I am sad to report what most people have already heard, but the icon Jerry Falwell died this morning at 10:45 am. He was found unresponsive in his office. Not matter what you thought of him, he was a man that had a vision and followed that vision with passion for most of his entire adult life.
He has been responsible for millions turning from their own way of living to following Christ. Our pastor, Matt Fry (my brother-in-law) went to liberty and God called him into ministry there. He helped in the youth group at Thomas Road while in school, was a youth minister for years, went back to Liberty as the Senior Youth Pastor and now has one of the top 100 fastest growing churches in America according to Outreach Magazine (C3church).
I attended seminary there for a year while coaching track and I loved Liberty University. My husband Ken Witcher (then boyfriend) was a youth intern at Thomas Road Baptist Church underMatt Fry. Liberty has a large University feel with a consevative Christian environment. It even has a Division I athletic program. The worship at chapel was done with drums and a band and was always dynamic. The students had purpose and a drive you don't find on typical university campuses. It was just a fun place to be... a far example from what most people saw Jerry Falwell as.
He was also an exremely personable person. What you saw on T.V. was not what you saw on campus. He loved to have fun with the students and gave many students a second chance after failing out or getting kicked out. He was also an amazing family man never missing a birthday of any of his kids and attempted that with his grandkids.
So, no matter what you thought of him, he was a man who was passionate about the lost and gave his life to following Christ and making a difference. I could only hope to end my life and say I have influenced as many people as he did for the Kingdom of God.
Read also what others have said about Dr. Falwell:
Tadd Granstaff - a friend and fellow church planter of Pine Ridge Church in Burlington, NC, who attended Liberty.
Tim Stevens - Pastor of Granger Community Church in Granger, Indiana.
2 comments:
well said
Thanks for sharing... those of us that have not attended Christian colleges are very much out of the loop in most of these circles. Thanks for educating us.
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