LU ONE fosters biblical unity among student body, announces upcoming events

Liberty University has been building a community based on biblical unity since its founding in 1971, working to create opportunities for all students, regardless of race, nationality, or background. The newly renamed LU ONE (Opportunity & Enrichment) Department is moving those efforts forward, with the goal of ensuring that all students are engaged with one another in the mission of Training Champions for Christ.

LU ONE encompasses the Office of Equity & Inclusion (OEI); the Office of Disability Accommodation Support (ODAS), which coordinates academic support for Liberty University students with disabilities; and the International Student Center (ISC), which supports Liberty’s international students and promotes international culture through on-campus workshops and events.

Senior Vice President Shon Muldrow said the goal across all divisions is to create a singular focus on true unity that is rooted in Scripture and predates all of creation.

“From before the foundation of the world, the Triune God was always there in perfect fellowship and union as three-in-one,” Muldrow said. “The Apostle John wrote in I John 5:7, ‘For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.’ Unity is our identity as men and women created in the image of God, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

In God’s purpose, mission, and design, Muldrow said, there was no shortage of intentionality. Even after the Fall of Man, God the Father wanted to create perfect unity among His people through the work of Jesus Christ and by the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Liberty has maintained an office that promotes these ideals for years, Muldrow said, but with the new LU ONE name, the university is sending a clear message across campus. He said the university’s mission and purpose is defined by the Word of God, not by any cultural or political trends, and he sees the need for the university to speak with the same language of Scripture concerning the vital truths of the Church and the people of God.

“Our primary goal is still the same: to nurture a body of students with a range of life experiences, conditions, and abilities,” he said. “We will invest in our students’ education, their community engagement, their campus events, and cultural events. Unity in Christ is our highest missional priority as a Gospel-centered institution. We want Liberty to look more like heaven in Rev. 7:9.”

At a President’s Panel Session during September’s College for a Weekend (CFAW) where senior leadership spoke to parents about Liberty’s mission, Muldrow described how, in a time of such divisiveness in the outside world, LU ONE is not planning to run from the “noise.” Rather, the department’s plan is to prepare students to defend their beliefs.

“We’ve decided we’re not going to run from it; we’re going to run to it. How are we going to do that? By educating with biblical worldviews and unapologetically standing on the Word of God.”

True biblical unity, as Muldrow explained, is the outcome of the Gospel applied, and he said it can never be achieved by worldly methods or according to worldly standards.

“Because of the love that Christ has shown us, we seek to serve every member of the body of Christ and even fulfill the second greatest commandment: to love one another,” he said. “This includes those who are outside of the body of Christ, who do not understand the purpose or power of the Gospel.”

“Our core values, mission and purpose at Liberty have never changed,” he added. “We are making them plain, because clarity above all is needed in an age of confusion. LU ONE will continue to serve our students with the love of Christ and the truth of God’s Word as we Train Champions for Christ.”

The department has held multiple events on campus this fall, and many more are planned in the upcoming months.

In August, LU One held a Worldwide Welcome barbecue for new and returning international students and participated in Liberty’s Block Party.

In September, the department hosted a Fireside Chat with guest Mark Hager, senior recruiter for Edward Jones, who spoke on professional development and recruiting. The Department also took part in Global Focus Week by hosting the Taste of Nations.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (observed from the middle of September to the middle of October), LU ONE hosted Gran Fiesta Latina in the LaHaye Event Space featuring bands, food, and games, followed by the Hispanic Heritage Kickoff, which included a presentation on Hispanic and Latino leaders, and a Latin/South American Open House, where students were invited to immerse themselves in the different cultures and cuisines of Latin and South America.

Also on Tuesday, LU ONE held the Liberty Student Resource Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first floor of DeMoss Hall. The fair was aimed at informing students of the numerous resources available to them on campus in conjunction with ODAS, who raffled off an iPad to one winner during the event.

Later in the month, LU ONE will celebrate the life and legacy of Chauncey Spencer, a founding member of the National Airmen’s Association who made it possible for people of color to be trained as Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, by hosting a traveling museum on Oct. 23-24. The mobile museum, created by Spencer’s son, Chauncey Spencer Jr., tells the stories of black pioneers in aviation and pays homage to those men and women who took to the skies. Spencer Jr. will speak to students on Oct. 23.

On Nov. 3, as Homecoming kicks off on Liberty Mountain, LU ONE will hold its official Launch on the Lawn from noon to 3 p.m. with food trucks, music, and free T-shirts and other promotional items.

To learn more information about LU ONE and stay up to date on upcoming events, visit the office’s website.