Interns acquire work experience and faith-infused career goals with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Seven Liberty University students spent 10 weeks this summer working as interns for Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in Charlotte, N.C., where they learned how to succeed in their individual fields for the glory of God and with the ultimate goal of spreading the Gospel.

Founded by Billy Graham in 1950, BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

“I’ve been an active supporter of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for a very long time, and they do amazing work to share the Gospel all over the world and equip churches and ministries to join them in advancing the Kingdom,” said Liberty President Jerry Prevo. “I’m grateful for the BGEA’s support of Liberty and our continued partnership. I’m proud of our students who have been working with their staff this summer and learning so much from these professionals and true servants.”

Senior Caleb Smith used his skills as a digital media student to assist the BGEA’s video ministry services team in creating clips and short films. Smith said the internship allowed him to balance his skill set more to include the many steps of producing video content.

“I’m more (experienced) as an editor, but I was a video production intern because I wanted to expand my horizons,” Smith said. “I did camera operation, I got to run the teleprompter, I got to help with lighting, I got to do all sorts of things. My big project was creating a training video for a video app called Cinebody that allows you to shoot video from anywhere on your phone as long as you have an internet and/or data connection, and I was put almost 100 percent in charge of making it.”

Growing up with a family who frequently watched Billy Graham preach, Smith said he’s had a longstanding appreciation for the work the BGEA does. He saw his time with them this summer as an opportunity to represent Christ, Liberty, and the BGEA through his work.

“I wanted to apply for an internship with them because I knew that they had such a Christ-like ministry and it’s something I’ve wanted to be a part of,” Smith said. “I want to create while also being surrounded by creators who love Christ. I like to say that I want to create for my Creator; I was created by God and I want to create for Him. Not only did I get to represent my school that I love and Christ through my work, but as part of some of my work I got to represent the BGEA and the work that they do.”

Kervensky Noel, a senior studying business administration – human resource management, spent the summer in the BGEA’s human resources department helping to create training materials used in a new learning management system for incoming employees in addition to conducting data analytics. These tasks allowed him to engage with his career interests in business administration, HR, and ministry.

“I applied to the internship program because I wanted to marry the business and human resources side with ministry work, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association had that because everything they do comes from a passion for spreading the Gospel, and that’s something I wanted to be a part of,” Noel said.

Junior Peyton Keller, a Christian leadership & church ministries student, served in the donor ministry department of the BGEA. Two years ago, during a BGEA event in Keller’s hometown of Johnson City, Tenn., she was encouraged her to pursue a ministry career.

“I got to see what BGEA really does that night, and from then on I’ve had a heart for their ministry, and it’s also when I started to want to study in my major,” Keller said. “This summer I got to go to a celebration with Will Graham (BGEA Vice President and Associate Evangelist and Vice Chairman of Liberty’s Board of Trustees) in West Virginia, and I got to see the other side of a BGEA event like the one I went to a few years ago, which was so cool to see all that goes into it.

As an organization fully funded by donations from supporters around the world, the BGEA holds multiple events to both garner support and show appreciation to their donors. Keller said she helped plan events scheduled in the next few months.

“I’ve had a heart for the ministry for a while and it only grew this summer through this internship,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about how much work goes into planning and pulling off an event, and I’ve also seen the high level of work that the BGEA does.”

The interns also had the added benefit of serving alongside staff members who inspired them to grow in their faith and integrate it into their approaching careers.

“I knew I was going to be cultivated professionally here, but even more than that is that I’ve had the blessing of being impacted spiritually,” Noel said. “The people here are super skilled and knowledgeable at what they do, and they all have one thing in common: they all have humility rooted in their relationship and walk with the Lord.”

Keller attested to this also, explaining that those she worked alongside showed “a great balance of excellence and humility.”

“They are the kindest people you’ve ever met, they absolutely love the Lord, and they only strive to serve Him,” Keller said.

Liberty and its students have partnered with the BGEA on many occasions, including the Washington (D.C.) Prayer March in September 2020 during which more than 2,200 students prayed with thousands of fellow believers for America’s future.