Fall convocation speaker lineup released
The fall semester brings many things: new students, new facilities and new activities, to name a few. But the semester also brings the announcement of a new, jam-packed Convocation calendar filled to the brim with new speakers and musical performances.
Convocation is the world’s largest gathering of Christian students, each year hosting over 80 known speakers, all of which inhabit a unique, one-of-a-kind story. The event begins most often with Liberty University’s Worship Collective leading students in a time of worship, followed by the welcoming of the speaker.
“From the beginning, the purpose of Convocation has been to support and advance the University’s mission of ‘Training Champions for Christ,’ and that remains true today,” Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development website states. “The aim is for students to strengthen their faith through engagement with a wide variety of perspectives and people, including those who might think differently on any number of issues and beliefs.”
This newly announced lineup of speakers has set the stage for yet another busy semester of Convocation for students.
Kicking off the first Convocation was Liberty President Dondi Costin, who took the stage Aug. 23 as the first speaker of the semester. On Aug. 25, Convocation centered around local church emphasis, with a panel of pastors answering questions alongside Pastor Jonathan Falwell.
Moving forward, students can expect to hear from NBA athlete Jonathan Isaac Sept. 1, country music star Granger Smith Sept. 6 and Grammy Award-winning artist TobyMac Sept. 8, each speaker sharing a different message about their relationship with God.
Former Congressman Allen West will visit the Vines Center Sept. 13, and the following week, students will have the opportunity to join in on a Q&A session with producers and directors from the movie “Ordinary Angels,” an upcoming drama film starring actress Hilary Swank.
As fall break gets closer, College for a Weekend will bring in speaker Gabe Lyons, president of THINGQ Media. Dr. Billy Kim, evangelist and humanitarian, will speak to students Sept. 27. This will be followed closely by messages from author Nancy Pearcey Oct. 6 and Florida Senator Marco Rubio Oct. 11.
After fall break, students will return to campus to hear from college football analyst David Pollack Oct. 20, as well as Pastor Tony Evans Nov. 3 and author Rosaria Butterfield Nov. 10. Other speakers intertwined between these two dates include Shane Pruitt, Jaelene Daniels and Al Mohler.
As Christmas break nears, KB and Lauren McAfee from Stand for Life will speak Nov. 15, followed by Kristen Ivy, president of Orange and co-founder of The Phase Project, Nov. 17.
Varietal messages are not the only things to be on the lookout for, though, as a handful of new musical performances were also announced as part of the lineup for Convocation this fall.
Worship with Tauren Wells Sept. 22, the Korean Children’s Choir Sept. 27 and both a Hymnology and Advent Convocation during the final two Convocations of the semester are just a few of the musical performances that students will be able to enjoy during Convocation throughout the year.
Senior Claire Sweeney shared her thoughts surrounding the upcoming semester for Convocation.
“I’m really excited for Convocation this year,” Sweeney said. “There are so many great speakers coming to campus that it’s hard to choose just one favorite.”
Convocation occurs every Wednesday and Friday beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Vines Center. The event is also livestreamed on Facebook, which can be found here.
Hess is the news editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X
