Liberty's Helms School of Gov't names Mike Pompeo as distinguished chair
A former member of the Trump administration has taken on a new role at one of the most prominent Christian universities in the United States as he vows to invoke “a love for Jesus Christ and a commitment to Christian life” in his students.
Liberty University has announced that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the Evangelical institution of higher education as distinguished chair of the Helms School of Government. In a statement shared with The Christian Post, the university said Pompeo began serving in that position on Sept. 1.
“Mike Pompeo has served our country with honor and distinction as a tank platoon leader during the Cold War, as a successful business leader, as a member of Congress, as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and as our 70th Secretary of State,” stated Liberty President Dondi Costin. “More importantly, his faith in Jesus Christ and his love and devotion as a husband and father make him a true Champion for Christ and a role model for our students.”
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Liberty Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks echoed Costin’s praise of the former secretary of state: “I am grateful for the leadership and the deep abiding faith of former Secretary Mike Pompeo. He has a reputation for being servant-hearted, and he brings a long history of excellence and distinction that is key to his new role at the Helms School of Government.”
Hicks predicted that “our students will benefit greatly benefit from his leadership, wisdom and experience.”
Pompeo addressed his new role in a statement released last Wednesday.
“I am honored to join Liberty University and thrilled to work with the Helms School of Government,” he remarked. “Nothing is more important to our nation’s future than the proper education of young Americans. Liberty’s mission, to promote academic excellence while fostering a love for Jesus Christ and a commitment to Christian life, is one in which I believe deeply, and I am looking forward to contributing to it in the days ahead.”
As explained on the Liberty University website, the Helms School of Government seeks to “develop leaders who are guided by duty, honor and morality” by “teaching classes from a conservative Christian perspective” and “instilling a Christian sense of justice and civic duty in our students.” Fields of study offered by the Helms School of Government include criminal justice, international relations, government/politics and policy, strategic intelligence, pre-law and homeland security.
The addition of Pompeo to the Liberty University faculty comes after he spent a decade in both the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Kansas’ 4th Congressional District from 2011-2017. Former President Donald Trump appointed Pompeo to the position of CIA director in 2017. A year later, he was elevated to the role of secretary of state, a position he held for the remainder of the Trump administration.
Pompeo first became involved with Liberty University shortly after the Trump administration left office in January 2021. In April of that year, Pompeo became a senior advisor to Liberty’s Standing for Freedom Center.
While speculation suggested that Pompeo would run for the Republican nomination for president in the 2024 presidential election, he ultimately declined to do so. During his tenure as secretary of state and since leaving office, he developed a reputation as a tireless advocate for religious freedom worldwide.
In a previous interview with CP, Pompeo recalled how “the Trump administration and the State Department, when I was leading it, placed a real premium on working around the world to promote religious freedom.” He expressed concern that the Biden administration has worked to “de-prioritize” the issue of religious freedom.
“We created something called the Commission on Unalienable Rights to look at the human rights conditions for people around the world and how American diplomats ought to execute that mission around the world,” he said. “They have essentially disowned that work, which was glorious work.”
During Pompeo’s tenure as secretary of state, the State Department hosted two Ministerials to Advance Religious Freedom. The most recent event, held in July 2019, featured nearly 30 survivors of religious persecution sharing their stories. The three-day summit was touted as the largest religious freedom event ever held in world history. The inaugural State Department Ministerial on Religious Freedom took place in July 2018.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
