Nasser’s strategy
Plan for the future unveiled at Monday’s Convocation
“People hate change, but love progress,” President Jerry Falwell said at the start of Convocation Monday, Oct. 20. “You can’t have one without the other.”
Falwell began Convocation, voicing to students that David Nasser, senior vice president for spiritual development, is not a replacement for Johnnie Moore, the former senior vice president of communication. Rather, he reminded students that Nasser is a different man with different talents and gifts, who is prepared to bring new ideas to the table.
Falwell shared that he and Nasser have had many discussions on the changes, telling students that they have worked to decide “what should be done in the future … to build on what Johnnie Moore and others have done here.”
Nasser followed Falwell and took to the stage Monday morning to outline the future of Convocation.
Nasser reassured students that the vision will remain the same — Liberty will continue to focus all its efforts on raising “Champions for Christ.” In order to maintain good vision, the campus pastor told students they must remain rooted in the past, clear in the present and hopeful for the future.
“My job, at the end of the day, is how do we do ministry to the body and then mission with the body,” Nasser said of his role as Liberty’s pastor. “That is what I eat, sleep, breathe and pray about.”
In celebration of his ministry to the university, Nasser announced that Justin Kintzel, Liberty’s former worship pastor, will be returning for a farewell concert and has been invited to participate in this year’s Christmas Convocation.
In the future, Campus Band will shift to a more student-led ministry. Starting next spring, the band will become more of an apprenticeship.
“I want the drummer to have a drummer … and when he’s ready, he puts him up there, and he’s gonna say, ‘Great job on this, but don’t ever hit that snare like that again,’” Nasser said of the apprenticeship program. “But he’s not only going to work with him on his craft. He’s gonna be his accountability partner … and he’s gonna disciple him spiritually.”
Nasser and his team have a plethora of new ideas. The tentative format offers a monthly rotation for Monday Convocations. Starting in the spring, the first Monday of each month will focus on prayer. The second will focus on praise, lead by a diverse mixture of bands, including both in-house and outside bands.
For the third Monday, the focus will be on planning, announcements and alternative Convocations. The last Monday of each month will be all about play, bringing in speakers and musicians from all different walks of life to entertain and engage.
“You know who the number one decision maker for who we bring in for Convo is?” Nasser said. “Our students.”
In all, Nasser outlined what he believes to be a time of great growth for the university, voicing excitement for the future and an insistence on the importance of unity in this time of progress.
“I’m not coming into a team that’s … losing a ton of games,” Nasser said of joining Liberty University. “I’m coming into a team that’s just like, ‘Wow, you’re winning. … This is amazing.’ But I have been tasked with, ‘How can we go undefeated?’”
Goins-Phillips is the opinion editor.