LYNCHBURG, Va. – Students are moving back in at Liberty University while its leadership continues to evolve with historic changes.
Dr. Allen McFarland is the acting chairman of the Board of Trustees and the first African American to serve under that title.
This comes as the former chairman, Jerry Prevo stepped in as interim president, while Jerry Falwell Jr. is on an indefinite leave of absence after he posted, then deleted controversial photo online that has since gone viral.
“Particularly right now with what’s going on in our nation, it’s a pivotal time for him to be in such a high profile for us even as we seek to reach out to the African American community across the nation,” said Scott Lamb, senior vice president of communications.
McFarland has 30 years of leadership at Liberty University.
In a release sent by the university, McFarland said he’s excited about the new role.
School leaders said it’s up to the board to decide how long both men will serve in an interim capacity.