In a recent article by ChristianUniversitiesOnline.org, Liberty University was ranked #1 by the site in their 2016 poll of the most mission-minded universities in the world.
To qualify, schools must first and foremost have had membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. This list consists of 117 North American member campuses, as well as 60 affiliate campuses located in 20 different countries.
From there, Christian Universities Online determined the top fifty by looking at two major criteria: the number of missions-oriented majors/minors offered by each school and the number of service/internship opportunities they’ve made available to students. Any ties between schools were broken by an evaluation of their websites, seeking which most emphasized the values found in the Great Commission.
Some well-known universities in the list include Biola University, Oral Roberts University, and Southeastern University, which ranked 12th, 11th, and 5th, respectively.
Liberty University, however, claimed the top spot in this poll. Christian Universities Online noted the school’s seven undergraduate degrees geared towards missions. They also praised the diversity of LU’s mission programs and the many different routes students can take in their Global Studies career.
As a student of Liberty University, I have seen firsthand all of the work that LU does to cultivate their missions-minded environment. The Great Commission is emphasized throughout every aspect of our school, driven mainly by the new LU Send department. Through this organization, groups like the School of Business or the School of Education are able to set up trips for their students. These occur during breaks, and incorporate education, sight-seeing, and serving opportunities. Over this past spring break, LU Send set up their own flagship trips to four destinations: Tokyo, Paris/London, Rome, and Israel. Any student could sign up for these trips and experience everything that the locations had to offer, all with a Gospel-centered mindset.
In addition, the LU Send NOW initiative that began this year has given many students the opportunity to serve in a Christ-like way those who are facing tragedy. At the drop of a hat, students who have signed up and been trained for the program are sent out onto the front lines of disaster zones. Liberty has sent teams around the world to locations as close as Appomattox and as far away as Macedonia.
And while these things in themselves may seem great, the most beautiful part is that Liberty never fails to keep the heart of the matter pure. As a school, we do these things not because of who we are, but because of who Christ is. We acknowledge the fact that we serve a God who “came not to be served, but to serve,” and try to emulate that in all that we do. It’s not about glorifying ourselves or enjoying the experience. Instead, we go boldly into every field knowing that He “is with us, until the end of the age.” God is our strength, and He who we point to as the One who provides.
The mission of Liberty University from the start has been to train "champions for Christ," and as students, we see this firsthand every day. To God be all the glory.
