Spring 2023 IMPACT – From a Rich History to a Bright Future

IMPACT

From a Rich History to a Bright Future

A RETURN TO WORSHIP

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY & ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

AFTER THE TASSEL TURNS

The Chancellor’s Message

Dear Friend,

Just before the start of 2023, God gave me this command from Psalm 81:10, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Soon after, the Lord led me to the story of Elisha and the widow’s oil in 2 Kings 4. Elisha told the woman and her sons to find as many pots as possible, and God kept the oil flowing until they ran out of pots. What does that tell us? It means as long as we keep believing in God, the flow of His Spirit will not diminish!

It will keep on flowing and flowing and flowing. But, once we decide that’s as far as we can go, the oil will stop. So, why not double, triple or quadruple His anointing? There’s no limit with God! You can’t say, “Regent University has 20,000 students. That’s enough.” No, it isn’t! I believe this school will be the greatest university in the history of the world.

I still remember the vision God gave me more than 45 years ago when I bowed my head to pray over a lunch of cantaloupe and cottage cheese. He told me, “Build a school for my glory.” As you’ll read in these pages, Regent opened its doors for classes in the fall of 1978 as a graduate university with 77 students and seven faculty members in the School of Communications & the Arts.

Since then, Regent has grown to more than 13,000 current students on campus and online, with 150+ areas of study. With 2,559 degrees conferred, the class of 2022 was our largest graduating class ever. That raised the current Regent alumni to more than 33,000 Christian leaders equipped to change the world.

I trust you will find something in these pages that inspires you to stand with us in 2023. Your generous financial support is crucial to our success. So, at the center of every Impact newsletter, you’ll find a postage-paid envelope that can be used to make a tax-deductible donation to Regent University.

Your faithful prayers and gifts significantly impact the lives of the men and women who answer God’s call to attend this university. A check or debit/credit card donation will help Regent equip even more Christian leaders to change the world. To donate online, visit regent.edu/give. Thank you, in advance, for your support.

I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

PSALM 81:10

1978: School of Communication & the Arts Begins

Inaugural Faculty & Staff Members

From a Rich History to a Bright Future

The School of Communication & the Arts has come a long way since Regent’s “pioneer days”

Founded as CBN University in 1977, the first classes at Regent University began a year later with 77 students, seven faculty and a handful of staff members. These academic “pioneers” were committed to a single goal: earning a master’s degree in communication and the arts.

Over the next four decades, the university “built for God’s glory” would add many other schools, degree programs and disciplines to equip Christian leaders to change the world. But the School of Communication & the Arts (SCA) will always be the field of study that bravely and boldly started it all.

Regent University’s flagship school is not only going strong 45 years later but is also poised for tremendous growth, significant impact, and continued success under new leadership. During the 2022 fall semester, Dr. Simon Tarr began serving as dean of the Honors College and interim director of SCA.

He says leading—both schools—is a “double anointing” he began praying for more than a year ago: “I’m a filmmaker. That’s my academic background. I’ve been teaching film and media for 25 years. But I also have a background in building co-curricular, multidisciplinary advancement programs for students.”

Tarr’s experience and expertise make him an excellent fit to lead SCA. The school’s Cinema-Television program recently won its 700th film award. That’s an impressive number for a Christian university located in Virginia Beach that often competes against much larger schools in New York City and Los Angeles.

about Regent’s rich history of achievement: “This is a university that got put on the map by winning two Student Academy Awards. ‘Bird in a Cage’ won the gold medal for best dramatic film in 1987, and ‘Turtle Races’ won silver in 1991.”

He adds, “It’s time to get back to that and think about what’s possible. We can make stuff bigger and better. I think we can return ourselves back to the national conversation with the big film schools. Our country needs that from a family value, wholesomeentertainment standpoint.”

To expand the reach and impact of Regent University’s legacy of excellence in communication and the arts, the school recently launched the Institute of Music & Worship. Tarr says the endeavor, launched in December 2022, will be a collaborative effort with SCA.

“The music program has so much potential,” Tarr insists. “It’s been created ex nihilo … out of nowhere, out of nothing. We had a few small degrees, and now we have this new Institute of Music & Worship.”

Gary Spell serves as director of the institute—a world-class center for innovative training in music and worship arts. While he and Tarr work very closely together, Spell answers directly to Regent University’s founder, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson. It’s a music and worship partnership that began many years ago.

“Dr. Robertson always takes between Christmas and New Year’s as a personal retreat to seek the Lord on the direction for CBN, Operation Blessing and Regent University,” he explains. “It was probably eight or nine years ago that he called from that retreat and said the Lord had spoken to him. He told me, ‘It’s time to bring music to Regent.’ I said, ‘Well, that’s great. It’s exciting. How can I help you?’”

2022 Institute of Music & Worship Concert

In 2015, Spell became the founding director of the Regent University Singers, a professional a cappella vocal ensemble, for which he is the exclusive arranger. Later, he and Robertson began an extended dialogue about establishing the school as a world leader in music and worship, culminating in the institute’s founding in 2022.

“We want to produce graduates with marketdriven degrees who can change the world,” Spell says. “Curiously, music education has remained largely unchanged over the past 75 years or so. The classical method we use to

teach piano and voice hasn’t changed in over a hundred years. In many ways, we’re going to have to rewrite the book on how music education is approached.”

The composer, conductor, orchestrator, musical director, and worship pastor points out that high school and college students are producing today’s music “using methods and modalities that didn’t even exist 15 years ago.” They’re composing on digital, audio workstations using tablets, laptops, and even smartphones while they sit in coffee shops and cafes wearing earbuds and sipping lattes.

“The Regent University Institute of Music & Worship will become the preeminent destination for music and worship education to impact society for generations to come,” Robertson insists. “Our vision is to create the most innovative and influential music program in the world, and we’re going to do it!”

The global Church faces a rapidly growing need for proficient musicians and worship artists who can inspire crowds and congregations around the world. At the Institute of Music & Worship, Spell and others will teach students to develop their God-given talent to become skilled musicians, worship leaders, composers, recording artists, and multimedia technicians for a broad range of careers.

“I love Beethoven, Bach and Chopin, and there are tons to learn from them,” Spell admits. “But there are tons of other stuff as well. So, we want to build a robust, multifaceted, contemporary, forward-looking music school producing graduates ready to step out of the classroom and start working professionally as musicians and music educators and really impact the world.”

Dr. Joan Pi is another key figure in Regent’s efforts to train the next generation of Christian

leaders to use music and worship to make a global impact. An assistant professor of performing arts and music, Pi is also the director of choral activities and Regent’s music program coordinator.

“In the fall of 2021, the university launched a bachelor’s degree program in music that encompasses church music, music leadership, and music performance,” she says. “As program coordinator for the music degrees, I will work closely with the institute to help ensure a credentialed, musically robust, and high-quality experience for those who participate.”

Pi insists that the institute’s academically rigorous degree programs will elevate the quality of a Regent diploma to exceed the current standards of 21st-century higher education. The university’s music programs will exist to equip Christian leaders—in both church and secular settings—to change thoughts, words, deeds, culture, and, eventually, the world.

“They will take music from their hearts out into the world to serve others,” she explains. “This world needs the heart of Christ in every aspect of our lives. Our generation needs Christ-centered music, art and culture. The institute is where we can center ourselves to be like Jesus and revere God in music-making and collaborating in music, arts, literature, education, and ministry.”

“We offer world-class education, state-of-the-art facilities, and relevant and rigorous musical training to equip students for success,” Spell adds. “Our extraordinary programs, integrated with premier performances and hands-on training, will equip musicians and worship artists to impact communities and countries for eternity.”

Learn more about the Institute of Music & Worship at regent.edu/music. To apply to the School of Communications & the Arts, visit regent.edu/sca

Over the past 45 years, Regent has equipped more than 33,000 alumni to succeed in their careers and make a positive difference in the world.

Yet, in all those years, Charles Fitz-Gerald—on May 6, 2023—will hold a new record and distinction among his fellow alums when the New York native receives his M.A. in Theatre: the university’s oldest graduate!

“I was surprised to learn that I am the oldest Regent University graduate,” shared Charles. “At age 85, I suppose I should not be amazed because I never regard myself as old.”

After Charles earned his first theatre degree at Syracuse University in 1959, he didn’t head for the bright lights of Broadway. Instead, he forged a successful business career in publishing college textbooks, owning bookstores, and working in the trade association field.

“I was aided in my career in no small way by the presentation and communication skills I learned as a theatre major,” explained

Charles. “My widowed mother struggled on a schoolteacher’s salary to put me through Syracuse, and I did not feel I could submit her to the prospect of a struggling actor and playwright waiting tables in New York City.”

It wasn’t until years later that Charles became interested in theatre again. After his son, a high school sophomore at the time, asked for a ride to an audition—they both ended up cast mates in West Side Story

“This inaugurated a 25-year period for me in which I appeared in more than 30 plays in the Capital District of New York where we lived,” said Charles. “In 2020, I began to feel the need to upgrade my credentials and decided to apply to graduate school. It was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with no options to attend school in person.”

So, at 82 years old, Charles began searching for an online degree program that would fit his need for distance learning. “Regent was the ideal solution.”

“Regent has mastered the mechanics of delivering academic material and fostering intellectual inquiry in online learning,” said Charles. “In all my classes, I felt a connection and appreciation from my instructors. I loved the process of academic exploration.”

But, after graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Fitz-Gerald may not be done yet. “I am considering a second master’s degree,” he added. “As C.S. Lewis said, ‘You are never too old to set a new goal and to dream a new dream.’”

Whether someone pursues a degree on campus or online, the time spent earning that diploma is one of life’s greatest experiences. In addition to learning about and growing in a chosen field of study, most students receive invaluable mentoring, forge lifelong friendships, and acquire skills and knowledge that catapult them into careers and callings.

But what happens after the tassel turns? Each new chapter in life comes with questions and challenges. Victories may be few, while defeats can be devastating. The support systems that exist in higher education can be very difficult to find in the “real world.” That’s why Regent University’s Alumni Relations team is committed to empowering graduates and students through regional alumni chapters.

After the Tassel Turns

Regent University alumni chapters empower graduates and students.

Currently, Regent has five established alumni chapters: Dallas-Fort Worth, Central Florida, Atlanta, Nashville, and Hampton Roads, Virginia. The Alumni Relations team wants to increase that number by three in the next year.

“Our goal is eight established chapters by the end of 2023,” Regent University Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Andrea Tatum says. “Each chapter is charged with the important task of encouraging connection among other Christian leaders in their area.” “Many of our chapters, whether previously or recently established, are in a new season,” Tatum explains. “We’re looking for alumni who are interested in pursuing volunteer opportunities or a leadership position on chapter boards across the country.”

Established chapters are provided, what Alumni Relations refers to as the “Three-Pillar Approach.” This strategy challenges each chapter leader to pursue events and engagement activities that “establish opportunities to network, learn something new, and foster relationships within their community.”

“We want to engage both current and future alumni on a local and national level,” says Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Alora Tejada. “Engagement is not only vital to the university’s mission of equipping Christian leaders to change the world, but we owe it to every member of the Regent family to provide the best possible pre- and postgraduate experience.”

“We wholeheartedly believe that this approach reflects the mind, body, spirit approach that so many of us were taught during our time at Regent,” Tejada insists. “By hosting networking events with the chapter constituents, our alumni and students can form relationships that progress into potential mentoring opportunities.”

other events to keep the chapter afloat. By doing that, Walters provided encouragement and built a sense of community at a critical time.

Through his efforts as Central Florida chapter president, Keith Brickell (SBL ’02) seeks to encourage alumni spiritually and personally to pursue God’s calling on their lives. “Regent trains Christian leaders to change the world,” he shares. “But once you get into the world, it can be discouraging. We want to continually remind our graduates that God has specifically anointed them to be a World Changer wherever He has placed them. “We encourage our chapter leaders to think outside the box with their events,” explains Chris Lambert, Regent’s vice president for Advancement. “We also ask each of our chapter leaders to partner with a nonprofit in their area to give back to the community. As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ, so

fellow alumni and believers to build strong relationships with Christian professionals and business owners and to further Kingdom connections for the glory of God.”

Melissa Stewart (SBL ’21 & ’25), president of Metro-Atlanta’s newly reestablished chapter, has big plans for “a great 2023 together!” She wants to reenergize the chapter by building relationships and providing engaging new ways to connect.

“I was inspired to take this role to meet people and give back to the university that has meant so much to me,” Stewart says. “My vision for the Metro-Atlanta Chapter is to invigorate our community of alumni and students through engagement, collaboration and encouragement. I pray that we build a connected community and grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus.”

what better way to exemplify this call than to help those in need tangibly.” Jerrell Stokley Jr. (CAS ’06, SBL ’12 & SOD ’12) is president of Regent’s newly established Nashville chapter. He recently shared with alums about the university’s impact on his faith and his desire to serve members, so they can engage with and support each other.

“Regent is one of the larger bedrocks of my Christian and leadership transformation,” Stokley wrote. “Anything that I can do to serve Regent University is a pleasure and honor. I am eager for us to come together as

Alumni Relations is looking forward to expanding the university’s network of alumni chapters by the end of the year. They want to reengage familiar faces and meet new ones.

“This is a time for us as an alumni team to engage with our chapters and begin facilitating a network of alumni and students across the country and around the world,” Tejada explains. “We can’t wait to see how these relationships and fostered connections will continue to blossom in the days, weeks and months ahead.”

If you’re interested in joining or starting an alumni chapter in your area, learn how you can get involved by contacting the Alumni Relations team at alumni@regent.edu.

A Return to Worship

Regent’s NOW makes a post-pandemic comeback

For the first time since COVID-19 precautions shut down the Virginia Beach campus in March 2020, Regent University welcomed students and the local community to gather in Shaw Chapel for a Night of Worship (NOW). These signature events feature well-known and respected Christian music artists who are passionate about worship. NOW has been uniting students and the local community through music and praise since September 2013.

On November 19, 2022, Regent United Night of Worship attracted over 800 registered students, guests, worship leaders, and band members from 29 local churches. Dr. Jeff Gossmann (SBL ’22 & DIV ’17), Regent’s director of Campus Ministries, kicked off the first NOW event since the fall of 2019 by opening in prayer.

“I prayed that our mind’s attention and heart’s affection be turned toward the Lord Jesus, who was present with us in the room. We prayed that lives would be changed and that broken hearts and physical ailments would be healed in the presence of God,” Gossmann remembers. “The rest of the evening was an exciting time of worship leaders and teams praising. It was one of the best Nights of Worship I’ve been to at Regent.”

Ryan Meadows, founder and producer at COLLECTOR Studios in Norfolk, Virginia, collaborated with the university and local talent to organize the event. He called it “a powerful time of worship that ushered in the presence of the Lord with humility and confidence.” “After years of not being able to gather with the entire community to worship with one voice, Regent’s ‘United Night of Worship’ came back louder than ever,” Meadows says. “We hope for many more beautiful nights where we can bring the whole community together to lose ourselves in the presence of the Lord.”

Regent NOW aims to empower young people on and off campus to have a transformative experience with God without denominational or church boundaries. The university invites the entire Regent/CBN family and the surrounding community to attend, not just students. Thanks to the faithful support of NOW donors who help underwrite the cost, participants are able to enjoy these uplifting worship experiences for a minimal fee and, in many cases, for free.

Longtime Regent friend and NOW supporter Richard “Bake” Baker is a firm believer in the power of praise. “We need to put praise in every aspect of our lives,” Baker says. “Praise breaks down the walls.” This firm belief and

“After years of not being able to gather with the entire community to worship with one voice, Regent’s United Night of Worship came back louder than ever.”

Baker’s heart for Regent students are the motivation behind his continued support of NOW.

“These events wouldn’t be possible without generous friends who are committed to financially supporting NOW through their continued giving,” says Regent University’s Vice President of Advancement, Chris Lambert. “Donors are making an impact in the lives of Regent students and on attendees from the surrounding community.”

Regent undergrad Arjola Mullaj (CAS ’24), a business student from Albania, attended the November event. She says NOW is important because it highlights the beauty of worship and strengthens the body of Christ.

“After a season where masks and lockdowns became the new normal, having an in-person worship event was refreshing and needed,” Mullaj recalls. “Hours felt like minutes as people danced and praised at the altars. Unity and gratitude reigned as people from different denominations joined in lifting up the King of kings.”

Sage Thomas (CAS ’23) from Virginia Beach studies cinema television at Regent. She started attending NOW events in high school and was in the audience on November 19.

“This one felt like we were shaking the rust off an old treasure,” Thomas explains. “I think NOW is incredibly important to spiritual life on campus. It was something that really caught my attention as a prospective student and something I was excited to be a part of.

It’s a beautiful picture of what God can use Regent to do to help unify the body of Christ in our community through worship and service.”

On March 24, the university welcomed worship leader, songwriter and Bethel Music artist Cory Asbury for a sold-out Night of Worship in Dede Robertson Theatre. Asbury was returning to campus for the first time since February 2018, when his #1 hit Reckless Love climbed to the top of Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs.

Regent will always prioritize worship and prayer in students’ lives. But the university is also committed to uniting the campus and surrounding community through music, celebration and praising God.

“There are many stories of students whose lives have been transformed through the vibrant and active spiritual atmosphere oncampus,” explains Regent University Founder, Chancellor & CEO Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson. “Our NOW events are just one example of how God is getting the glory at Regent. In return, we have seen the Lord intervene to bless this school.”

“These events are critical in the spiritual formation of college students and for a Christian university in general,” Gossmann insists. “But it seems like this recent Night of Worship was a sign of a light at the end of the tunnel we’ve been traveling through since the pandemic. God’s people are ready to assemble and worship the One who has sustained them through it all.”

Religious Liberty & Economic Prosperity: Keys to America’s Future

All persons are made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-28)—this is the foundational affirmation of human dignity, true of everyone at all times.

This key truth about man’s unique value also implies that our primary duty is to our Creator, not to any government or human authority, and means that religious liberty is essential—all of us deserve to be able to believe and practice the faith of his or her choosing.

Yet, throughout history, religious persecution has been more the norm than the exception. For example, when Peter and the other early followers of Jesus were commanded by the religious authorities of the day to no longer speak of their Lord and Messiah, Peter responded, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Martyrdom followed for many first century believers.

We’ve seen this repeatedly in recent decades. Religious persecution has become commonplace, not only of Christians but of those of other faiths who refuse to bend their knee to either government coercion or another religion’s demands.

Yet there’s another reason religious liberty is vital: It is connected directly to the economic

health of societies throughout the world. Economic prosperity begins to flourish when people are free to follow their faith. The United States is perhaps the greatest case in point. Our religious freedom has combined with the economic opportunity to encourage creativity, resource development, and tremendous economic strength.

In contrast, a nation like North Korea, where religious practice is brutally curtailed, is a nation enmeshed in economic collapse. When human dignity is debased, it is axiomatic that economic health will be weak.

This conclusion animates a recent report published jointly by Regent’s Robertson School of Government (RSG) and the Family Research Council’s (FRC) Center for Religious Liberty. Authored by Dr. A.J. Nolte, assistant professor of politics and chair of RSG’s new Master of Arts in International Development, and Arielle Del Turco, assistant director of FRC’s Center for Religious Liberty and a graduate of both Regent University and RSG, the study is titled, “Why International Religious Freedom Is Vital to International Development: Causal Connections and Policy Recommendations” (www.regent.edu/faith-freedom/).

“Religious freedom enables religious conversions, which can directly benefit women’s rights.”

The report’s purpose was to evaluate how funding was provided under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016 and a 2020 Executive Order issued by former President Trump. At least $50 million per fiscal year has been designated for “programs that advance international religious freedom.” This funding, “combined with other initiatives within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) designed to integrate faith-based organizations into U.S. development efforts,” merits scrutiny. In other words, is this just another massive expenditure of taxpayer money for a good purpose with little accountability?

The report argues that “religious freedom promotes and preserves religious pluralism in a country, which is strongly linked to a sustained culture of innovation. Having religious freedom, including the freedom to evangelize, fosters certain types of religious competition that have substantial benefits for education, literacy, civil society, and democratization.” Additionally, the study notes that “religious freedom enables religious conversions, which can directly benefit women’s rights.” In fact, Nolte and Del Turco say there is “substantial evidence of the positive role religious communities and faith-based organizations play in promoting sustainable development goals.”

Put more simply, where religious liberty flourishes, we see evidence of stronger economies, better educational systems, and advances in human rights. These things are not only valuable in themselves but also promote American interests. When liberty prospers, political stability and economic well-being increase, this means less international conflict and greater security for individual nations and the regions in which they exist.

The study is divided into three sections. First, the authors address what the research tells us about how international religious freedom impacts international development. Second, they discuss how the U.S. government can

do a better job of promoting international religious freedom in its international development programs. In other words, as we supply funding to help build stronger economies in the developing world, how can we, with them, cultivate a stronger commitment within those nations to the values of human dignity and religious liberty?

Finally, Nolte and Del Turco consider challenges to the integration of international religious freedom and how they can best be addressed. They include a discussion of “best practices” concerning things currently being undertaken to advance religious liberty while also providing food and other economic assistance. These successful efforts, which the authors urge deepening and continuing, are:

1. Training and education designed to increase awareness and understanding of international religious freedom.

2. Maintenance of key programs, policies, and initiatives from the Trump administration, which have begun to produce good results in the two-pronged effort to advance both economic growth and religious liberty.

3. Practical policy recommendations to improve the future implementation of international religious freedom policy.

Nolte and Del Turco conclude that “integrating international religious freedom into the United States’ international development efforts provides an impactful mechanism by which U.S. development funds can contribute toward fostering religious freedom around the world.”

This hopeful conclusion should encourage Christians not only to pray for our persecuted brethren around the globe but also encourage U.S. policymakers to work not only for the material well-being of other countries but for the liberty of faith that flows from the very way God made us.

Rob

“When liberty prospers, political stability and economic well-being increase, this means less international conflict and greater security for individual nations and the regions in which they exist.”

Reaping the Impact

The power of generosity to change lives

Imagine the faith and resolve it took for Regent’s founder, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson, to obey God’s call in 1977 to build a school for His glory. One year later, 77 students began classes through God’s faithfulness. What an excellent example of, what you plant in one season, you harvest in the next! Since our founding over 45 years ago, this spiritual principle of sowing, reaping and repeating has produced a harvest of more than 33,000 Christian leaders.

Cultivating the next generation of qualified Christian leaders demands an environment with the most gifted professors, sophisticated coursework, and innovative technology available. That’s what you will find here at Regent, thanks to the grace of God and the support of generous donors.

The impact of this generosity can best be seen in the lives of our alumni. Success stories like Loni Albertson (SCA ’07), who worked on DreamWorks’ The Rise of the Guardians, Home, Boss Baby, Illumination’s Despicable Me 3, The Grinch, Secret Life of Pets 2, Sing 2, Minions: The Rise of Gru, as well as the upcoming film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie

With the help of gifts made to the Regent Fund, Regent’s School of Communications and the Arts is training students like Albertson using the cutting-edge technology of Motion Capture by Rokoko Studio, Virtual Production, and Unreal Gaming Engine. You may not be familiar with these tools but, incorporating this technology into Regent’s curriculum has elevated its program to the forefront of today’s animation market.

Regent offers a challenging but rewarding curriculum that generates a transformative learning experience and enables students to achieve excellence in their studies and future careers. But a Regent graduate is prepared for excellence beyond professionalism. In each of them resides a light that cannot be extinguished—the hope of Christ. Throughout their journey, Regent provided experiences that fostered spiritual growth. When given the opportunity, a Regent graduate is prepared to flood a workplace with encouragement—to build up, to bring peace, to provide hope—to lead, and well.

If you are already a Regent University donor, then we have YOU and the favor of God to thank for ALL of this. If you are not yet a donor, let’s change that! Open your heart and give what you can to advance Regent’s critical mission.

When you give to the Regent fund today, you are planting seeds that will produce the Christian leaders of tomorrow. Gifts to the Regent Fund immediately impact the things that keep Regent strong: life-changing scholarships, exceptional faculty, world-class facilities and technology, classroom resources, student-life programs, and so much more.

Join us in this important work by making a gift to the Regent Fund today! Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38.

WORLD CHANGER

whether fighting against human trafficking or caring for orphans, we seek to empower the local church, giving them the tools and support they need to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these.”

LJI’s fight against human trafficking, which the organization calls “one of the most devastating and inhumane crimes in the world today,” involves a unique, global transit-monitoring strategy. Kirk and his LJI colleagues are able to identify and stop trafficking before people are exploited and sold into slavery. To date, they’ve intercepted and prevented more than 23,000 people from being trafficked!

If not for the encouragement he received to pursue God’s call on his life at Regent School of Law, Kirk Schweitzer (LAW ’16) says he might not be serving as chief of staff for Love Justice International (LJI).

LJI operates schools in some of the poorest parts of the world, caring for orphaned and abandoned children. The nonprofit’s mission is “sharing the love of Jesus Christ by fighting the world’s greatest injustices.”

“My job is to support the CEO and keep the trains running on time,” Kirk explains. “Our day-to-day work may look different, but it’s all linking back to this mission. In our work,

“Love Justice International is where I get to pursue a calling that resonates so deeply in my heart and with Scripture,” Kirk explains. “We believe the Gospel is a gospel of love, and love is not idle in the face of suffering. We have the responsibility, opportunity and blessing to search out the least of these, those facing the world’s greatest injustices, and bringing them a tangible hope.”

Please join the entire Regent community in praying for God to bless and protect the work of Regent Alumni World Changer Kirk Schweitzer.

SOW. REAP. REPEAT.

Gifts to the Regent Fund immediately impact the priorities that keep Regent University strong: life-changing scholarships, world-class facilities and technology, classroom resources, student-life programs, and so much more.

To honor Regent’s founding year of 1977, when you set up a scheduled monthly gift of $19.77 or more, you’ll receive a limited-edition “Sow. Reap. Repeat.” T-shirt that acknowledges you as a faithful supporter.

Give to the Regent Fund today and plant the seeds that will produce the Christian leaders of tomorrow.

1000 Regent University Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23464

Regent University’s Impact is published quarterly by the university’s Office of Advancement, free of charge, for alumni and friends of the university. Regent University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Regent University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website www.sacscoc.org ). Regent University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability, age or veteran status in admissions, treatment or access to its programs and activities, or in the administration of educational policies, scholarships, loan programs, athletics or other University programs. In addition, Regent does not discriminate based on religion, except as necessary to comply with Regent’s Standard of Personal Conduct and Statement of Christian Community and Mission. View the full nondiscrimination policy at regent.edu/nondiscrim . Questions or concerns regarding discrimination based on sex may be directed to the University’s Title IX Coordinator at T9Coordinator@regent.edu or the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights at OCR@ed.gov . To learn more about Disability Services or to contact Regent’s Section 504 coordinator, visit regent.edu/disability Regent University is authorized to operate in the state of Virginia and is exempt from the requirements of certification by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Opinions expressed in Impact are those of individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of Regent University’s board, faculty, administration or staff. Regent University accepts news submissions from readers but reserves the right to edit based upon clarity, length and content. The university may decline to print material at its discretion. ADV230179