, and between Residential Commons II and III, finishing back on the Academic Lawn.

COL1972 donated 600 beanie hats, and live worship music played before and after the march.

“The Liberty University Life March was one of my favorite experiences thus far being a Liberty student,” said junior Victoria D’Adessi, co-founder of COL1972.

“The pro-life movement really embodies (Liberty founder) Jerry Falwell Sr.’s mission of being a Champion for Christ.

We can’t be Champions for Christ without being champions for the unborn.”

Godparent Home baby grows up to become Liberty alumnus and pastor

Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell holds Ryan Dempsey, one of the first babies adopted from the Liberty Godparent Home.

Ryan Dempsey with his wife, Alisa

Ryan Dempsey’s connection to Liberty University started as an infant. He was one of the first babies to be adopted out of the Liberty Godparent Home, established

by Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell in 1982 as a place for young pregnant mothers to receive care and counseling for making parenting and adoption plans, offering them an alternative to abortion.

Ryan was roughly 1 month old when his parents, who were Liberty graduates, adopted him. A year later, the family moved to Columbus, Ohio, where they helped to plant a church. Ryan grew up with a respect for Liberty and, when the time came to decide on where he would attend college, chose to visit his parents’ alma mater.

“I remember during Convocation I leaned over to my mom and said, ‘This is where I’m going.’ She said that we could still look at other places, and I said, ‘This

is where God wants me, and I’m not going to argue,’” Dempsey said. “I was born in Lynchburg, and thanks to Jerry Falwell and Liberty, I was able to come back to Lynchburg.”

Dempsey graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s in religious studies with a youth ministries concentration and in 2007 with a master’s in Christian leadership. Throughout his time in the programs, Dempsey said he was taught so much more than what is in a textbook.

“I really appreciated them because they had experience in the field and they would tell stories and give examples of the real world,” he explained. “They would teach out of a book but also include examples of what we would see in the future. A lot of the professors added to the teaching role and became more like mentors as well.”

His father, Dr. Rodney Dempsey, a

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professor at Liberty’s John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, even taught a few of his seminary courses.

Liberty was also where he met his future wife, Alisa. After graduation, Ryan Dempsey served as a youth pastor in New York and Wyoming before becoming the pastor at Mitchell Hollow Mission Church in Greene County, N.Y., where he has served for the last 7 1/2 years.

As it turns out, Mitchell Hollow had its own Liberty connection. The man who planted it, Dave Overton, is a Liberty alumnus. As a high school guidance counselor in the 1970s, Overton heard about the university through a student of his and was so curious about the new school that he watched a televised sermon from Falwell and gave his heart to Christ. Overton then attended Liberty with his student and planted Mitchell Hollow not long after.

That same student had a brother who followed in their footsteps shortly after and attended Liberty — Ron Vining, Alisa Dempsey’s father.

“Liberty has always been a big part of our lives with my parents going there, me and my wife going there, and Jerry Falwell’s creation of the Godparent Home, which brought me to my adoptive family,” Dempsey said. “There is definitely a connection with Liberty in my life, and I’m thankful for that.”

Healthcare students continue serving on front lines of pandemic

CH R I S B R EED LOVE ELLI E R I CH AR DSO N

Top photo: Liberty University osteopathic medical students and nursing students stand outside Central Virginia Family Physicians in Forest, Va., on Jan. 23, where they volunteered to monitor patients who received COVID-19 vaccinations at a community clinic.

A School of Nursing student administers the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in the Vines Center on March 4.

Liberty University has been an ongoing community partner in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and assisting with the vaccine rollout locally.

In addition to their regularly required training in clinical settings as frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty’s nursing students and medical students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) have been volunteering at community clinics where vaccines are being administered. At off-campus clinics, they have helped by distributing CDC information, assisting patients with forms, and monitoring patients for any post-COVID-19 allergic reactions.

Following the guidelines for vaccine rollout phases set in place by the CDC, Liberty held a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the Vines Center on March 4, offering free doses for up to 1,200 eligible university employees and employees of Sodexo, Liberty’s dining services provider. Eligible employees included essential workers and those over 65 years old. Volunteers from the School of Nursing, LUCOM, and the School of Health Sciences helped in supportive roles. Nursing students

helped administer the injections.

A major show of support came in February when, under the direction of President Jerry Prevo, Liberty offered retail space, rent-free, at the nearby Candlers Station Shopping Center (the former T.J. Maxx) to be used for a larger, central vaccination clinic for Lynchburg and the surrounding areas.

“During this unprecedented time in the field of medicine, we are truly blessed to be surrounded by talented people and community partners,” said Dr. Scott Hicks, provost and chief academic officer. “Keith Anderson, our executive director of Student Health Center and Wellness Initiatives, has worked with our friends at the Virginia Department of Health, Centra, and CVFP to ensure that we remain informed and action-oriented concerning the status of COVID-19 and vaccine rollouts. Due to their collaborative efforts, Liberty has been able to mobilize caring students and dedicated clinical faculty to assist in meeting the needs of Liberty, the broader Lynchburg community, Southside Virginia, various other states, and countries. It is truly our privilege to be in the position to serve and support.”

Interim dean puts ‘service over self’ as a physician guided by God’s plan

CH RIS B REE D LOVE

From police officer to physician, Dr. Joseph R. Johnson said he’s been guided by God’s design for his life.

“I always knew I wanted to be a doctor since I was in the fourth grade,” he said, “but just didn’t have the family and financial support.” His mother never graduated from high school, and his father barely did but supported his family as a firefighter for 35 years.

Johnson accepted Christ as his Savior in the fourth grade. After high school, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a way to pay for college and then worked as a police officer in Phoenix, Ariz., following in his father’s footsteps as a public servant.

But all along, he knew that his childhood dream of becoming a physician was a part of God’s plan. At age 34, married and with five children, he started medical school.

Now, Johnson has spent 26 years serving God in the medical field, including in his most recent position as interim dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Johnson started at LUCOM in December after previously working as associate dean at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences where he maintained an active obstetrical and advanced surgical role. He also has a background in chiropractic care.

From his own life experiences, Johnson strives to encourage LUCOM’s student-doctors to lean in to their own callings for their futures.

“I always tell my residents and my medical students that if they keep their order straight — God is first, family second, and career third — that they’re going to do pretty good in life.

As long as you understand who the ultimate boss is, you’re going to do well serving Him.” Johnson said a commitment to serving God with your profession is about “putting service over self.”

“As part of the body of Christ, I think it’s our task to perform to the best of our abilities, and that’s not for our individual recognition but for the God we serve. I realize we are all being moved into each other’s lives, a thread we play in the tapestry of God’s mission here on Earth.”

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Congratulations to these faculty and students who are shining in their fields: MOOT COURT CHAMPIONS

David Korn (left) and Randall Shirey

A team from Liberty University’s undergraduate Moot Court program under the Helms School of Government snatched first place at the 2021 American Moot Court Association (AMCA) National Tournament on Jan. 25.

Nationwide, 500 teams competed in regional tournaments in the fall, featuring arguments on First Amendment rights. The top 100 teams secured spots in the national tournament

— including five of Liberty’s eight teams.

The teams competed virtually and when the competition narrowed to 50 teams (four from Liberty) on day two, Liberty faced duos from Bentley University, the University of Southern California, and two lineups from Moot Court powerhouse Patrick Henry College before seniors David Korn and Randall Shirey won against Colorado Christian University in the final round.

A BETTER FOOTBALL HELMET Bowl LV Week in Tampa, Fla. Using an approach called “Creationeering,” a term Liberty has trademarked, Horstemeyer and his team have incorporated properties found in the rack of bighorn sheep and the beak of a woodpecker to design a football helmet that he says is twice as effective at preventing concussions as those currently used by the NFL. The same principles used in the design can also be applied in other sports helmets, ranging from baseball and lacrosse to equestrian and hockey.

The team has been working out of Liberty’s Center for Engineering

E L LI E R I C HAR DSON

Dr. Mark Horstemeyer, dean of the School of Engineering, and his team of Ph.D. research fellows and undergraduate students have developed a football helmet that was named as the runner-up in their category of the NFL’s sixth-annual “1st and Future” pitch competition, created to spur innovation in athlete health, safety, and performance.

Horstemeyer and his team, working in association with Genesis Helmets Inc., were awarded $25,000 to be used to continue their research and design.

The winners were announced Feb. 2 on the NFL Network, as part of Super

Research & Education and plans to submit an updated design into the NFL Helmet Challenge this summer for a chance to win up to a $1 million award.

PLAYWRIGHT HONORS A play by theatre arts graduate Victoria Zisi (’20) on undercover code-breakers during World War II was selected by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival as a first alternate for the David L. Shelton Playwriting Award, given to original plays written by students. Zisi is the first Liberty student to receive this honor and was recognized at a virtual ACTF Region IV Festival in February.

The play, “Blind to the Truth,” is

SCREENPLAY FINALIST Darin Wales, a professor in Liberty University’s Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center, was one of three finalists in the period/historical/war genre for his screenplay, “The Witch of Pungo,” in the Big Break Screenwriting Contest. His work was inspired by the true story of Grace Sherwood, a woman from Pungo (now part of Virginia Beach) who was wrongly accused of witchcraft by her

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neighbors in the early 1700s, close to the time of the infamous Salem Witch Trials.

Sherwood was the only person to be convicted of such a thing in Virginia.

Wales began writing the script in 2011 while living in Virginia Beach.

Since then, and during his time at Liberty (he began teaching at Liberty in 2015), Wales has slowly added and made rewrites to the script.

based on the true story of “code girls,” whose pivotal role in history has only been declassified for a few years. Under the guise of secretaries in the United States Navy, these women worked to crack the code to German intel and encrypt Allied communications. Zisi researched and wrote the play as part of a playwriting course. A full dramatic reading of the play was given in the Tower Theater to the general public in February 2020.

SCHOLAR’S VIEWPOINT

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INQUISITIVE CHRIST B Y C A R A L .T. M U R P H Y

We all belong to the question. It haunts us. It possesses us, pressing us toward what we will never achieve: complete knowledge. We crave total eradication of doubt, so we work to force subjugation of all questions to that aim.

No one knew how to do this better than Socrates. After staying long in the shadows, he brought questions into the public square and handed them a megaphone. Socrates made questions the property of the learned elite.

Most modern researchers agree that this ancient educator was something of an enigma, in both philosophy and appearance. Although an Athenian

and an academic, he grew long locks like the Spartan soldier. He wore the rumpled, sweaty clothes in which he slept. According to The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, historians have described him as “profoundly ugly, resembling a satyr more than a man.”

Despite this, Socrates is given a seat of honor in the philosophic pantheon.

In the brilliant culture of ancient Greece, a culture that worshipped the pursuit of knowledge, he shocked the entire establishment, flipping current scholastic methodology on its Grecian head. Instead of telling students what to think, he showed them how. He did this by asking questions — public questions — to the complete shock of the intellectual elite.

We dig deeper, we learn more when we are challenged to tame questions for our own benefit. This is what fallen humanity attempts: the conquest of all uncertainty. Socrates championed this quest. “I know you won’t believe me,” writes Socrates, “but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.”

There’s something innate about our need to question and be questioned. We cannot survive without it. Think of all that exists because of the question. Any scientific discovery, any technological advancement, any relationship of depth has occurred because someone asked a question. Both the atomic bomb and the cure for smallpox hinged upon the reality of inquiry. The internet exists because someone asked strategic questions. Literature reflects our connection with inquiry. Plots are driven by the question mark, signaling narrative change like a new wind.

The advent of Jesus introduces a young-yet-ageless rabbi who won’t stop asking.

Christ’s first conversation in Scripture is as pre-teen God. Like all teenagers, he is full of questions for his worried parents, parents who’d spent the better part of two days searching for their missing son. “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” (Luke 2:49) This first question launches a life of asking. He asks more than 300 questions, recorded by four unique authors. Jesus

was never tricked by the serpent’s question. He lives and breathes full trust in God. It is with this perfect trust and his asking that he redeems the effects of the fall, beginning with the heart of it: the question.

His first time speaking with John’s disciples, Jesus introduces himself with a question. He questions the Pharisees and Temple priests. He questions the governing officials. He questions the leper, the beggar, the prostitute. He asks questions from the agony of the Cross. He even asks questions postResurrection — many times.

Questions always lead us somewhere.

Either they lead to mistrust and doubt, or they lead us to the source of truth.

Our mistrust doesn’t frighten Jesus.

He not only rescues us from doubt, but He also engages with us in it. He uses questions as instruments — for our healing and for His glory.

Jesus befriends and welcomes the question, and He invites us to do the same.

The road to salvation is paved with questions. It is trod by the Savior-Who-Asks.

It is with asking that He introduces himself to us. It is with asking that He invites us to draw closer. God’s open invitation to know Him stands before us. He wants us to understand why He asks us questions. In this understanding, we can enter into His asking without fear.

The questions that Jesus asked in the Gospels are for us. They speak into the chaotic, world-weary culture in which we live. They were relevant when first asked. They are still relevant today, and they will stay relevant until questions are no longer necessary.

Cara L.T. Murphy is an instructor in the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, where she inspires students to develop a passion for knowing the God of the Scriptures. She holds a Master of Arts in Religious Studies, specializing in biblical languages. This column is an excerpt from her recent book, “The Inquisitive Christ.”

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A SEASON OF COURAGE AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH

BY HUGH FREE ZE Liber ty University Head Football Coach Nobody’s ever going to suggest that anything about 2020 was normal. With the turmoil caused by COVID-19, we all had to adapt to life’s curveballs and uncertainties.

The Liberty Football team was no different. In a year rife with change, though, we came through with a season for the ages — the best one in the history of the program. One of the things I’ll remember most about the year is how our players and coaches handled the craziness going on around them.

We determined from the season’s outset that we would only worry about what we could control.

When we had three players and two coaches out because they tested positive for COVID, we weren’t going to blink. All we could control at that point was our preparation to win and our performance on the field.

And winning is what we did, week after week. We won 10 games on the season, including victories over two Atlantic Coast Conference opponents (Virginia Tech and Syracuse) and one over a top 10-ranked Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl to end the season.

Many considered that game to be the year’s most exciting bowl game. Our only loss, to North Carolina State, was a one-point heartbreaker that kept us from a perfect season.

Our core values for the team are faith, attitude, mental toughness, integrity, and love. When I came to Liberty, one of my priorities was to establish a culture

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in which those core values permeated everything we did. Our coaches and players know them by heart and know what they mean. Everyone in our program can recite and explain them. It didn’t take long for those values to take root and begin to shape and define the culture of the Liberty Flames Football program. That culture was a huge part

approved by the players. They expressed their belief that our team’s unity should be a display of how the world should be, that all people are created equal and that equality is for all, that our first identity is as Christians and glorifying God is our priority, and that we are called to love and should operate with love as our foundation. That creed helped provide cohesion for us all season long.

The Lord is indeed good, O u r c o re v a l u e s f o r t h e t e a m a re trustworthy, faithful, and just. When life seems to FA I T H , AT T I T U D E , contradict that — as it often did in 2020 — and when M E N TA L T O U G H N E S S, our circumstances appear to be chaotic and turbulent, I N T E G R I T Y, A N D L OV E . we have to return to our foundational belief in God’s faithfulness. One of the Bible HUGH FREEZE study lessons we taught this season was about David, and of our success in the 2020 season. we talked with our players about what Wins, however, are not the main gave David the confidence to run with marker of achievement for our program. courage toward his battle with Goliath.

Yes, it’s great to see our planning and That confidence sprang largely from preparation rewarded with a victory David experiencing God’s faithfulness on the field each week. But I’ve never in the past. David saw how God had put quantitative numbers on what a provided for him as a shepherd time successful season looks like. That’s just and time again. He knew what God had not the way I’m wired. done, and he trusted that God would do The reasons for that are simple. One it again. week this season we had five players Like David, I’ve experienced God’s accept Christ in a team meeting. faithfulness through good times, bad That’s far more important than the times and crazy times, through great result from that week’s game. We also decisions and poor decisions. And the saw a tremendous amount of spiritual lesson I wanted our players to learn growth in our players over the course was that we control what we can, and of the season. we trust God with the rest. That’s what Early in the year, our team adopted they did this year, and the outcome a creed for the season, crafted and speaks for itself.

“

”

IN COACH’S WORDS

CBS Sports listed the 2020 Cure Bowl on ESPN as the best bowl game of the season. With 2.62 million views and an average rating of 1.4, it was the highest rated and most-watched bowl game involving “Group of Five” teams since the 2017 Armed Forces Bowl.

AND REW SNYD ER

K J JU GAR

JOE L COL E M AN

E L LI E R I C HAR DSON

R OSS KOHL

WELCOME HOME TO THE NEW

LIBERTY ARENA

The NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball squads settled in quickly to their new territory at the Liberty Arena last fall.

The 4,000-seat facility connects to the neighboring 10,000-seat Vines Center, the programs’ previous home for 30 years.

The basketball teams dominated the competition on their new court this season — the women’s team went 12-0 at home, and the men finished with a

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36-game home winning streak, which includes a 13-0 record at the Liberty Arena in 2020-21. This streak is the second-longest active streak in the country, following Gonzaga, the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

With 125,000 square feet of Flames excitement, the new arena is a state-ofthe-art showroom for Liberty Athletics.

Fans are treated to an intimate atmosphere with surround loge (box) and club seating options. The arena is outfitted with court projection

technology, a large center videoboard, and wraparound LED banners.

Liberty volleyball is one of only a few programs outside the Power Five with a specialized flooring system called Taraflex.

The arena officially opened its doors on Nov. 23 with a livestreamed ribbon-cutting ceremony and saw its first action on Dec. 1 when the Lady Flames basketball team celebrated an impressive 76-53 triumph over Norfolk State.

R OSS KO H L

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK F L A M E S TA K E A S U N C O N F E R E N C E C R OW N

R OSS KOHL

For the third straight season, the Liberty University men’s basketball team became the ASUN Tournament Champions, defeating North Alabama 79-75 in the championship game at UNF Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 7.

Led by ASUN Conference Coach of the Year Ritchie McKay, Liberty clinched the auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament with a 23-5 overall record and, as of press time for this issue, was awaiting its first-round selection in the NCAA Tournament.

With the championship win, Liberty extended its winning streak to 12 games, the third-longest streak in the country.

ASUN Player of the Year Darius McGhee was named the ASUN Tournament MVP and was also named to the ASUN All-Tournament Team along with Chris Parker and Kyle Rode.

Liberty is the second team in ASUN history to win three straight ASUN Tournament titles.

Follow the team at LibertyFlames.com.

‘SUPER SPRING’ BRINGS SUPER WINS (men’s or women’s) to be selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships.

In their second time hosting the CCSA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship, Liberty was named a co-champion. It was the first time

in CCSA history that two teams have finished in a tie for the title as Liberty and FGCU both scored exactly 1,748.5 points.

And for the third consecutive year, the men’s squad claimed the ASUN Indoor Track & Field Championship at home.

KOH L

SN YDE R

After a disappointing halt to the spring season last year, Liberty’s NCAA Division I teams ramped right back up for an even busier schedule this year, dubbing it “Super Spring” after being challenged with packing in some fall sports that were delayed.

Liberty Athletics has already celebrated championship victories. In addition to men’s basketball, three teams had earned conference titles as of press time.

In early March, the women’s cross country team made history when they brought their first-ever ASUN Conference title home and became Liberty’s first cross country team

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STILL MAKING A PITCH FOR GOD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS B Y J AY C O P P Al Worthington is 92 and pitched to his last batter in the major leagues a full half century ago. But he still receives several letters each week from passionate baseball fans. They ask for an autograph.

They tell him they enjoyed watching him pitch for their beloved Twins, Reds, or White Sox. More than a few tell him he was one of their favorite players because of his deep commitment to his faith.

Age long ago took the baseball from his hand. His accomplishments in baseball and as a highly successful coach and athletic director at Liberty University more and more belong to the past. But his commitment to his faith has not lagged or dimmed. Worthington’s morning

ritual is to laboriously handwrite individual responses to the fans and stuff the envelopes with Christian literature.

Worthington built the baseball program at Liberty with an integrity rarely seen in big-time college sports. He was so devoted to his faith as a stalwart major leaguer that his unwavering devotion nearly overshadowed his World Series stints, rookie records, and other sports accomplishments. A story on him in a major magazine in 1963 was headlined “A Bible in the Bullpen.”

And in a move that stunned the baseball world and has never been done before or since by such a prominent baseball player, he once abruptly quit the game rather than cheat.

“I am biased, but I call him the original Tim Tebow,” says his daughter Michele Adkins, a 1981 Liberty graduate and an adjunct professor of psychology at LU.

A SPORTS GREAT

Al Worthington in 1983

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Worthington, born and raised in Birmingham, Ala., and now living near the city, still speaks with a tightlipped, lovely Alabama drawl. “I can’t do everything I used to do, of course,” he says. With his need for a cane, he no longer cuts the grass. But he does the dishes. He attends church three times a week.

Family keeps him busy and happy. He and his wife, Shirley, married since 1950, have five children, 13 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.

Al Worthington in 2013

Baseball also has a way of still occupying his time. He made it back to Liberty in October 2019 for the dedication of Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium. (This was not his first such recognition: the Flames played baseball at Worthington Stadium from 1979 until the program moved to its new facility in 2013.)

The honors were well-deserved.

As baseball coach for 13 seasons, starting in 1974, his squads won 20 or more games for 12 consecutive years.

His overall record was a sparkling 343191-1. LU finished fifth in the NAIA World Series three straight years from 1981 to 1983. His star players included Sid Bream, later a Pittsburgh Pirate and Atlanta Brave, and Lee Guetterman, an eventual Seattle Mariner.

As athletic director for 16 years, he led the tremendous growth of athletics at LU. The Flames rose from NCAA Division II to Division I in 15 intercollegiate sports.

Worthington oversaw the expansion and fielded winning teams while keeping out the negative elements that sadly often creep into college sports. He kept a Bible on his desk in his office. “Christ is my manager,” he once told a reporter.

Today, Worthington fondly remembers what he tried to do at Liberty and how it worked out. “I was a professional athlete.

I was taught to win. I taught my players that. But they had to do it the right way.

They didn’t cheat,” he says. “My players

didn’t get into trouble or quit school.

They had a different attitude about life (than other college athletes). They tried to work with me, not against me. They tried to do the right thing. That’s what Christians do.”

He’s troubled that the Houston Astros stole catchers’ signs in 2017 through a video camera in center field. “That’s just wrong. That has to be stopped,” he says.

Those are not the words of an armchair moralist. He once packed his bags rather than bag his faith.

A FATEFUL DAY

Worthington broke into the majors in 1953 in a big way with the New York Giants. He became the first National League rookie to throw shutouts in his first two starts. He became a solid, reliable pitcher.

He had been religious since a child, but his faith was routine, not a passion but a habit. That all changed in 1958 while he was with the San Francisco Giants. Sports had been the center of his life. He was an established major leaguer. He was physically fit, handsome, and healthy. His marriage was on firm ground. But he felt an aching emptiness.

“I was tired of leaving home and going on road trips, living in hotels,” he wrote in his autobiography, published in 2004.

“The years of sports that I played did not give me the peace I wanted.”

A teammate, Bob Speake, invited him and Shirley to the famous Cow Palace to

hear Billy Graham. On the second night, arriving late, they sat in the top balcony in the aisle. After Graham preached and as a large, energetic choir sang about Jesus, his heart began to pound.

He could not resist: he found himself pulled to the main floor, to the growing crowd in front of the stage. His heart had broken. “I decided to give God my life and surrender my all to Him,” he wrote.

Worthington began speaking to church groups, sharing and spreading his faith. Honesty and integrity, at home and in the workplace, was paramount, he told congregants. So he was especially disturbed when he discovered that the Giants that season had planted a spy with binoculars in the outfield grandstands to relay what pitch was coming.

Worthington knew the desire to win often trumped right and wrong, but he boldly approached Manager Bill Rigney and told him the cheating was wrong. Rigney agreed to stop using the binoculars, Worthington says (though Rigney publicly maintained the team had not used a spy). After the season, not surprisingly, Worthington was traded.

After a stint in the minor leagues, Worthington ended up with the Chicago White Sox in September 1960. Saddled with a history of futility, the team was finally battling for a pennant, and Worthington quickly endeared himself to his new teammates and rabid Sox fans by winning a game and saving another.

To his dismay, he learned the >>

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kind, saying he belonged to the “Ladies Church League.” The White Sox tried to sell his contract, but the “word was out that he was some sort of cuckoo,” said Greenberg.

LIFE AFTER BASEBALL: MORE BASEBALL

>>White Sox also were cheating by posting an employee with binoculars in the scoreboard. He approached Manager Al Lopez in a hotel lobby in Kansas City and told him, “What we’re doing isn’t right.” Lopez basically told him to mind his own business.

Worthington then talked with Sox executive Hank Greenberg, who told him everybody cheats a little to win. “I’m a Christian. I can’t go along with something that is dishonest,” Worthington replied. Shaken to his core, Worthington packed his bags and went home to Birmingham.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do for a living,” he told the Saturday Evening Post. Baseball was aghast at what he did. Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby said he ought to “pitch in the Humane League.” Others were less

A bedroom in the Worthington home is dedicated to sports memorabilia. There are photos, trophies, uniforms and so on — 16 years immersed in sports at Liberty and 14 years in the big leagues leave plenty of traces. Yes, after being initially disowned by professional baseball, professional baseball welcomed him back. The desire to win also apparently meant forgiveness, baseball-style. The next spring after he quit, unable to trade him, the Sox astonishingly told Worthington to report to their minor league team. For two years, he blew the ball by overmatched minor league hitters. Still, no major league team would take a chance on him.

Then, in desperate need of pitching, the Reds signed him in 1963. He pitched well, and at the team party after the season they playfully presented him with a pair of binoculars. His career continued to flourish. In 1965, he was voted the best pitcher on the Twins and appeared in two games in the World Series against the Dodgers. When he finally retired in 1969, he was the oldest player in the American League.

It all worked out. “You have to trust God,” he says today.

He also trusted God he was doing the right thing in 1973 when he eagerly sought out the Rev. Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University (then Lynchburg Baptist College), to coach its first baseball team. He greatly admired Falwell and wanted to work for him. “I loved it. It was a challenge, but it was such a good place.”

He’s entrusted his children and their children with the university: besides Adkins, his two sons, Marshal and Daniel, are graduates, and a granddaughter is a freshman.

In major league baseball, by the time he retired, Worthington was fondly known as “Old Reliable.” For Worthington, the story has been the same since that fateful day in San Francisco in 1958: he’s relying on a higher power.

READ MORE ABOUT WORTHINGTON’S BASEBALL CAREER AND HIS FAITH:

FLAMES FAVORED TO DEFEND ASUN CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE Liberty’s baseball team returns seven starters from 2020, when the Flames started off 10-7 before having their season canceled by COVID-19.

The Flames were favored in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll to defend the conference title, led by senior shortstop Cam Locklear, who was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and fellow ASUN preseason firstteam selections Mason Meyer, a senior southpaw starting pitcher; junior outfielder Gray Betts; and redshirt junior first baseman Logan Mathieu.

After opening the 2021 season with a series at Campbell University, fifthyear Head Coach Scottie Jackson’s alma

mater, on Feb. 19-21, the Flames began conference play against North Alabama on March 12-14 at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, where they will also host ASUN series against Lipscomb (April 9-11), Bellarmine (April 30-May 2), and Kennesaw State (May 7-9).

Liberty will play home and away contests against five ACC opponents this season — Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest — and will host former Big South Conference rival Coastal Carolina, the 2016 College World Series champion, April 23-25.

The dates and location of the ASUN Championships, where the winner will

clinch an autobid to the NCAA Regional tournament, have yet to be set. In 2019, the Flames won four elimination games, capped by a 4-3 victory over Stetson, to claim the title and reach the NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2014.

FOLLOW THE TEAM ON LIBERTYFLAMES.COM.

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

1980s ’81 MICHAEL CARDERELLI is a Computer Resources Specialist at Rockingham County Public Schools in Harrisonburg, Va. ’82 RANDY M. LONG is Founder and CEO of Long Business Advisors in Wilmington, N.C. Randy is author of “The BraveHeart Exit,” designed to help business owners create and execute a roadmap for a successful sale or transition out of a business. ’85 TROY NELSON has accepted the position of Executive Pastor at Crosslakes (Minn.) Evangelical Free Church in the Whitefish Chain of Lakes Region of North Central Minnesota. Troy also recently finished his third 100-mile race, The Booneville Backroads in Iowa. ’89 CHUCK WANAMAKER serves as Vice President of Commercial Banking at Republic Bank in Southern New Jersey.

1990s ’90 LEC COBLE became Station Manager at KMSB (Fox) and KTTU (MNT) in Tucson, Ariz., in 2019. He previously served as Vice President of Marketing and Audience Development for Raycom Media.

MAKING HEADLINES READ THESE STORIES AND MORE AT LIBERTY.EDU/NEWS/ALUMNI:

’90 FRANK HACKETT is Vice President of National Account Management at CorVel Corporation in Philadelphia, Pa. CorVel is a national provider of workers’ compensation solutions to employers, third-party administrators, insurance companies, and government agencies. ’91 BRYANT JOHNSON recently published his second science fiction novel, “Moral Compass: To Be or Not to Be.” ’92 CRAIG T. EDWARDS, Esquire is an attorney (Pa.), Real Estate Broker (Pa., N.J.) and President of the Liberty Development Companies and environmental remediation entity: Land Group LTD. He and his wife, Kathy (’92 - Education), have four children: Alexis, a recent LU graduate and former cheerleader; Cross, a junior aviation major and member of the Club Sports men’s volleyball team; Charis, a current digital media and journalism student at LU; and Court, who is also hoping to attend as a freshman in Fall 2025. ’92 JIM WEST serves as President of Total Life Counseling Center with offices in central Florida and Dallas, Texas. Jim has appeared as an adolescent and family expert on the Fox News Channel, Oprah Winfrey Network, ABC’s Medical Minute, and local television programs. ’92 JON YATES is Vice President of Operations for the Dufresne Spenser Group in Memphis, Tenn., which owns and operates more than 40 Ashley Home Stores, four Stash Home stores, and 14 distribution centers in 10 states in the southeast. ’93 BILL HARRINGTON is Vice President and Chief Actuary of U.S. Commercial Healthcare for Cigna in Philadelphia, Pa.

BOB GOOD (’88) For years, U.S. Congressman Bob Good, of Virginia’s 5th District, called Lynchburg home. His family often struggled for the bare necessities, including food and transportation, but Good credits many of his accomplishments to his humble, difficult upbringing. A graduate of LCA and Liberty University, he is the first alumnus to be elected to Congress.

’93 JONATHAN PETERS is Director of Sales at Metro Merchant Services, an ePayment solutions company in Wilmington, Del. ’93 TONY PHILO is Marketing Asset Activation Manager-Sports and Entertainment for The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Ga. Tony and his wife, Becky (’94), have four daughters; one is a 2017 Liberty graduate. ’93 AVERY SMITH joined the faculty of Washington State University in 2019, teaching and researching within the Management, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship Department (MISE) of the Carson College of Business. Avery retired from Hewlett Packard as an Engineering Program Manager after 27 years of employment with HP. ’94 CHARLES MALLORY is a retired Army Chaplain and Free Methodist Associate Pastor in Motley, Minn. He recently published his first book, “Are You Watching Me?,” a short story narrative encouraging parents and children to read together and spend more quality time as a family. ’94 JENNIE OWENS recently published “Dancing with a Porcupine: Parenting Wounded Children without Losing Yourself,” which describes her family’s experience with parenting three foster care children.

2000s ’01 MELISSA HODGE-PENN serves as Assistant Vice Chancellor for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss.

KYLE AND LAUREN SMITH (’14) This couple was featured in January in the story “A Stage to Serve: Campus worship leaders, music students launch into careers in full-time ministry.” The Smiths, former members of Liberty’s worship team, now write songs together and serve full time with Vertical Worship, the worship team of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago.

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’03 CHARLES CUMMINGS serves as Officer for CRM Applications and Salesforce at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C. ’05 ANDREW HUFF has published a suspense novel, “A Cross to Kill,” through Kregel Publications. A thriller that pits a man of God against terrorists, the novel is an exploration of the moral quandaries of those who choose to follow Christ in an often violent world. Andrew is a two-time finalist in the American Christian Writers Genesis Contest for unpublished authors and won the 2015 Best Screenplay award at the 48 Hour Film Festival in Richmond, Va. He lives in North Texas with his wife, Jae, and their two boys. ’05 DAVID PEYTON is a professor at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C, teaching business analytics, intermediate business statistics, and international supply chain.

’12 JONATHAN D. MILLS was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Baptist State Convention at the 2019 annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C. He also serves as a deacon and Sunday school director at First Baptist Church in Gaston, N.C. Jonathan and his wife, Krista, have two boys: Ayden, 12, and Dawson, 2. ’12, ’14 IAN MINIELLY serves as pastor of Southside Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. In March 2019, Ian published his first book, “Emily’s Tears,” a story of love in triumph over injustice when an adopted girl is taken from her family by state officials who conspire to sell her for profit to a relative.

Ian was a member of the U.S. Intelligence community and has served as a Green Beret in the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and a Ranger. ’12 MATT BELL won a seat on the Chatham Town Council in Chatham, Va.

’07 VIRGINIA THRASHER SLOCUM is the Strategic Operations and Planning Manager at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare in Chesapeake, Va., reporting to the president and CEO. Her duties include managing the organization’s long- and short-term strategic plans, Certificate of Public Need (COPN) applications and projects, plus other diverse strategic planning initiatives.

’12, ’14 KATHERINE BRUCE is founder of Christian Arts Ministries in Orlando, Fla., focusing on biblical precepts, preaching, teaching, Gospel music, and prayer.

Katherine has provided pastoral care and counseling to University of Central Florida mathematics exchange students from China.

’08 MOLLIE YODER is the Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Trevecca Nazarene University, a Christian university in Nashville, Tenn.

’12, ’16 ADAM WINGATE serves as Director of Digital Engagement at Members Credit Union and Professor of Marketing/ Management for the Patterson School of Business at Carolina University in WinstonSalem, N.C.

2010s ’10, ’12, ’18 EARL JACKSON recently celebrated seven years of serving as an Associate Minister in Willingboro, N.J. ’10 MICHAEL S. SHAW serves as Pilot and Senior Captain for the University of Alabama, providing air travel needs for the president and chancellor along with athletic and university staff.

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’13 KAREN BAECHLE, a former missionary for 20 years, has recently become a published children’s book illustrator in “The Legend of Theodore E. Bear,” by Annette L. Parkhurst. The story is about a 500-yearold bear that walks faithfully with the Lord.

It provides the opportunity to teach a young audience about the importance of a relationship with God. ’13 ANDREW GEORGE won the Technology Champion of the Year Award for 2020 while working in service level management

with the Science Applications International Corporation. ’13 SUSANNA SPURGEON is editor at the Morocco World News in Rabat, Morocco. ’14 LISA BOSSERT serves as Business Coordinator at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. ’14 JOSH EAGAN recently teamed up with his 14-year-old daughter, Anika, to write and illustrate, respectively, their first children’s book, “The Adventures of Ninja and Luche: The Great Piggy Rescue,” based on characters created by Anika and her sister Evelyn more than five years ago. Josh is owner and publisher of Roanoke Valley Family magazine in Roanoke, Va., where he lives with his wife, Andrea, and two daughters. ’16, ’19 EMMANUEL NTIBONERA, currently of Nashville, Tenn., is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who met a great need in his homeland by organizing large shoe drives, including one that raised 10,000 shoes in one day during a Liberty Convocation with NBA star Stephen Curry in 2017. Ntibonera recently released a book titled “Congo Sole,” about his life as a refugee during the Great War of Africa, along with co-author and fellow Liberty alumnus Drew Menard (’09, ’15).

The book has been featured in Christianity Today. Just before the pandemic shut down much of the world, Emmanuel brought 50,000 pairs of shoes to the Congo as well as other critical supplies. He is the founder of the Ntibonera Foundation, which shares the love of Christ while bringing hope and relief to those suffering in the Congo and throughout Africa. ’20 JESSICA SHORT released a self-help relationship book, “Rhythms of Relationship: A Guide for Creating Purposeful Patterns to Strengthen Your Marriage,” which was written to help couples make real progress toward the marriage of their dreams.

TORI MILLER (’14)

STEPHON LEARY (’92)

Tori earned a bachelor’s degree in English and was a former member of the Sounds of Liberty. She chased her dreams and fulfilled them when she was selected in the Top 40 for NBC’s ‘The Voice’ last fall, performing in the first round of Season 19 in front of coaches Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Kelly Clarkson.

This former Flames basketball player has dedicated his life to using the sport to influence players for Christ. His career brought him back to LU as a recruiting coach, then on to coaching Division II basketball in Texas and working as an NBA agent and trainer. He now heads the Shooting Stars AAU program in Houston, where he coaches youth in the sport and in life.

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES CAREER CENTER

As the workforce and industries change, Liberty University provides excellent services to our alumni through the Career Center. Alumni can receive assistance from highly trained, experienced career coaches in person or virtually. Each year, the center hosts hundreds of organizations on campus at our industry-based career fairs. Whether you are a young alumnus, in the middle of your career, or looking for a change after 40 years, the Career Center can provide life change resources. The team is prepared to help you with your résumé and cover letter or coach you through interviewing. For more information about meeting a career coach or attending a career fair, call (434) 592-4109 or email careers@liberty.edu.

LIBERTY BUSINESS COMMUNITY APP

A new online platform from the School of Business is helping to connect business students, alumni, and employer partners. Through the work of alumni Tyler Baker and Tim Layer, and in cooperation with Matt Young, assistant director for employer relations in the Career Center, top alumni and business experts across all fields and specialties can connect with business students for one-on-one mentoring in the Liberty Business Community app, available from the Google Play Store or the App Store. For more information, call (800) 628-7973 or email alumni@liberty.edu.

IN MEMORIAM ALUMNI:

T H E L I B E R T Y FA M I LY:

’75 FRED HELMICK, of Washington, Pa., died Jan. 4. He was a member of Liberty’s first graduating class and served as a pastor for 46 years, from 1974-83 at Albemarle Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Va., and at The Wolfdale Bible Church in Washington, Pa., until his passing.

BRENDA BONHEIM died on Sept. 14, 2020, at the age of 81. She is remembered as a pioneer for women’s athletics at Liberty.

She helped start the women’s basketball and volleyball programs, serving as both programs’ inaugural head coach, and was Liberty’s first Senior Woman Administrator.

She was inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.

DR. WILLIAM EDWARD MATHENY, Ph.D., died on Jan. 26 at the age of 88. Matheny was a Korean War combat veteran as an enlisted Marine and later served as a Navy Lieutenant in the Caribbean during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After 17 years as a missionary in Peru, Matheny taught religion at Liberty from 1978-85 and history courses from 1987-2011.

DR. CLINE HALL died on Oct. 19, 2020, at the age of 83. Cline served as a professor and administrator for Liberty’s Department of History for over 34 years, including 18 years as department chair. He also acted as co-director of Liberty’s Civil War Seminar held each spring and was on the board of directors for the National Civil War Chaplains Museum on campus.

HAL JERRY ‘BUDDY’ SHEARER JR. died on Dec. 5, 2020, at age 62. He was an 11-year employee at the Jerry Falwell Library and was a critical contributor to the creation and operation of its Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS).

’85 MICHAEL ‘SCOOTER’ REID, of the Bahamas, died Dec. 28, 2020. He is a former Flames basketball player who went on to coach in high school before joining the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in the Bahamas.

JOHN BARNARD (’15)

JOHN KEARNS (’02)

Since launching his nonprofit Middleman Ministries — a skateboard ministry stationed in Waco, Texas — John has reached over 10,000 with the Gospel. The ministry has donated thousands of skateboards, shirts, and other skateboard apparel, printed and handed out over 1,000 custom Bibles, and led over 50 people to Christ.

After building a wide-ranging career in film and video production, including several titles that have made it to the silver screen and Netflix, Kearns is pursuing a Master of Divinity through the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity as an answer to a call to ministry that came into his life while an underclassman at Liberty.

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THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE 2020 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-Dec. 31, 2020. $1,000,000 - and above Individuals Charles R. Stone*

$500,000 - $999,999 Individuals Jay B. Larsen* Peggy Payne*

$100,000 - $499,999

Individuals Glenn Arlan Bashore* Melvin W. Buster* Jasen & Brandi Cassady Kendall S. Craft Daniel G. Crockett Virginia I. Erwin* Mark & Michelle Hiepler George Jenkins Legacy Gift Jon & Margie Lienemann Chris & Syna Reid Margaret P. Ricks* Chip & Jane Wiese Organizations BB&T Charitable Fund

$50,000 - $99,999

Individuals Joyce M. Dubay Nelly Finch* John H Mulberry* Bonnie T. Noll* Richard F. Smith Glen & Teresa Thomas Gilbert & Mary Margaret Tinney Organizations The Tazewell Community Foundation Scholarship Fund

$25,000 - $49,999

Individuals Henry & Doris Bridges Steve Brooks Ernest & Amber Carter Beatrice L. Dickinson* Josh & Lisa Dorcey Cindy Goodrich Norman K. A. Hoffer David & Lisa Jones Johnnie & Andrea Moore Richard & Karin Osborne Joan H. Salz Todd & Rachelle Sorensen Organizations AccessLex Institute ExxonMobil Foundation Educational Matching Gift Program KMR Aviation Services, Inc. Permanens Capital Runk & Pratt T. Sherwin Cook Foundation

$10,000 - $24,999

Individuals Roy R. Anderson Tashaa C. Annas Jeff & Gaye Benson Ralph & Joan Campbell Armand Chenelle Barry & Pam Clarkson Daniel & Cynthia Copp Cynthia Davies Roosevelt & Carol Davis David & Kristi Dolan Dennis & Sonya Fields Mervyn L. Gray Paul J. Greene, Sr. Laura Elizabeth Higginbotham* Carroll & Nancy Hudson

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Susan A. Jennings David & Bonnie Keim Louis & Joan LaMay B. A. Langley Dan & Jodi Leja Ian & Heather McCaw Jeff McKay Karl & Lynnette Miller John & Linda Muckel Daniel & Connie Mueller Gene & Joyce Myers Susan Ocealis* Rachel Polley David Rice Jim & Patsy Sanders Marlene Senner Jimmy & Rhonda Thomas Zach & Lisa Tran William & Virginia Van Hee Barry & Robyn Woodard Organizations Anderson Construction, Inc. dba Virginia Siteworks Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC Beacon Credit Union Boxley Materials Company Byrd Enterprises Unlimited, Inc. Carter Bank & Trust Chesapeake RV Solutions Cloudfit Software Energy & Automation Environmental Options, Inc. Equity Enterprise 1984, LLC Herr Family Foundation Hunsberger Family Foundation, Inc. James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction Co., Inc. Mabry Automotive Group Nutramax Laboratories Consumer Care, Inc. Patel & Dalrymple Attorneys at Law Power Monitors, Inc. ServPro Of Lynchburg/Bedford & Campbell County SET, Inc. dba Caterpillar Clubhouse Sodexo, Inc. & Affiliates Southern Air, Inc. The Bolick Foundation Watt Foster Family Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

Individuals Walt Banit Daniel Barbir Reggie & Karen Berry Frederick D. Bornman* Veronica Bratton Sheldon & Shannon Bream Chris & Cindy Cruz William J. Davis Bob & Sandra Day Drew Ellenburg Richard Eng Thomas & Clarie Eppes Martha Fink Hugh Freeze Turner & Gayle Gill Carey & Denise Green Betty A. Herbel Ramiro Hernandez Brian & Melissa Hufhand James Larry Ingram Daniel & Carolee Jones Ron & Rachel Justice Linda F. Kay Reynold F. Keller Jae Hak Kim Dr. John & Mrs. Jennie Kim Brian Kirschner

Richard B. Kreider Scott & Andrea Louderback David & Linda Martin Joel & Elisabeth Maxwell Ritchie & Julie McKay Barbara J. Metzler Wallace & Mayme Miller* Raymond Mirra, Jr. Stephen & Tricia Mock Geraldine E. Moose Billy & Crystal Peele Beth Picciano Bill & Wanda Robertson Karl C. Salz Matt & Johanna Schubert George Schuh Mark Scott CDR Michael & Sharon Scranton Jesse & Heather Stephens Bo & Kipplyn Summers Paul & Felicia Teeter Faron & Linda Thompson Terrance J. Tigges Roy Unsin* Jade White Charles & Claudia Wigglesworth Organizations AACC-American Association of Christian Counselors Amherst Dry Cleaners Bates Orthodontics BB&T Blue Ridge Bagels & More, Inc. C12 Virginia Blue Ridge, LLC Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated CSE, Inc. Enterprise Holdings Foundation Faithful Fanatics, Inc. First Bank & Trust Company Gentle Shepherd Hospice, Inc. Houston Safari Club Foundation Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. Ignite Men, LLC Jones & Roberts Accounting & Financial Lynchburg Ready Mix Concrete

Co, Inc. Perimeter Roofing VA, LLC Peter & John Radio Fellowship, Inc. dba Peter & John Ministries Powell’s Truck & Equipment, Inc. ResCare, Inc. Runk & Pratt Health Care Enterprises, Inc. The Boyd & Joan Kelley Charitable Foundation Thompson Trucking, Inc. W.E.L., Inc.

$2,500 - $4,999

Individuals David Ahrens Anna Alajajian Jason & Aven Alford Carla Allen Anonymous Carter County OK* Keith Ashley Jay & Mary Bachar Tim & Kathy Baldree Stephen & Kelly Belcastro Billy & Jane Belcher David & Lori Benham Jason & Tori Benham James D. Berens Brandon & Ida Blankinship Angela Bowers Andy & Linda Bowling Randy & Cynthia Brackett David & Pamela Brown Bryce & Lori Brumm

David & Kate Buerer Elvin & Pam Burford Jeremy Burns Cole Candler Diane E. Carkhuff Tim & Julie Clinton Joseph Copeland Johnny & Anne Crist Mark L. D’Arezzo Junessa A. DeBiasi Epperly Dennis & Sharon Delisle Doug & Sheila Diehl Olive M. Eckmann* Lois E. Fergerson Jennifer Fink Tina Friar Max Gasser Congressman Bob Goodlatte Mike & Erin Hagen Lee & Tonja Hall Dan & Karen Haugen Joel & Theresa Hesch Tim & Christy Hill Charles & Shelvie Holmes Mark Horstemeyer Rick & Debbie Huff Scott & Sara Jackson Paul & Jacquelyn Johnson Kevin & Mary Jones Roy & Melinda Jones Ira Stephen Kennedy Ronald & Bernice Kidd John Koleznar Thomas J. Koscak Ladmir J. Kubichek, Jr. Paul Lagerquist Stewart Langley Dr. Jon & Sissie Lenzen Stevie & Jessica Lloyd Steve & Kathy Lloyd Paul Lokey Steve & Mary Lowe Dorothy Loy Lance & Stephanie MacKenzie Kim Magnano James & Megan Mason Herbert E. Maxey, Jr. Kathy McCavanagh Jeff & Cindy McCaw Mark D. McClure Jason Meyer David Miller Mark G. Minar Mike & Lisa Misjuns P. H. Mitchell, Jr. Jim & Kelly Molloy Doug & Debbie Monahan Ivan A. Moore J. Arthur Moore* Scott J. Morongell Mitch & Elizabeth Morrison Kevin L. Newport Arthur Nicholson* Scott & Kelli Overton Sean Owen Mike & Donalyn Parker Bill & Vida Parker Gary G. Pearson John Petrozelli Craig & Cindy Petry Rodney Phillips Shane Pierce John & Ann Porter Mike & Helga Pryor Todd Ramsey Jeffrey D. Raub Nick Reichenbach Bob Pinto & Dot Richardson David Rockabrand Mike & Christy Rogers Jack Schewel

Gary & Traci Schmincke Barry & Debbie Schmitt Troy & Hollie Schultz Archie & Carlita Smith Tim & Martha Stoudnour Arnold Thompson John & Trish Trimble Edgar & Allison Tuck Ben & Robin Vestal Dan & Rachel Vollmer Gene & Debbie Walker Geraldine H. Walston Lori Watkins Don Widener Wendell O. Wilson Scott & Shelly Wolf Paul & Laurie Young Organizations 701 Korean Church A.G. Jefferson Opticians Bair of Virginia Blue Eagle Credit Union Blue Mountain Builders, LLC Brookneal Poultry, Inc. Commander’s Concepts Commissioning English Construction Company, Inc. G. F. Walls Agency, Inc. HSC Wealth Advisors Impact Living Services JCP Enterprises, Inc. K & J Enterprises, Inc dba McDonalds Leap of Faith Trust Liberty Mountain Medical Group, LLC MH Masonry & Associates, Inc. Moore’s Charitable Foundation Musser Lumber Company, Inc. Mustard Seed Realty OrthoVirginia, Inc. Peace FWB Church, Inc. Percussionaire Corp Perkins & Orrison, Inc. PWD Window & Door Royal Restrooms, LLC S&R Cleaning & Floor Service of Roanoke SBC of Virginia Foundation Sonny Merryman, Inc. Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia The Brook The NRA Foundation, Inc. Transforming Love Ministries, LLC Triple R Ranch, Inc. Valley Community Baptist Church WACH Marketing, Inc. Zaki Gordon Memorial Charitable Gift Fund

$1,000 - $2,499

Individuals Mona Ables Paige Ake Dr. & Mrs. Gregg Albers John Albers Gene & Darlean Albert Pastor Harold I. Albert Lisa Allagas Jeffrey Althouse Warren & Ann Andersen Bob & Sue Anderson Wes Anderson Darin & Caroline Andreas Adam Andrews Steve Andrews Doward F. Austin Bradley J. Bagans, Jr. Christie Bailey

Brenda Baird David M. Baker Jeff Barker Kevin & Susan Barringer Craig D. Bartel Gary & Jovita Barton Rodney & Marlee Beckom Kristie Beitz Jenice Bennett Kellie Benson Gregory & Jesseka Bettenhausen Kyle Bettis Benjamin H. Bierce Al & Lisa Billingsly Lance & Kelly Bingham Dale & Tina Birdsall David & Laurie Black Douglas & Pattie Blohm Thomas & Kris Boan Jerry & Kathy Bogacz Bob & Brenda Bonheim Dr. Chad Brands Dave Brat David L. Bream Leroy & Joan Bream Sid & Michele Bream Joshua K. Briggs Richard & Deborah Britton Lillian S. Brockway Judith I. Brown Thad & Elizabeth Brundrett Paul & Laurel Brusseau Bryce & Shelene Bryan David Lee Bryant Janice E. Buckley Cley & Renae Bullock George A. Byberg, Jr. Tom & Kathy Calvert Rev. Larry & Carol Campbell Alicia Cardie Randy Carr John & Phyllis Carstens Audrey Cash Eric & Ginny Cashion Jesse & Elizabeth Castro Shikara Cerak Jefferey W. Chandler Rolland & Carolyn Coburn Michael Coder Scott C. Cole Larry & Barbara Compter Andrew Connors Frank & Jessica Corley Andy & Becky Covington Brenda K. Cox Josh & Carrie Cox Tom F. Craven, Jr. Gordon R. Crawford Eston Leon Crickenberger* Larry & Karon Cumberland Charles P. Cureton, Jr. Jeff & LeAnn Curtis Leora Elizabeth Daniel* Robert W. Daniels William & Ruth Darr Gregg & Dana Davidson Margaret C. Dean Joe & Dani Detmer Karina Dick Andrew & Karie Dickinson Mark & Donna Diehl Thomas & Elizabeth DiPaolo Keith W. Dishman Drew & Amy Dobler

Jane Dollar Kathy Donlin Rebecca Dornfeld Lois Mae Duggan Gary & Barbara Eastman Philip Engle Dave Estes Susan Evans Beth E. Fallin Linda L. Farver Keith & Patty Faulkner Vicky M. Fenimore Chris & Pam Ficco Christopher E. Fogal Everett & Dianne Foutz Tracey Fox Dee Franklin Larry & Judy Fredricks Instructor Linda Freshwater Monty & Evelyn Fritts Kirk Fritz Samuel D. Gaillard, III Robert W. Garthwait, Jr. John & Sarah Gauger Frank Gibb Lee & Donna Gibson Rod & Tammie Gladfelter Marcus W. Goldman Nancy Gregory James R. Grinols Brian Guenard Michael E. Gumprecht Mickey & Erin Guridy Michelle Haines Bob Handwerker Kirk & Jannie Handy Christopher & Amy Hara Michael Hardesty Carol A. Harris Gwenn Harth Jeff & Allison Helgeson Randy & LeAnn Henderson Jeffrey Hendrix Scott & Melanie Hicks Michael T. Hillan Dr. & Mrs. Ed Hindson Rodney & Melissa Hizy Melissa R. Hook Scott Hooks Dennis Hosler Tim Houghton Tommy & Melanie Hudson Dr. Michael & Susan Jan Hueber Rachel Huenefeld Edward A. Hunt, III Steven L. Iles Leslie L. Jacoby, Jr. Justin L. Jennings Tamara L. Johnson Terri Johnson Trevor & Jane Johnson Kathryn C. Jones Steven Jones Susan H. Jones Patricia Jordan Mark Journell Marsha Justice David Kaetterhenry Dwayne & Gail Kamphuis Nicholas Karr Phillip Kearney Michael B. Keever Barry G. Kelley Roy J. Kelley

Kevin & Lori Keys Thomas S. Kimmel Scott & Pearl Lamb Robert S. Landon Judith Ledford Kenneth Lenz Andy & Christy Leonard Betty Lewis Matt & Lisa Lewis Kimberly Ligh Paul M. Lilly Randal & Debbie Linville Randy Lively James & Deborah Livingston William & Susann Livingston Michael & Kathryn Lockwood Tom Lougheed Mike & Karen Luck Michael & Lori Macasa Brock & Ronda Malcolm Jerry Manly Jon & Morgan Manson Cherie Markley Michael J. Martin Jacob B. Mast Charlotte R. McGhee Mark E. McGrew Andrew Meadows Russell W. Melton Lillian Meyer Joseph Miller Kay Mitchell Andy & Amy Moore Roy Moore Orrie Mork Dayton Neeley Spencer Newcomb Yvonne Norman-Rice Ben Novak Mr. Bradley Owen & Dr. Pamela Zimmerman-Owen Matthew Pack Denise Parker Jane M. Parker Rory & Cheryl Patterson Todd & Rachel Patulski Marty & Traci Pitts Matthew Poland Michael L. Polley Janet S. Posey Andrew & Miriam Prantner Mark Priest John & Janna Pyle Michael J. Renfrew Harry & Susan Repstad Dr. & Mrs. James L. Rhoades Mitchell Rice Steve & Rachel Ridout Gloria Roakes Susan Robinson Anthony Rodgers Dr. William & Amy Roller Mike & Kelli Rosas Hiram M. Royer Paul Rumrill Margot S. Sample Lloyd Sanderlin Mary Ann Saunders Mark & Patsy Schandorff Bob & Pam Schmidt Jonathan B. Schubert Roger & Ann Schultz Sig & Gwen Seiler Fred Shearin

The “50 Years of Faithful Friends” wall near Freedom Tower bears over 14,600 names of donors who have made Liberty University what it is today.

Steve Shockley Charmy Shrode Amy Skelton Dave & Kim Smith Ray Smith John A. Snider Steve Sobrilsky Paul & Sara Spinden Anna L. Steadman John & Allison Stein Arthur & Claudia Sterrett F. M. Stevenson Roger H. Stiles H. Gregg Strader Bob & Sara Straub John Strother Kevin & Brittany Struble Barbara G. Stunz Stuart & Jennie Sutherland Carroll Tarkington Douglas Taylor Eric & Lesa Taylor Troy & Karla Temple Daniel P. Thompson John & Anne Thompson Jewel Tincher Dr. & Mrs. Elmer Towns Joseph A. Travers James O. Trout, Jr. Sarah K. Truslow Jeff & Abby Tuomala Louise Underwood Unknown Donor- Marathon Oil* Todd & Madeleine Vanduren Anthony & Nicole VanDyke Dick & Norma Vannoy Michael Varner Mike Vicars Patrick Vines Dr. Fred & Joanne Volk Deborah Walker Caldin Wall Michael Wallace John Walton Thomas D. Wang Richard & Ruth Waning Darrell Wargo Michael & Tammy Weigner Francis & Judi Weiss Mike & Donna Weston Duke & Carlene Westover David & Deborah Wheeler Charles E. Whetzel, Jr. Sonny & Sharon White Alan R. Whitlow Beverly Wiley Paul & Andrea Williams Kathy Williams George & Peggy Wilson Wyatt & Gwen Wilson Faye P. Witt Rupert Wright Dr. Lian-Tuu & Mrs. Arlene Yeh Amber N. Young Edwin O. Young, III George Young Mike Zumpano Organizations All Ride Motors American Counseling Association Cash’s Garage Coleman-Adams Construction, Inc. Compassion International, Inc. Cox Airparts, LLC

Custom Siding & Remodeling, LLC Cutz for Guys David S. Black Family Charitable Fund Dickerson, Bakker & Associates, LLC Doyle’s Florist, Inc. Dr. William C. Hunter Gran Char Lead Unitrust East Side Rides, LLC Endurance Auto Repair and Tire Garber-Lowe Fence, Inc. Glens Transmission & Automotive GMS, Inc. Hawthorne Gospel Church Holt Family Foundation Johnson Health Center Jump-N-Fun Amusements Kelly Ayers, Inc. Larry’s Tire and Auto Repair Linwood & Trudy Parker Charitable Fund Lynchburg Range & Training, LLC dba SafeSide Lynchburg Mardel Christian & Education Supply Miller Farms Mizell’s Hauling, Inc. Mt. Olive Baptist Church National Christian Foundation South Florida Novo Nordisk, Inc. NVUS1129, LLC, DBA Massage Envy NVUS1130, LLC, DBA Massage Envy Roanoke Parkwood Baptist Church, Inc. Priority One Properties Professional Plumbing Project Lucas R. Coffee, Ltd. Romar Elevators, Inc. Rustic View Home and Gardens Shop Click Give, Inc. SPM Marketing & Communications Terry Volkswagen Subaru Texas Arms of Love The Alliance Legal Group, PLLC The Tenev Family Charitable Fund Thomas Road Baptist Church Total Leaf Supply TwoFourFive Associates, LLC Verizon Foundation Virgil L. Frantz Charitable Trust William & Pamela Malinchak Foundation Wisecarver Ranch Beef Wish-Wise Foundation Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc.

* 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.

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