Jonathan Falwell – Senior Pastor
Jonathan Falwell became the senior pastor of the historic Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) in Lynchburg, Virginia, on June 3, 2007. He was named pastor in a unanimous vote by the congregation following the death of his father, Dr. Jerry Falwell, who started TRBC in 1956 and served as the church’s pastor for 51 years.
In his role as pastor, Jonathan preaches each week to a 20,000-member congregation, with his messages also appearing on a variety of national television outlets. TRBC typically welcomes about 12,000 in attendance each Sunday, as well as an additional 8,000 people for midweek services. Jonathan leads a team of 250 staff TRBC members and presides over many planning sessions each week.
Apart from his duties at TRBC, Jonathan also serves as the executive vice president of Spiritual Affairs at Liberty University, the school his father founded in 1971. Liberty is the world’s largest evangelical Christian university with more than 67,000 students attending (that total comprises more than 12,000 in resident programs and 55,000 in external degree programs) for the 2011-2012 school year. Jonathan oversees all spiritual aspects of the university through the Campus Pastors Office, which includes 12 full-time pastors who minister to the diverse student body. He also oversees the School of Religion and Liberty Theological Seminary programs to ensure their adherence to the overall mission of the university. Another aspect of Jonathan’s role at Liberty is working with all of the schools within the university in long-term planning.
Before Jonathan joined the staff at TRBC, he was involved in numerous business ventures. In 1990, he launched one of Virginia’s largest video and film production companies. He is also an accomplished photographer whose shots have appeared inTime, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post and other national and international magazines. Further, Jonathan serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Board of Trustees for Liberty University.
The 45-year-old pastor has also appeared as a guest on numerous local and national television and radio programs, including Oprah, CNN and the Fox News Channel. In 2008, he published his first book, “One Great Truth” (Howard Books). He also writes a weekly column, “Falwell Confidential.” Jonathan serves as host for the annual InnovateChurch conference in Lynchburg, which welcomes hundreds of pastors, pastors’ wives and church staffers for a time of training and encouragement. Many of the nation’s leading pastors and church planters have appeared at the conference. Jonathan also speaks in a variety of conferences nationwide. And he has lead several tours of the Holy Land.
Jonathan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University in 1987 and a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996. He also earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) in 2005 from William Howard Taft University in Santa Ana, California.
Jonathan and his wife, Shari, have four children; Jonathan Jr. (born 1996); Jessica (born 1997); and Natalie and Nicholas (twins born 2000.) The family resides in Lynchburg.
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