Equipping the Called
Barry Doublestein, Ph.D.
Regent University Alumnus and Adjunct Professor in the School of Business & Leadership
Fulfilling Regent University’s mission to equip men and women to become Christian leaders and future world changers requires a significant financial investment. Dr. Barry Doublestein, a Regent alumnus and adjunct professor in the School of Business & Leadership, knows firsthand how important it is to support the university financially. He says it’s heartbreaking to see a lack of funds derail the academic goals of his doctoral and master’s degree students.
“I have a number of students from around the world who, because of challenges in the global economy, are unable to continue in their programs,” Doublestein explains. “Every one of these students wants to finish their education so they can be equipped to serve Christ in various industries and accomplish good works He has planned from the foundations of the earth.”
At Regent, student tuition and fees cover roughly 50% of the attendance cost. That means the university has to make up the difference through additional sources of revenue. The Doublesteins’ preferred giving option is the Regent Fund because those donations can reduce students’ financial burden and empower them to pursue God’s call on their lives. Supporting the Regent Fund also enables the university to meet staffing needs and access the resources required for the operation and maintenance of campus facilities, equipment and grounds.
“Matthew 6:21 tells us, ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ I agree wholeheartedly,” Doublestein says. “My wife Vivian and I started small in giving to Regent. As time has passed—and I have seen with my own eyes the transformations happening in the lives of my students—God has asked us to ramp it up. Had we not started with small gifts, we would never have had the pleasure of seeing lives changed. Small gifts matter.”
Doublestein challenges fellow graduates and friends to make supporting the university a top priority. As a former chapter president of the Metro-Atlanta Regent Alumni Association, Doublestein has met many alumni whose lives have been transformed through—what he calls—the university’s excellence and commitment to Christ.
“As an insider, I know that we, as an institution, are truly dedicated to the task of preparing graduates to engage in some of the most significant cultural battles in history,” Doublestein insists. “Vivian and I know that it takes money and people resources to train up the future generations of believers. So, we give to ensure Regent has what it needs to continue. If you really believe in the university’s mission, why would you not want to support Regent as it does its work?”
By generously supporting the Regent Fund, alumni and friends of the university can help equip students to answer and fulfill God’s call to become Christian leaders to change the world. Faithful, generous giving makes a tremendous difference in overall student success and the university’s financial stability.
“A few years ago,” Doublestein recalls, “a colleague in the School of Divinity told me that Regent’s founder, Chancellor & CEO Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson is a simple man. When I asked him what he meant, I was floored by his response: ‘He hears from the Lord and does.’ From the deepest part of my heart, I groaned, ‘I want that.’ Vivian and I give to the university because we want to be obedient and ‘do.’ I’m sure if our alumni prayed about financially supporting Regent, many would hear the Lord’s call to give—just like we did.”
Doublestein says that he and Vivian prioritize giving to Regent over his undergraduate and master’s degree alma maters because of the university’s impact on him from the beginning.
“I knew from the first moment that I was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be,” Doublestein remembers. “All of my previous education was a struggle for me as a believer in Jesus. My faith was something that brought ridicule from students and professors alike. At Regent, I was encouraged to deepen my walk with the Lord. That was refreshing. I am proud that we remain distinctively and unabashedly Christ-centered.”
Tax-deductible donations to the Regent Fund help provide students with life-changing scholarships, exceptional faculty, world-class facilities, innovative technology, enhanced classroom resources, vital campus-life programs, and much more. Every donation, no matter how small, is essential in equipping students for success, keeps Regent financially strong, and reduces the need to draw resources from the university’s endowment to assure the school’s long-term future.
“Regent’s reputation as a global center of excellence continues to grow,” Doublestein says. “Every gift assures that this reputation advances.”
Stand with Dr. Barry & Vivian Doublestein to empower students to answer God’s call to attend Regent University. You can help assure the university’s long-term future by supporting the Regent Fund. Visit regent.edu/regentfund or call 800.335.4409 to make your tax-deductible gift today.
