Liberty University launches Center for Israel with a focus on faith, friendship, and understanding
October 22, 2025 : By - Office of Communications & Public Engagement
Liberty University is launching the Center for Israel, a new initiative designed to deepen understanding, foster meaningful relationships, and promote thoughtful scholarship around the shared spiritual heritage between Christians and the Jewish people. The center will serve as a hub for education, dialogue, and collaboration.
The Center for Israel builds on the university’s longstanding commitment to biblical truth and its legacy of friendship with the Jewish community. Inspired by the vision of Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., the center will seek to cultivate a new generation of leaders who are grounded in faith and equipped to engage the world with compassion and conviction.
University officials say the center will make Liberty the most important institutional voice in Christian-Jewish relations and biblical Israel studies.
“This is a significant moment for Liberty University to uphold our historic theological foundations and reaffirm our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it relates to God’s unfolding promises for His people based on the Word of God,” said Liberty Chancellor Jonathan Falwell. “This center will equip our students with a deeper understanding, appreciation, and support for Israel while fostering an even greater sense of community built on the love of Christ, rooted in biblical truth.”
The Center for Israel will be housed within the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity and will collaborate across academic departments to offer interdisciplinary programming. Students and faculty will explore topics that clarify the shared history and values between Christians and Jews.
President Dondi Costin emphasized how the center aligns with the university’s core mission.
“As Champions for Christ, our aim is to equip and train our students spiritually and intellectually to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth,” he said. “The new center for Israel holds both strategic importance and historic significance for our nation, Israel, and the world. Our students will gain from both real-life experiences and critical scholarship that strengthen Liberty as a leading evangelical institution.”
“Liberty University has always championed God’s promises to Israel, and this new center reaffirms our commitment,” said Dr. Troy W. Temple, dean of the Rawlings School of Divinity, who will oversee the center’s operations. “Our goal is to cultivate a heart for God’s chosen people and His call for them to know Him and make Him known as the saving Messiah. We want our students to grow in their love for those whom God chose to bless and be a blessing in Genesis 12:3.”
Programming will begin with a Spring Center for Israel Summit featuring sessions and gatherings that highlight the richness of Christian–Jewish friendship. The center will also support student travel, study abroad opportunities, and research initiatives focused on generational perspectives and evolving attitudes toward Israel.
“This new center offers an extraordinary opportunity for our Liberty students to enrich their academic experience and deepen their intellectual and theological understanding of both historic and contemporary issues related to Israel,” said Liberty Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks. “As we pursue missional-driven excellence in our educational programs, we see this center as a reflection of our historical doctrinal commitments and our ongoing duty to equip and train the next generation of Champions for Christ to defend the faith.”
Hicks said the center represents “a long-term institutional commitment, with plans to develop robust programming and research that will impact everyone in the Liberty University community. We are excited to see how this center will enrich our university community and contribute to a more thoughtful and compassionate world.”
The center will hold introductory meetings in the coming months to engage students and faculty. The leaders’ desire for the center’s establishment fulfills Liberty’s unique position in higher education as the world’s largest and most impactful evangelical, educational institution.
For more information or to contact the Center for Israel directly, visit Liberty.edu/Israel.
