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Liberty University President Dondi Costin speaks during a formal presidential inauguration ceremony at the university on Thursday. Austrilia Y Post
People gather during Thursday’s inauguration ceremony.
Liberty University President Dondi Costin enters during a formal presidential inauguration ceremony at the university on Thursday.
President Dondi Costin speaks during the Presidential Inauguration at Liberty University on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
Liberty University President Dondi Costin gets installed and sworn in as the sixth president of the college October 26, 2023.
In what was a packed sanctuary at Thomas Road Baptist Church, Liberty University officially installed Dondi Costin as president during a formal inauguration ceremony Thursday evening.
“It is extremely significant today that this ceremony is being held in the sanctuary of Thomas Road Baptist Church, where for the first time in a long time, the pastor [Jonathan Falwell] of Thomas Road Baptist Church is also the chancellor of Liberty University,” Costin said.
Jonathan Falwell said during his opening remarks that the ceremony is an exciting day in the history of Liberty University.
Falwell said the original vision, when his father founded the school in 1971, was to send young people out as champions for Christ who would go out and “unashamedly and unswervingly” be champions for the message that: Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross for the sins of mankind, buried and rose again.
“What we will always say is we will never sway away from the truth that Jesus is the son of God who came to take away the sins of the world,” he said.
Costin was presented a medallion, a symbol of the leadership and responsibility vested in the office, and took an oath.
“I represent the board of trustees, it’s my honor to give this oath to our new president,” said Tim Lee, chairman of the university’s board of trustees.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during his speech he had the opportunity to meet Costin and attests he will bring leadership, vision, energy and his “unwavering faith” in Jesus Christ to his role.
“What originally began with a mountain and a dream, has ascended to an extraordinary university, and I could not think of a better, more prepared leader than President Costin to stand at the helm and continue to lead that ascension,” he said.
Liberty University President Dondi Costin talks first year following the college’s installation ceremony Oct. 26.
Costin said when “you see me standing here today,” you see a “turtle on a fence post.”
“Anytime you see a turtle on a fence post you know at least two things, that turtle didn’t get up there by himself” and somebody had to help it up.
Costin said “that fence” began for him when he was born into a family of a mother and father who loved Jesus Christ.
The president said his parents taught him and his sister that they were sinners in need of a savior and that Jesus Christ had “paid the price for our sins.”
“They taught us that we had to be in the local church every time the doors were open, because they understood that we had been called to live for Jesus Christ,” he said.
Costin said, of his “turtle on a fence post” analogy, the turtle wouldn’t be on the fence if there wasn’t a fence post, describing Liberty Mountain as the fence post.
“Turtles are a dime a dozen, but Liberty University is one in a billion,” he said.
Senior Daniel Hostetter, president of the student government association on campus, said during his speech that in his time of meeting with Costin, the thing he’s gotten to observe the most is his kindness.
“I am confident that you are modeling the heart of Christ for thousands of students like me every day,” he said.
A retired Major General with 36 years of service in the military, Costin was unanimously appointed as the university’s sixth president in March and officially started the position July 1.
Costin said over the first few months, he and staff have worked on the college’s new strategic plan.
He said the group is “doubling down on everything” the university’s founder the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. said about the significance of “Training Champions for Christ.”
Costin said his job, “first and foremost,” is to be a reminder of that mission.
“If you remember nothing else about today, you remember this, there is only one king of the hill on this mountain, and his name is Jesus,” he said.
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Liberty University President Dondi Costin speaks during a formal presidential inauguration ceremony at the university on Thursday.
People gather during Thursday’s inauguration ceremony.
Liberty University President Dondi Costin enters during a formal presidential inauguration ceremony at the university on Thursday.
President Dondi Costin speaks during the Presidential Inauguration at Liberty University on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
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