June 2017 Impact – Running with Endurance

IMPACT

RUNNING with ENDURANCE

Regent's historic Class of 2017 is challenged to "go forth and make Christ great"

Regent University’s 37th annual commencement ceremony drew a crowd of approximately 9,000 graduates, families, friends and distinguished guests to the Library Plaza on Saturday, May 6. The beautiful weather served as a perfect backdrop for the more than 1,100 men and women who were on campus to receive their diplomas. In all, 1,921 graduates – the most in Regent history – earned associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees as members of the Class of 2017.

The university’s founder, chancellor and CEO, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson, began the ceremony by proclaiming, to loud applause, words from Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the Lord hath made. We are glad and rejoice in it!” Robertson also spoke about his excitement that Regent’s current enrollment has reached 10,000 students, adding: “We are now the fastest growing university in the

entire United States of America. Since 2014, we have increased our academic programs by 75 percent, and … we now offer 128 different areas of study.”

Robertson also shared an impressive list of alumni accomplishments before officially opening commencement in prayer and introducing one of the ceremony’s distinguished guests, Mr. Phillip Walker, chairman of the university’s board of trustees. In his congratulatory comments to graduates, Walker challenged them to be leaders in their communities, their states and our nation:

“You’re about to join many other Regent alums who are already having a major impact

in the areas of education, communication, law, government, counseling, ministry and business.” He continued, “I expect many of you will become the leading executives, educators or public servants, improving the lives of our citizens and having the opportunity to take the gospel to the marketplace.”

Robertson then introduced the commencement speaker, Dr. Corné Bekker, calling him a brilliant scholar and one of the most gifted orators in the Christian faith around the world. Under Bekker’s leadership as dean, Regent’s School of Divinity now ranks as one of the nation’s top 15 largest seminaries and, Robertson added, is expected to become the largest divinity school in the world soon.

Born in South Africa, Bekker joined Regent in 2005 as an associate professor. He has taught in the doctoral programs of the School of Business & Leadership. He also serves as chair of the Department of Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry in Regent’s College of Arts & Sciences. When asked by Impact how he has been able to fulfill so many roles so well at the university, Bekker replied, “I’ve always taken the position that the primary descriptor of our call is that of servant. I think one has to be really flexible and pliable and open to whatever God might want us to do.”

The ordained minister, husband and father began his address by reading aloud the theme verse for Commencement 2017, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV).

But Bekker warned the assembled graduates, “We live in a world that is changing fast – in front of our eyes. The race that is set before us is quite different than what it was a number

of years ago. … We literally have contact with the whole world through social media, such as Facebook and Snapchat.”

Pointing to the dangers of the internet, he added, “Very often we find that students and others in this world are so overwhelmed with data that they have retreated into situational ethics and subjective truth claims. … Most of us are engaging online in order to make ourselves great. How do we, indeed, run the race with endurance?”

The School of Divinity dean answered that important question by sharing seven life lessons from Apostle Paul:

1. Learn to say "yes" to the Lord.

2. Trust in His Word.

3. Make Christ your message.

4. Have a large vision.

5. Value humility.

6. Do not be afraid.

7. Give until the end. It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters most.

In closing, Bekker urged the Class of 2017 to “be so taken by the message of the gospel that we will go forth and make Christ great.” Then he added, “Graduates, you have been entrusted with a noble charge, a high call and an eternal message. Do not be afraid. Never shrink back. Never apologize for the hope that’s within you. Trust in God. Proclaim His Word. Perform His gospel. Your future’s bright because He’s already there. Walk in humility. Be empowered by His Spirit. And in doing so, you will run with endurance this race that is set before you. Go forth, and change this world for Him.”

When Robertson returned to the lectern to deliver his charge to the graduates, he challenged them to, “attach yourselves to Jesus, and let His words attach themselves to you.” “If you dwell in Him and His words dwell in you, then nothing will be impossible for you. You’re going out into a difficult world. … But with that world, I want you to know that the Lord Jesus is in control of it. This is still my Father’s world, and Jesus still is Lord of all.”

He added that if Regent’s newest alumni want to see their prayers answered, they need to live in Christ and attach themselves to Him so that they live daily the Word of God. “If you do that, there’s nothing impossible,” Robertson explained. “The motto of this university is very simple: Christian Leadership to Change the World. That’s a big task, isn’t it? But I believe we’re going to do it.”

Immediately following Robertson’s charge, Benjamin Crisp, the Outstanding Master of Divinity Graduate in the School of Divinity, delivered the “Student Reflection and Response.” In a speech that was very warmly received by the audience, he spoke from the heart on behalf of the entire Class of 2017.

"Most of all, together, with my graduating classmates, we thank God for His unending grace and His empowering Spirit that has sustained and guided us along our academic journey,” Crisp said. “Regent is much more than a university, it is an incubator where our Spirit-inspired dreams and visions of the future have developed and grown. While we celebrate this pivotal moment with great joy, we also feel the weighty responsibility to properly wield the knowledge and skills that we have acquired, as we have been commissioned to become agents of dynamic, Christ-centered change in the earth.”

In closing, he added, “We have invested our time, our money and our best effort in this academic journey. We have prepared and prayed. We have laughed and cried. We have studied the material and have made relational connections. Now, … we must run. We must run in every nation. We must run with no restraint. We must run, knowing that our families and friends are behind us. We must run, knowing that the wind of God is at our back. But most importantly, we must run for the glory of God.”

After the presentation of the graduates and the conferring of degrees to the more than 1,100 graduates on hand, Whitney Barner and Esteban Garcia Lopez, both in the Army ROTC, took their oath of commissioning as second lieutenants. Then Robertson proclaimed, “You may flip your tassels!” as cannon blasts of confetti and streamers loudly and colorfully signaled the end of commencement.

For the benediction, Regent’s patriarch prayed Jude 1:24-25 over the graduates, “And now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you flawless before His presence with exceeding glory, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and honor, dominion and power, both now and forevermore. In Jesus’ name, amen and amen. Praise the Lord!” RUNNING

From a DREAM to a VISION

Regent’s Alumnus of the Year shares his journey from a pig farm to the pulpit

Honoring Regent’s Alumnus of the Year is an important part of the university’s annual commencement ceremony. This year’s recipient of the prestigious award was 1999 School of Divinity graduate Dr. Dan Backens. As senior pastor of New Life Church, Backens leads a 5,000-member, multiethnic congregation that meets at multiple sites in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He also serves as the senior director of One Focus, an international network of leaders, ministries and local churches.

A husband, father and grandfather, Backens writes and speaks on how to lead, build and equip churches to be houses of prayer for all nations. He holds a master’s degree in church history and renewal theology from Regent and a doctorate of worship studies from a different institution. Backens began his acceptance speech with a bit of humor, telling graduates and guests: “I'm from a small town in South Dakota — 4,500 people. When I graduated from high school, I didn't know if I wanted to be a pig farmer or a pastor. Now, I find out years later it's basically the same profession.”

He started his first church shortly after earning his bachelor's degree in mathematics. While pastoring, he served as an adjunct professor at a local college and eventually earned a master’s degree in math. At the same time, his church started growing: “[It] got to about 250 people, and in the state of South Dakota, that’s a megachurch.”

But in his mid-30s, Backens says he “hit a midlife crisis.” It was the 1970s, and he would watch a “grainy” Pat Robertson host The 700 Club on his little, black-and-white TV. “He announced he was starting a university called ‘CBN University.’ In one of my prayers, I said, ‘Lord, I'd like to go to the mecca of Christianity.’ It wasn't until years later that I realized I kind of mixed up my metaphors there, just a little bit.”

Backens said he tried for years to attend the university but “couldn't make it work financially.”

At the lowest point of his ministry, the pig farmerturned-pastor was ready to quit. But then, God

began to move. “I got an advertisement from Regent University in the junk mail of our church,” Backens explained. “I opened it up, and I felt the Holy Spirit say, ‘This is your time.’”

So, in the mid-’90s, Backens and his wife Rhonda sold their house, took all of their savings and headed for Virginia. “God took that move to this university to change the trajectory of my life,” he remembered. “Our town of 4,500 didn't have any black people, didn't have any Hispanic people. And I come to Regent University, and I'm sitting in a class, and I meet Kevin Turpin (Divinity), an African-American from Long Island.”

Turpin, Regent’s 2014 Alumnus of the Year, and Backens shared a vision to not make 11 a.m. on Sunday the most segregated hour of the week in America. “I said to Kevin, ‘What would it look like if we started a church together that was multiethnic?’ Then I met some super dynamic people here, Dr. Bobby Hill and Dr. Joseph Umidi, and so many people to encourage the vision. And lo and behold, we started a church.”

Today, New Life Church is staffed with Regent graduates and attended by many students. Turpin serves as senior associate pastor. Backens closed his speech to the Class of 2017 with these words of encouragement, “This really is a place where you can dream. Who knows? Maybe God has a dream for you that you could never imagine, and one day you’ll be standing here saying, ‘Let me tell you my story.’”

In an interview conducted minutes after receiving his Alumnus of the Year award, Backens told Impact that Regent’s key strength for him was the “worldclass people” and “great instructors” the Lord put in his path. “Something magical happens when you get high-productive, godly, visionary people, and they're in the same institution,” he said. “What I learned in the classroom was great. But the people I came in contact with, in my view, that's probably the greatest thing Regent offered.”

“Regent rescued me,” Backens added. “It allowed me to believe and dream and envision. I remember seeing Regent from the outside, saying, ‘If I could just be there.’ Then God said, ‘You can go.’ It changed my life.”

TREASURED SUPPORT

In a special ceremony held during commencement week, major donors Joe and Cindy Gregory were inducted into the Society of the Crown and Shield

Regent University honors benefactors who have given $1 million or more over their lifetime through an elite association known as the Society of the Crown and Shield. Members are recognized for playing an active and pivotal role in shaping both the history and future of Regent. This year’s inductees, Joe and Cindy Gregory, were recognized for investing their time, talents and finances as co-laborers committed to equipping Christian leaders to change the world.

The Gregorys were honored at a special commissioning ceremony at The Founders Inn on May 4. It’s a tradition that Regent incorporated into the 2016 commencement celebrations and one that will continue as a special way to thank major donors for their cherished friendship and incredible generosity to the university. Later that day, as special guests at the School of Divinity’s commissioning service, the couple addressed dozens of soon-to-be graduates and encouraged them with a prayer of blessing.

Vice President of Alumni Relations & Special Events. “As partners in the university’s mission, Society of the Crown and Shield members, like Joe and Cindy, are creating the next generation of Christian leaders who can transform cultures and nations for Jesus Christ.”

Dr. Joseph Gregory is the co-founder of King Pharmaceuticals in Bristol, Tennessee. Between 1993-2003, he grew the company from a 100-employee startup to more than 2,200 employees and $1.6 billion in annual sales. Now the head of Gregory Management Company, he directs a diversified investment portfolio in traditional and renewable energy resources, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, real estate, recreational equipment, financial services, and new media and software.

“Scripture tells us in Luke 12:34, ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (NIV),” says Ann LeBlanc, Regent

Gregory first learned about Regent University after the international ministry he founded, Kingsway Charities, began working closely with Operation Blessing, the internationalrelief arm of the Christian Broadcasting Network. After years of working together through Operation Blessing, Regent's founder, chancellor and CEO, Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson, invited him to become a member of the board of trustees.

While Gregory served on the university’s board of trustees from 2007-2010, the family became a chief supporter and major contributor to the Regent Chapel and School of Divinity building project. They gave generously and enthusiastically to the construction effort after being moved by the Holy Spirit to make a significant gift toward the project’s completion.

With the Gregorys' help and support, the Regent Chapel and School of Divinity building were completed in 2013. At the time, Gregory told Regent’s Christian Leader magazine that he wanted the family’s donation to “expand the ministry and mission of the university for the sake of the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

At this year’s Society of the Crown and Shield commissioning, Dr. Jay Sekulow, a member of Regent’s board of trustees and chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, introduced the Gregorys for induction. “What an honor it is for me to be here with my friends Joe and Cindy,” Sekulow explained. “The university, as I do personally, cherishes the Gregory family for their many years of generosity and service as prayer partners, financial supporters [and] co-laborers in the school’s mission to equip Christian leaders to change the world.”

The Society of the Crown and Shield draws its name from two integral elements of Regent’s heraldic crest. The crown represents the King whom we serve, Jesus Christ. The shield, in both educational circles and in the fellowship of believers, signifies the shield of faith and protection. Cast in precious silver with the Regent crest boldly displayed at its center, the majestic medallions were presented to both honorees as an enduring symbol of their generosity and faithfulness.

“Joe and Cindy Gregory have demonstrated an extraordinary passion for and tremendous commitment to the vision of this university,” says Robertson. “Like their fellow members of the Society of the Crown and Shield, they have gone above and beyond to enable Regent to fulfill its mission, and it was our pleasure to honor them for their generosity.”

For additional information about how you can support Regent University with your donation of cash, securities, annuities, trusts, bequests and other gifts of equity or property, please visit regent.edu/give or call 800.335.4409.

1,921 total alumni

graduates in attendance

23,500 9,000+

COMPELLING JOURNEYS

At the post-commencement Chancellor’s Luncheon, outstanding graduates shared their personal Regent stories

Immediately following commencement every year, the Chancellor’s Luncheon honors outstanding graduates at a private event inside the Founders Inn. Each of the newly minted alums are given the opportunity to share their Regent story with family, friends, deans, vice presidents and honored guests, including members of the university’s board of trustees.

This year’s luncheon welcomed 10 graduates who spoke about what brought them to Regent and where God is taking them next. The compelling stories about their experiences left no question in the minds of anyone in attendance that they are all Christian leaders ready to change the world.

Anicca Harriot was named the Outstanding Bachelor of Arts Graduate by Regent’s College of Arts & Sciences. But even before finishing her degree (in less than four years), she already was making an impact. This past fall, while learning about vectors in a physics class, a friend took a photo of Harriot in a dance pose. After calculating the vectors in the photo and posting the image online, it went viral and earned her an invite to the White House. Other notable accomplishments during Harriot’s time as an undergrad included internships at Eastern Virginia Medical School and NASA Langley.

“What I learned here and what has been shown to me time and time again is that the Lord has a greater plan for my life than what I have for myself,” she insisted. “For the glory is to Him alone. Being at Regent has allowed me so many opportunities that I know I would have genuinely not received anywhere else.” Next fall, Harriot will attend the University of Maryland on a full scholarship with the goal of earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry.

Shaker Rajasekar earned his Master of Fine Arts in Cinema-Television from the School of Communication & the Arts. He first came to Regent 20 years ago from India, but he only stayed long enough to take one class, International Cinema. “When I became a Christian, I wanted to get more Christian filmmaking into India,” Rajasekar explained.

Eager to get started, Rajasekar returned to India after his first semester at Regent to work in Bollywood, where he found success as a secular filmmaker. But three years ago, the Holy Spirit began pushing him back to the university: “I asked God, ‘What do you want me to do?’ Very clearly, He said, ‘Go back to Regent University and finish what you started.' And ... it’s a fantastic moment for me to stand here.” He added, “The dreamer can dream at Regent University.”

Rebekah Lloyd was a College of Arts & Sciences student who received her

Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. She began her Regent studies after nine years of honorable service in the United States Army: “I could not think of a better school to attend to learn psychology through a Christian perspective. And the fact that I was able to use my G.I. Bill here and have no financial burden made it even better.”

Lloyd finished her undergraduate coursework in December and is now working on a joint master’s degree in public administration and law as an on-campus graduate student. “You can feel the presence of God here. It’s unmistakable,” she told the luncheon attendees. “You know this campus is anointed, and I knew I needed to be here. … There is nothing that God cannot do when you completely surrender to Him.”

Michael Lewis , the Outstanding Master of Arts in Government Graduate from the Robertson School of Government, shared that he was born with some physical challenges: “I have great parents that said, ‘Whatever the world might say, you’re made exactly the way God wanted you.’”

While working in Richmond as a lobbyist for pro-life and disability rights, Lewis began looking into pursuing his graduate degree. He wasn’t familiar with Regent, but a visit to Virginia Beach two years ago convinced Lewis that it was the university for him. “About two months before my wife and I got married, we came down to campus and immediately felt like family,” he remembered. “I would highly recommend this wonderful family to anyone.”

Lisa Ramsey earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision from Regent’s School of Psychology & Counseling. She’s a missionary with the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Eastern Europe: “I’ve worked in Kosovo for nine years now as a counselor. A few years back, I realized that I needed some skills that I didn’t have. I needed to learn some things to make me more effective as a leader [and] as a trainer of counselors.”

Ramsey says she began to pray about finding the right Ph.D. program, so she asked a friend for her opinion: “Without hesitation she said Regent University. She knew the quality of the education here. So I went to Regent’s website and looked it up, and it said ‘Christian Leadership to Change the World.’ And I thought, 'I found my home.' This is what I want to do; I want to see the world change for Jesus.”

Daniel Wani, a graduate from Regent’s School of Law, is from South Sudan. His family made headlines in 2014 when Daniel’s wife, Meriam, was imprisoned in Sudan and sentenced to death by hanging for her Christian faith. “Coming from a Muslim family, when she married a Christian, she was persecuted and was soon arrested,” Wani explained.

“Meriam’s release came after international condemnation from the governments of the U.K., the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands.”

After his wife’s release, the Wanis emigrated to the United States: “We were greeted with open arms. This was the beginning of hope for me and my family.” After that terrifying ordeal, Wani, who is wheelchairbound due to muscular dystrophy, was given the opportunity to attend Regent. “I am thankful to the American Center for Law and Justice and Dr. Jay Sekulow (university trustee) for my scholarship,” he told those gathered in the ballroom.

“Money donated to this university truly reaches the students and has allowed me to become educated so that I can further help change the world. Thank you for [this] place of refuge and education.”

Wani also said that his Regent professors and classmates have truly become a second family to him: “I am thankful for their Christian leadership. Everyone I have encountered here, especially through the School of Law, has been personable, encouraging and full of wonderful advice. This unique school has given me hope for our future.”

Ligia Petan, Outstanding Graduate from the School of Business & Leadership earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership while studying mostly in her home country of Romania. Her degree was made possible through the generosity of university donors. “I’m very, very thankful for this scholarship that made it possible,” Petan shared. “It was a

tremendous, valuable, formable experience, both academically and spiritually.”

The mother of two also is grateful for the support she received from the Regent community when one of her daughters suffered a severe brain hemorrhage shortly before birth. “I was at the hospital, and we didn’t know whether she was going to live. I was supposed to finish my coursework at the time, and emails of support kept on pouring in, assuring us that there was a community here praying for us and for our daughter. We really felt that. We were shown so much grace.”

Petan said her daughter survived and that her brain developed normally. Today, she’s a very bright and intelligent little girl: “I just pray that I will be able to pay forward everything that I was given.”

Sam Morgan, who just minutes earlier had received his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the College of Arts & Sciences, told the audience that his Regent experience was about much more than academics. “It’s not just the classes,” he explained. “Certainly, the classes are great. The programs are great — all the things that we’re doing. But the Christian community is really what sets Regent apart.”

Morgan continued, “It’s really that Christian community that allowed me to grow and to develop into the person I am now. Not just mathematical knowledge — but as a person, as a Christian, as a leader, [and] as a follower of Christ.”

Jamie Stewart is a cancer survivor who received her Doctor of Education degree from

Regent’s School of Education. She began her doctoral program in 2010, having just earned her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Regent. “I had a plan. I had a goal. I was ready to roll,” Stewart said. “God had different plans for me. In 2012, I was diagnosed with Stage III rectal cancer. I underwent treatment including chemo pills, radiation therapy, surgery and then six months of chemo.”

The cancer went into remission for nearly four years, but it returned in 2016 and had metastasized to her lungs: “Today, I am considered to be Stage IV with two inoperable tumors approximately 3-millimeter square — one in each lung. A matched set. But I smile when I talk about my cancer diagnosis because God’s got this!”

She doesn’t want people to feel sorry or pity for her. Instead, Stewart asked for support and prayer: “I received so much of those from the School of Education. What I did not receive was a lowering of expectations. My chair and my dissertation committee challenged me. They pushed me.”

Adding, “I cannot say that earning this degree was easy. It wasn’t. It wouldn’t have been easy without the additional challenges I faced. Giving up on finishing would have been easy. But I didn’t and I survived.”

You can play a crucial role in equipping Christian leaders, like these graduates, with your tax-deductible gift to Regent University. Please consider becoming a World Changer Sponsor by calling 800.335.4409 or visiting regent.edu/worldchanger.

REGENT LAW REACHES A MILESTONE

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first official class of Regent University's School of Law. In 1987, a handful of students enrolled in the new law school. The first two graduating classes from Regent Law produced just 20 alumni. Three decades later, the Class of 2017 earned 78 Master of Art in Law and 83 Juris Doctor degrees. John Jepertinger, law alumni board member, organized a small reunion on Commencement Day to celebrate the important milestone. Members of that original class who returned to campus on May 6 included Michael Tocci, Joyce Plummer and Jepertinger (pictured, from left to right).

REGENT LEADERSHIP SOCIETY

STAY CONNECTED TO REGENT

Whether you’re a recent graduate or you finished your studies many years ago, Regent University’s Office of Alumni Relations is ready and able to help. When you log on to regentalumni.org, you’ll find an interactive online community with news updates, event information, job listings and more. For additional help staying connected to Regent, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 888.294.ALUM or alumni@regent.edu.

With another commencement behind us, Regent University’s focus now changes to equipping World Changers in the Class of 2018 and beyond. With recordsetting enrollment, we need the financial support of friends and donors more than ever. Please help us continue training Christian leaders by donating to a Regent scholarship program as a World Changer Sponsor. Visit regent.edu/worldchanger or call 800.335.4409 to make your best tax-deductible gift today.

A Message From the Chancellor

Dear Friend,

In 1975, over a lunch of cantaloupe and cottage cheese in the coffee shop of the Grand Hotel across the street from Disneyland in Anaheim, California, I received a very specific word from the Lord. “Build a school for My glory,” He said. Three years later, with the help of seven faculty members, 77 students began pursuing graduate degrees inside rented classrooms in Chesapeake, Virginia. Back then, Regent University was known as CBN University when it began equipping Christian leaders to change the world.

Fast forward nearly 40 years, and you’ll see that Regent is doing better than ever. This year’s commencement class was the largest in the university’s history with more than 1,900 graduates. These men and women have been equipped as Christian leaders to make a global impact.

In my charge to the graduates on May 6, I shared Jesus’ words to the disciples in John 5:17, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (NKJV). I urged these new alums to attach themselves to our Lord and Savior and to let His Word attach itself to them. This is still our Father’s world, and Jesus is still Lord of all. So, if they dwell in Him and His words, then nothing will be impossible for them.

I see excellence when I look at the graduates of this university. What they’ve been able to accomplish has been extraordinary. Among our more than 23,500 alums, we have nine university presidents, two university chancellors, 800 faculty members working at 420 colleges and universities, 825+ teachers of the year and 400 graduates working in Fortune 500 companies. And that is by no means a complete list.

Regent is just warming up! As the saying goes, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” U.S. News & World Report ranks the university’s online bachelor’s degree #1 in Virginia. We’re also the #1 ranked military-friendly university in America according to a leading military publication.

I’ve said many times that I want as many students as possible to be able to answer God’s call to attend Regent University. Please consider what role you can play, financially and/or prayerfully, to help equip the next class of Christian leaders who can change the world.

Thank you for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson Founder, Chancellor and CEO Regent University

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Christian Leadership to Change the World 1000 Regent University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464

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