LORAN LIVINGSTON ('77)

The son of a North Carolina railroad worker, Loran Livingston grew up in Wadesboro, about 50 miles east of Charlotte. At the age of three his family joined the small congregation of L. L. Reeder and became members of the Church of God. It was at age of 7 that Loran first felt urgency toward God, but not until the spring semester of his freshman year at Lee, in 1971, did he have a conversion experience while sitting in the basement of Medlin Hall. Two days later, on March 28, he accepted his calling to be a minister.

In the summer of 1973 he married a young woman that he first met at church youth camp, Sandra Weatherby, the daughter of Rev. G. E. Weatherby. Soon after, the two left Lee to accept a Youth Evangelism position and Loran finished his degree through continuing education. Loran and Sandra spent their early ministry as evangelists traveling the state of Ohio.

It was in Ohio one evening in December of 1976 that Loran received a call from a group back in Charlotte asking him to minster the next Sunday. He did, and when that group called him every week for 3 months asking him to be their pastor he finally relented. In April 1977 Loran became the pastor of the newly formed 22-member Central Church.

Thirty-five years later Central Church has 7300 members and is the largest North American congregation in the Church of God. Loran can be heard each Sunday on the international radio program Forward in Faith, and is a familiar favorite in Lee University chapel. He has served on the Church of God Executive Council and is currently serving as a member of the North Carolina State Council. He and Sandra have four daughters and five grandchildren.

In 1991, Loran was named the Lee University Alumnus of the Year.