Liberty Law students take part in annual Ad Fontes ceremony in remembrance of God’s faithfulness

On Friday, Liberty University School of Law third-year students took part in a tradition that hundreds of their alumni brothers and sisters have done since the law school was founded: touching the Ebenezer Stone during the annual Ad Fontes Ceremony. Held in the law school’s Supreme Courtroom, the ceremony is an event for the upcoming graduating class to celebrate God’s faithfulness in their lives and demonstrate their commitment to upholding the law.

Ad Fontes, which means “back to the sources” in Latin, is a ceremony unique to Liberty Law. It began in 2007 with Liberty Law’s first 3L class as a way of providing third-year students an opportunity to renew their focus on Scripture as the ultimate source of truth and on how to use that truth to impact faith and law. The ceremony also emphasizes the unique contribution that the Christian faith and worldview has had on Western legal tradition.

A special part of the ceremony is touching the Ebenezer Stone, believed to be from Mt. Sinai and given to the law school by Liberty’s founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., who procured it as a reminder that God ordained and established the school and that He will remain faithful to it. The idea comes from 1 Samuel 7:12, where the prophet Samuel sets up the Ebenezer Stone as a physical reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness to the people of Israel in victory over the Philistines. As part of Liberty Law’s tradition, the third-year students are the only ones allowed to touch the stone.

After a time of worship led by School of Music junior Crissa Davis and senior Graham Guy, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell gave the keynote address, exhorting the students to go forward into their careers with obedience to God.

Falwell, who has a law degree from Taft Law School, spoke about his father’s vision for Liberty Law, that it would be built on the foundation of God’s Word and would send out lawyers who are not only excellent but have a passion for Christ, truth, and the local church.

“The basis for everything that we see in the legal system, the basis for all our laws … comes directly from God,” he said. “The reason that my dad started this law school to begin with is because we have to recognize and understand that we live in a culture today that is committed to moving our nation away from God, taking us further and further away from the foundational truths.”

Falwell’s exhortation focused on Deuteronomy 11:13-17, and he spoke about how following God’s commandments leads to blessings.

“What that means for you is understanding the basis of law and understanding that as you walk through this last year of law school … and you begin whatever career path you have, yes, you’re a representative of the laws of the state where you are serving … but ultimately what you will be is a Champion for Christ who is standing up for the truth of God’s Word in everything that you do.”

He encouraged the students to not lose heart during moments of failure.

“Your success in life and your success in law is not based on what you know and how you practice,” he said. “Your success in everything that you do is based on the Giver of good and the Giver of life, and that’s God.”

He emphasized that God’s blessings fall on His timetable, not ours, and there’s nothing we can do to change God’s timeline, but we can remain confident that He promises to be with us during both good times and bad times. Falwell said that no matter what the students’ dreams are, God can do more.

“God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than you can ever ask or think. God’s provision for us goes beyond anything that you could ever hope for,” he said. “Don’t allow yourself to get sidelined or sidetracked by what the world says is of value. Recognize what God says is of value, and focus on those things, and pursue those things, and run after those things. When you do that, God promises that He will provide every single time, and you will be satisfied.”

He closed by saying that students can move forward having the confidence of standing on the solid rock of Christ, and the Ebenezer Stone is symbolic of that.

“In the original Hebrew, that word ‘Ebenezer’ literally means ‘a stone of help.’ So today, in a symbolic way, what we are recognizing and understanding is that everywhere the soles of your feet will tread in the days that come, everything that you try to accomplish in the days that come, and the vision that God has placed on you in the context of the law … let it always be at the front of your minds and the front of your hearts that it is God who brought you here, and it is God who will bring you through.”

Falwell said that as long as the students can look back at the end of their careers and say, “If anything else, I’ve been faithful,” then he guarantees their careers will have been successful because they diligently served God everywhere they went.

Following Falwell’s address, School of Law Dean Timothy Todd gave special remarks about the stone, emphasizing the importance of the Ad Fontes ceremony and looking back at the foundational truths that God has given us while acknowledging His faithfulness in our lives. Associate Dean for Assessment and Online Operations Suzanne F. Caruso then introduced each student as they took their place in front of the stone and touched it.

Each student was also presented with a Liberty Law keepsake from Associate Dean for Administration and Student Development Col. (Ret.) David Miller. A reception with refreshments followed in the Mountain View Room.