UPDATE, 12/7/2025:
The final U.S.-registered DC-8 aircraft touched down at Lynchburg Regional Airport on Sunday at 12:45 p.m., ending its closing mission earlier than formally coming into retirement. After the touchdown, Chancellor Jonathan Falwell spoke with a reporter on the tarmac, noting that the aircraft, a present from Samaritan’s Purse, will likely be completely displayed at Liberty College, accompanied by a museum. He stated individuals will quickly have the ability to tour the plane and find out how aviation can be utilized as a robust ministry instrument.
Learn the complete story beneath.
12/5/25:
Liberty College President Dondi E. Costin and Chancellor Jonathan Falwell joined college students, workers, and representatives from Samaritan’s Purse on a visit to Jamaica on Friday to ship 9,200 Operation Christmas Youngster shoebox presents to kids affected by Hurricane Melissa. They traveled aboard the final U.S.-registered DC-8 plane, which was not too long ago retired and donated to Liberty, the place it can stay on show after touchdown at Lynchburg Regional Airport on Sunday.
The crew departed the Samaritan’s Purse Airlift Response Middle in Greensboro, N.C., on Friday morning and after touchdown in Kingston, they participated in an outreach occasion at Bible Reality Ministry Worldwide, the place they handed out 100 shoeboxes full of toys, college provides and private care objects. The bins have been packed by Liberty College and Thomas Street Baptist Church.
“It’s such a full-circle second to see the shoeboxes that have been packed on Liberty’s campus come right here to Jamaica and for the children to get these bins,” stated scholar Cassie Straub, president of Liberty’s Operation Christmas Youngster Membership. “It was actually cool to see how Samaritan’s Purse ties within the Gospel to the field and talks about how Jesus is the best reward. He’s a free reward we obtain, identical to these shoeboxes.”
“Seeing the enjoyment on the children’ faces and realizing how a lot this reward means to them — it was a cool expertise to see and work together with the children,” she added.
Straub was one among 9 college students on the journey, together with Pupil Physique President Isaac Kantola.
“It was extremely cool to see the best way this works on the opposite aspect,” he stated, noting he grew up packing OCC shoeboxes together with his household at church. “My dad and mom and I had been wanting to do that expertise for some time. It was very, very cool to see.”
On Saturday, the group went to Black River Impartial Church for an additional outreach occasion. They have been scheduled to return to Lynchburg Saturday night, however inclement climate brought on the the DC-8’s closing flight to be rescheduled to Sunday.
Over the previous 10 years, the DC-8 served as Samaritan’s Purse’s main heavy-lift plane, carrying greater than 9.2 million kilos of life-saving cargo on 218 missions worldwide. The N.C.-based group gifted the historic plane to Liberty College, noting that Liberty provides one of many largest faith-based collegiate aviation packages in North America. The aircraft will stay on show to remind college students how God can use aviation as a instrument for the Gospel.
Liberty has been a longtime accomplice of Samaritan’s Purse, sending groups to help with its catastrophe aid efforts across the nation and all over the world.
“For a decade, the DC-8 has helped us attain extra individuals all over the world for the Gospel—getting the correct provides and folks to locations devastated by disasters and crises. Because the DC-8 prepares to finish its closing mission, we reward God for the way He has used this aircraft to vary lives,” stated Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Aviation performs a essential position in our work, and we changed this 1968 DC-8, which has reached the top of its service life, with a 767, permitting us to move much more provides to individuals in want in Jesus’ Identify.”
“This beneficiant legacy reward will stand as a everlasting reminder to our college students of what devoted ministry appears like at scale,” stated Liberty President Dr. Dondi E. Costin. “For many years, this magnificent plane carried hope into catastrophe zones and war-torn areas in a few of the hardest locations throughout the darkest moments all over the world. Daring religion requires each imaginative and prescient and sacrifice. This reminder will encourage the subsequent era of Champions for Christ to ask, ‘How can I serve Jesus with that very same imaginative and prescient and urgency?’”
Falwell stated he’s grateful to all the Graham household and Samaritan’s Purse for his or her friendship within the religion and their partnership within the Gospel.
“For generations, they’ve reached numerous lives worldwide sharing the love of Jesus, serving these in disaster, and ministering to kids in want,” he stated. “This DC-8 is the primary main reward of its type to Liberty. It’s a historic testomony to our shared dedication to succeed in the world by way of the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ whereas assembly individuals’s pressing wants by way of humanitarian aid. As Liberty continues the mission of coaching the subsequent era of Champions for Christ who will serve by way of mission aviation, this plane will likely be an encouraging reminder of our previous whereas pointing boldly to the long run, inspiring our college students to succeed in the nations for Christ.”
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