Liberty University trustee chairman Jerry Prevo will serve as acting president, the school announced Aug. 10, filling the role vacated Aug. 7 by Jerry Falwell Jr.

Falwell and the board of trustees agreed to an indefinite leave of absence Aug. 7. Prevo’s appointment by the trustee board’s executive committee was supported by all members of the board in a meeting Monday.

The announcement comes two weeks before the start of the 2020-21 academic year.

Prevo has served on the school’s board of trustees since 1996, and as board chairman since 2003. He recently retired as the senior pastor of Anchorage Baptist Temple in Anchorage, Alaska, after 47 years. During his stewardship, Anchorage Baptist Temple became one of Alaska’s largest churches and had the state’s largest school as well. The church’s ministry also included three radio stations and one television station.

“I want to thank my fellow board members for having confidence that I could be entrusted with the responsibility of serving as the acting president during this time of Jerry Falwell Jr.’s indefinite leave of absence,” Prevo said. “We have a world-class leadership team at Liberty University who will support me in running our operations on a day-to-day basis and fulfilling our spiritual mission unabated: Training champions for Christ. Please pray for us as well as the Falwell family as we embark on our academic year and so we may continue to be united in our common purpose and our faith in Christ.”

Prevo will begin the role immediately and expects to work from the Lynchburg campus starting Aug. 17. He has also stepped aside from his role as chairman of the board for the duration of his time as acting president. 

Allen McFarland, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Va. and Liberty’s board vice chairman, stepped in as acting board chairman following Prevo’s transition.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Biblical Recorder staff added to this report.)