Secretary Scott Turner to LU grads: ‘God has your invitation in His hand’

At Liberty University’s 53rd Commencement Main Ceremony on Friday night at Williams Stadium, the 19th U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner delivered a fierce charge to the 34,000-plus graduates to replace any fears of the future with peace that surpasses understanding and faith in God’s plan for their lives.

The largest annual event in Central Virginia was the highlight of a weekend where more than 70,000 graduates and their loved ones were expected to attend 27 separate degree presentation ceremonies held across campus Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

[Watch the full ceremony.]

Secretary Turner was confirmed by the United States Senate on Feb. 5, 2025. During President Donald Trump’s first term, he served as Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), where he led the interagency Opportunity Zones Initiative working with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments across the country to revitalize economically distressed areas, promote affordable housing, and the creation of new businesses. A lifelong Texan, Secretary Turner also served as an Associate Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and represented the 33rd District in the Texas State Legislature from 2013-17. Prior to his career in public service, Secretary Turner played nine seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

As the keynote speaker on Friday night, Secretary Turner shared with the crowd that he didn’t start his professional football career as soon as he had wanted. After graduating from the University of Illinois, an expected invitation to the NFL Combine did not arrive. His mailbox was empty, and it did not look like his dream would be fulfilled. Some told him to chase other pursuits instead. Secretary Turner challenged graduates to be undaunted like he was, not to be afraid but to trust God’s plan.

“If I had allowed my anxiety about the visible to overshadow my dependence on the invisible God, I would have missed out on the nine incredible years in the National Football League, the blessings of the Lord that He poured out on me and my family, and I would not be standing here today,” he said.

“The invitation may not come in the mailbox, but I got another invitation,” he continued. “It’s called Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you a hope and a future.’ That’s God’s invitation. Your mailbox may be empty, but all you need is that invitation from eternity. … Trust God, even if your mailbox is empty. God has your invitation in his hand.”

Even throughout his career, he said relying on God’s guidance was essential.

“God’s peace is not dependent on circumstances making sense. It comes from full reliance on His will and His timing. When we release our demand for explanations and place our trust in Almighty God, we open our hearts to a peace that carries us.”

What he considered setbacks in his life “ending up being launching pads to the next step of God’s perfect plan for my life,” he said, “ultimately leading me to serve our most vulnerable Americans as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Donald J. Trump.”

Secretary Turner said all the hard work the graduates poured into their academic degrees with excellence was not in vain, and that God has plans for them that are greater than they can imagine.

“I know that the road getting here was hard,” Secretary Turner said. “It was paved with all-night study sessions in the Jerry Falwell Library, endless cups of coffee to finish midterm papers, and perhaps even doubts about God’s plan for you here at Liberty University and beyond. But through every late night, every defeat, and every triumph, the Lord never left your side. He collected your tears, He delighted in your smiles, He delighted in your laughter, He sat with you in times of doubt, and He carried you to this mountaintop moment on this day.”

“I really resonated with Scott Turner talking about that empty mailbox,” said graduate Dalton Harmon after the ceremony. Harmon completed his B.S. in Pastoral Leadership and B.A. in Biblical Studies and hopes to pursue a full-time youth pastor position in North Carolina. “I was going into the medical field before I was going into the ministry, and there were a lot of fears and doubts, many prayers and skeptical and anxiety-filled nights.”

Chancellor Jonathan Falwell gave the invocation at the ceremony and also introduced Gen Z street evangelist Bryce Crawford, who delivered graduate remarks as one of the 28,866 graduates in this year’s class who completed their degrees through Liberty University Online Programs.

“Graduates, I firmly believe we are the hope of America,” he said. “We are the hope of this world. We need to rise up and stand for truth. I pray that when you leave this stadium that your hope, your satisfaction, your significance, and your security does not come from anything else but Jesus Christ, and His overwhelming love for you and love for sinners like all of us in this room would fuel us to live boldly, confidently every day for the rest of our lives, letting the light of the Lord shine through us so that every human being that breathes oxygen may know Him.”

Members of LU Praise and the Liberty Worship Collective led praise and worship music at the start and end of the Main Ceremony, bringing the graduates to their feet to celebrate their accomplishments while giving God the glory for bringing them through tests and trials throughout their academic careers. Grammy and Dove Award-winning vocalist Guy Penrod (’84), whose sons Grayson and Zach Penrod were among this year’s graduates, sang the national anthem.

For the Class of 2026, Commencement marks a rite of passage as well as a commissioning service to answer God’s calling on their lives, to go out into their chosen fields and change the world.

“This is the week you cross the stage and receive your hard-earned diplomas in ceremonies all over this spectacular campus,” Liberty President Dr. Dondi E. Costin said during his welcome and charge to the graduates. “As excited as I am to celebrate everything God has done to prepare you to cross this stage, that emotion pales in comparison to my great anticipation for what God has in store for you on the other side. I can’t wait to see what He does in and through your lives as Champions for Christ.”

Costin used the examples of General George Washington and his soldiers crossing the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776, to help ensure America’s freedom, and that of Moses and Joshua leading the Israelites out of Egypt across the Red Sea and across the Jordan River to the Promised Land more than 3,000 years ago, to challenge the students to cross their own respective stages onto their career callings, daring to live out Dr. Falwell’s vision with courage and conviction, pursuing extraordinary dreams with faith in their Heavenly Father.

“Class of 2026, you were born for this hour,” Costin said. “God wants you to live your calling. It will require faith and trust in the Lord. It will require you to remember His promises and obey His commands. The times may have changed, but the mission has not. The God who called Moses and Joshua is now calling you. … Your task is to carry on God’s mission in God’s power as God’s people for God’s glory.”

Bryce Dowdy, who received his B.S. in Religion and is following God’s plan to pursue fulltime ministry, appreciated President Costin’s invitation to families of the graduates.

“I think it’s cool he gave the Gospel message to those who aren’t from Liberty, with a lot of parents and family members (attending) that maybe haven’t been in the Christian faith,” Dowdy said. “It’s cool to see real-life examples of people here who have seen God move and work despite bad situations (and) to see how people live out what they have been trying to do for four years, following their career paths and their faith.”

Enrique Melendez, who completed his B.S. in Criminal Justice and is going to be a firefighter, said the ceremony wrapped his Liberty experience up perfectly.

“It was great (and) it gives us perspective,” he said. “When we started here, the mission Training Champions for Christ encapsulated all four years. The exciting thing is seeing all our friends who have graduated, while still maintaining those relationships. We’re all going to different parts of the country. Some are getting married, some I’m sure will start having kids in five years, so (I look forward to) keeping in touch with them and seeing how their lives turn out.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests watched a spectacular drone show in the skies above Williams Stadium. (Watch the full show.) This was the second year Liberty has held a drone show at the Main Commencement Ceremony. The 12-minute production involved 500 drones and was performed by Sky Elements, an aerial entertainment company that has done shows for NFL, MLB, and NASCAR. The show highlighted Liberty’s history and iconic symbols like the university’s mascot Sparky and the university seal. The drones also showcased American symbols in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fireworks also lit up the night sky during the display.

Various Liberty departments contributed to the show, including Marketing, Broadcast Operations, School of Aeronautics’ UAS program, Office of Security & Public Safety, and the Registrar’s Office. Music for the show was produced in partnership with School of Music students. In addition to narration with the words of Dr. Jerry Falwell, the drone show featured a score written and composed under the direction of Liberty alumnus Isaac Brenny. Music education graduate student Nathan Linardi contributed a 50-second “American fanfare” piece, a fitting theme to celebrate both the Class of 2026 and America’s 250th anniversary. Linardi said he was inspired by show musician and composer Aaron Copeland as well as western movie film scores like “Silverado” by Bruce Broughton and “The Magnificent Seven” by Elmer Bernstein. The drone show also featured guitar parts from interdisciplinary studies student Anthony Ostrander, a member of the Liberty Worship Collective.