Convocation recap: Refugees from North Korea and a young earth creationist take the Liberty stage

Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell Sr. once declared that students at Liberty are “not called to be ordinary; (they) are called to be extraordinary.” This week’s Convocation speakers emphasized the extraordinary calling of students to make a difference for Christ in the world.

The  Liberty University Worship Collective opened Convocation on March 22 with its new song “Power of Your Presence,” recently made available on Spotify and Apple Music.

Pastor Jonathan Falwell also announced the lineup of Convocation speakers for the remainder of the semester, especially exciting students with the news of the appearance of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and contemporary Christian band Casting Crowns.

Then, Grace Jo and Seohyun Lee, refugees from North Korea, joined human rights activist Suzanne Scholte on the stage to discuss the current North Korean situation and how students can help to make Korea a unified nation once again.

The Unify Korea Panel with Suzanne Scholte during Convocation at the Vines Center at Liberty University. (Photo by Jessie Jordan)

Scholte, a human rights activist on behalf of the people of Korea, opened the conversation with a brief history of the Christian movement in Korea from the first believer to the current missions work being done. 

Lee, daughter of a senior officer in North Korea, realized only after studying abroad that her country had serious issues concerning the economy and care of its citizens.

“I realized the Kim family’s main focus is maintaining ultimate power and enjoying their own luxurious lives,” Lee said. “My dream now is to bring a sense of justice to loved ones who suffered in Korea, to fight evil and bring the novel idea of a constitution to them.”

When asked how the Liberty community can help in the unification of Korea, Jo, rescued from North Korea by a pastor, spoke on students’ awareness of what socialism and communism are.

The Unify Korea Panel with Suzanne Scholte during Convocation at the Vines Center at Liberty University. (Photo by Jessie Jordan)

“The United States might make the wrong decision someday. As young people, it is important to be aware of these things and protect our own freedom and liberty,” Jo said.

Self-proclaimed “goal-reachers,” Jo and Lee encouraged students to reach into their communities to find ways to assist the human rights efforts toward North Korean citizens and the unification of Korea as a whole, including the North Korea Freedom Coalition.

On Friday, Dr. Mark Horstemeyer, dean of the Liberty University School of Engineering, and Drs. Andy McIntosh and John Baumgardner engaged in a discussion on scientific evidence for the biblical flood. 

“Jesus very clearly connects the Flood to his second coming, and I believe that’s what makes understanding it so relevant to this generation,” Baumgardner, a young earth creationist and geophysicist, said.

The Evolution Panel with School of Engineering with Dean Dr. Mark Horstemeyer, Dr. Andy McIntosh, and John Baumgardner took place at Convocation in the Vines Center on March 24, 2023. (Photo by Natalie Olson)

Citing Genesis 6 and 7 as well as numerous scholarly studies, the professors declared that scientific evidence proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the biblical account of the Flood is true. Referencing the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, McIntosh, a respected British creationist with Answers in Genesis, also emphasized the safety that can only be found in Christ through salvation.

“Just as how the only place of safety from God’s wrath of the Flood was in the Ark, the only place of ultimate safety is when you trust in Christ as your savior as the one who took that wrath of God on your behalf,” McIntosh said. “We all need to ask ourselves if we are living wholly for Christ and make sure we are putting him first
in everything.”

Kicinski is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion

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