Jaelyn Morgan joined the Liberty University Ratio Christi Chapter as an undergraduate freshman. Since then, she has been an active member of the club. Balance of her athletic responsibilities with our meetings was addressed with sincere commitment to serve Christ with all of her being. She led our discussion of the New Age movement, providing useful suggestions for identifying and reaching out to those involved in this illusive worldview.
Her presentation on defining law provoked an interaction among members that continued long past our normal meeting time, and evidenced her rare insight and abilities in this area. God seems to be leading Jaelyn into serving as a desperately-needed voice for Christ in the legal community.
Not content to coast through as vice president, she volunteered to produce our media post material and also provide technical support for our video presentations, which included our panel discussion of Christians and Politics, with upwards of 1000 views to date.
Check it out here: Christians and Politics
Jaelyn Morgan is a wonderful example of what Legatus Christi recognition is all about!
Q: When did you come to Christ as Lord and Savior, and how did that come about?
I grew up in a Christian household with parents who were strong followers of Jesus. I personally decided to follow Jesus when I was twelve years old after hearing a message on the rapture and His second-coming from a pastor at a weekend youth retreat in Upstate, New York. ‘I realized, wow, Jesus is literally coming back any day! God wants me to commit my life to Him. I need to decide now!’ After that, God began to convict me of sinful habits in my life which had previously not bothered me, starting my lifelong journey of sanctification and growth in knowledge and intimacy with Him. That God saw fit to call me out of the darkness and into ‘His marvelous light’ (1 Pet. 2:9) through Jesus Christ on that day is something for which I will always praise Him. Neither God’s story nor my personal story is finished yet. I am so happy to be part of what He is doing presently in His family, in His kingdom, and in the world.
Q: In your high school church youth group, how much did you learn about the Christian faith and reasons to believe?
In high school, I did not have much experience learning the reasons for my Christian faith. Although I was very involved as a youth and worship leader for my local church, I often neglected having a logical backing for my beliefs. I am not a skeptic by nature, although many people are, who become interested in apologetics. My love for apologetics came from a primarily evangelistic rationale.
Q: How did you become interested in apologetics, and how did you get involved with Ratio Christi?
There was a man in my church who was very into apologetics and he would give me resources to learn more about the reasonable Christian faith. He gave me many books including Stealing from God by Frank Turek, On Guard by William Lane Craig, and Saving Truth by Abdu Murray. As I grew up, God also began to break my heart for people who did not know the Gospel in my public school. To reach them, I realized I would need to be able to explain my faith without use of church-lingo, faith terminology, or religious concepts. As a result, I began to love and appreciate apologetics for how it could be used to explain the faith. The desire to share the Gospel well eventually drove me to major in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University.
Q: What impact has the University Ratio Christi Chapter had on your walk with God and your personal ministry?
The LU Ratio Christi Chapter has had a wonderful impact on my life! We discussed topics I had always been interested in but never explored, such as the concept of beauty, evidence for the resurrection, and personhood. It was so invigorating and encouraging to meet with other thoughtful people once a week and discuss difficult questions that pertained to faith. Each week would bring new insights, or conviction, and encouragement as we encouraged and equipped each other to give good reasons for what we believed.
Q: What is this RC chapter like?
Liberty University is a Christian institution, so most meetings are composed of believers. This means some of us need to play devil’s advocate for the skeptical position. Typically, our meetings are one hour long on a weekday afternoon. We have snacks, watch an introductory video or presentation, and then discuss the topic at hand. Afterward, there is often an informal meeting where we talk about other cultural or apologetics issues that have been on our minds.
Q: What were some of your favorite areas of involvement with your local Ratio Christi chapter?
I love working with the leadership team at the LU Ratio Christi Chapter. Everyone is faithful to do their part in organizing events and weekly sessions. The four leaders whom I originally met as a freshman were so welcoming and encouraging to new members. Currently, I assist the club as Vice President creating social media, filming, setting up for special events, and sometimes leading topic discussions (e.g., New Age Movement, What is the purpose of the law?).
Q: What does the your Legatus Christi award mean to you?
The Legatus Christi Award is an absolute honor which will increase my credentials in the apologetics world. It is a formal recognition for the work in apologetics that I have conducted over the past few years and a personal encouragement to keep contributing, researching, and reaching out to others in an apologetics manner.
Q: How do you envision taking the apologetics you have learned through Ratio Christi into your future endeavors?
This Spring I will graduate from Liberty University with a B.A. in Theology and Apologetics. This degree, paired with my experience in Ratio Christ, will serve as the foundation for my apologetics interactions with people in the future. As I intend to begin law school soon, where I hope to engage the public sphere from a biblical worldview, the apologetics foundation gained from my time at Liberty University will aid me in communicating important ideas and a sound rationale to address issues which are currently debated in the U.S.
Q: What are your short and long-term career/ministry/mission plans?
This fall, I plan to attend Regent Law School to pursue a J.D. and work for public non-profits, such as policy institutions, think-tanks, or humanitarian organizations. The biblical worldview has the most coherent reasons for the existence of human rights and dignity, social justice, and charitable service. I hope to serve fellow believers and non-Christians alike. For the former, I hope to equip them with resources to work out the implications of their faith in American society by making policy recommendations and serving on a legal counsel.
For the latter, I hope to serve them by providing advocacy, protection, and policy-related defense for the freedoms they deserve as human beings whom God created in His image (Gen. 1:27). For example, Human begins are created with a mind to think logically, a heart to worship spiritually, and a soul to rest in fellowship with God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. T, they have the right to freedom of conscience where they can choose for themselves in whom they will believe, follow, and worship. This right respects the biblical idea of stewardship of the mind.
Q: Would you consider coming back to work with your RC chapter, starting one at another school, or working with RC in any other capacity?
I would love to work with Ratio Christi in some capacity in the future. The organization is truly on the ground interacting with young people from all worldviews every day. Most people simply do not know the amazing reasons Christians have for their faith and would be far less skeptical if only someone would come alongside them and discuss their questions, doubts, and issues they may have with the biblical God and the biblical worldview. It would be a privilege to serve with Ratio Christi in the future in any capacity.
Q: What would you say to other students who might be considering getting involved in Ratio Christi, whether they be skeptics, seekers, or believers?
Get involved and ask questions! Keep coming back until you get your concerns addressed. Find a local chapter and be willing to engage in discussion and ask questions with leaders after each meeting. Even if you’re not skeptical by nature, like me, it is important to understand the perspective of people who do doubt. This will help you share the Gospel with and effectively address barriers to the Gospel. Often, people reject the faith based on superficial issues. Ratio Christi helps you understand and respond to these issues and provides clear answers so that you can remove the barriers and discuss the real issues holding them back from becoming a follower of Jesus.
