Education professor receives Dean’s Award for Excellence for longtime spiritual service

Liberty University School of Education Professor Dr. Harvey Klamm recently received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Spiritual Formation in recognition of his continued ministry in the classroom, to his colleagues, and beyond.

Klamm has worked for Liberty and its affiliated ministries for over 50 years. In 2013, he joined the School of Education, where he teaches courses on foundations of education behavioral and individual differences, and more. Shortly after joining the school, he volunteered to lead prayer before each faculty and staff meeting and eventually added a devotional. His voluntary spiritual service continued to expand. When fellow faculty members requested a weekly time of prayer, he began leading prayer and devotional sessions on Wednesdays while students are in Convocation. Every week, Klamm sends a list of prayer requests to all School of Education faculty and staff and serves as the school’s representative to the LU Shepherd Office.

Interim Dean Dr. Shawn Bielicki presented Klamm with the Dean’s Award for Excellence during the school’s monthly faculty and staff meeting on Oct. 22.

“It is my privilege to recognize Dr. Harvey Klamm for his work in the spiritual formation of our faculty and staff in the School of Education,” Bielicki said after the meeting. “We have long benefited from his devotionals and encouragement, prayer meetings, and mentorship. He has done as the Bible commanded, and this recognition reflects the message in Matthew 25:23, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”

“Over the span of the last 12-13 years, my role of volunteering for opening prayer in faculty meetings has greatly grown,” Klamm said. “I love the Lord, and I want to follow His direction in my life, and I want to encourage people to do the same thing. I tend to be an encourager by spiritual gift. My desire is to see people enjoying their walk with God. This recognition today affirms the service has been appreciated. For that, I am thankful.”

He said his passion for proclaiming the Gospel traces back to his freshman year of college at Bryan College, when he was struggling to determine God’s calling for his life. At the time, he viewed “God’s will” as a term strictly used for pastors or missionaries, but he later discovered that all Christians are called to follow the specific mission God has given them.

“The Lord took me through a bit of a journey, where I finally came to the realization that everything I do is to be a service to God,” he said. “The call of God on my life was that I serve Him in whatever place He put me.”

After graduation, Klamm spent two years serving in public education before moving to Lynchburg in 1973 to work at the then Lynchburg Christian Academy (now Liberty Christian Academy). He served LCA for 34 years, holding positions as a classroom teacher, varsity baseball and soccer coach, high school principal, and school superintendent. In the summer of 2007, he helped start Liberty University Online Academy (now K-12) and was its first superintendent.

Klamm holds his Ed.D. from Liberty and M.Ed. from the University of Virginia.

Throughout the numerous positions Klamm has held over the years, he continues to remain grounded in his faith and desire to please God in everything he does. This Gospel-centered passion has also bled into courses at Liberty, where he integrates biblical teaching and personal experience to train the next generation of teachers.

“I see the same ministry happening in the classroom and profession. Doing the things I’m doing on a voluntary basis in the School of Education is just a part of the outgrowth of passion and willingness to be used by God in any way He chooses to use me,” he said, noting his life verse is Col. 3:17. “I’ve been here 53 years now, and that has been my passion. I have stayed because I believe this ministry affords me the opportunity to be the maximum of who I am.”