Michael W. Smith, Feb. 23
The spring semester brought some of the world’s finest worship leaders to Liberty University, including Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Chris Tomlin, and Tasha Cobbs, who not only sang songs but also shared inspirational stories from their own lives and advice for students’ futures.
In February, School of Music students engaged with Smith in person when he visited classes to offer his expertise in the music industry and encouragement during songwriting sessions as he worked with some of the school’s worship teams.
Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman, April 7
Smith, who returned to campus in April for the School of Music’s 14th Annual Night of Worship, has been a regular guest to campus since the school’s Michael W. Smith Center for Commercial Music was launched in 2019 with the mission to train competent, proficient, marketplace musicians to serve as commercial music industry practitioners. Smith is the center’s executive director.
Chris Tomlin performs during convocation on Friday April 30, 2021. (Photo by KJ Jugar)
In April, renowned contemporary Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, joined Convocation at the Center for Music and the Worship Arts, Concert Hall, where they shared stories about their family, parenting, and the impact that adoption can have on children and families around the world before he sang songs from his celebrated career, including “His Eyes” and “My Redeemer is Faithful and True.” Chapman began his decorated music career in the 1980s and has since been recognized as the most awarded artist in the history of Christian music.
Campus Community, featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard, is photographed in Vines Center on April 21, 2021 (Photo by Chase Gyles).
Liberty’s last Convocation of the school year featured 23-time Grammy Award-winning worship leader, recording artist, and songwriter Chris Tomlin, who shared exciting updates about the future for his ministry, Angel Armies, while also leading the student body in singing some of his well-known worship anthems including “Good Good Father,” “How Great is Our God,” and “Our God.”
During Liberty’s final Campus Community of the year, Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Tasha Cobbs led an evening filled with worship in the Vines Center.
“This last year has been a challenging one but I believe that it’s been an eye-opening one,” Cobbs said. “That in our time alone at home or wherever it may be, I believe it’s given God a time without all the outside voices and outside noises to really let us know how much He loves us and what He thinks of us.”
