In 1970, Jerry Falwell believed he was called to establish an institute of higher learning. Falwell, then pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, began a fund-raising campaign and started researching candidates to help lead the school. Falwell and Towns had met previously during the preparation for "The Ten Largest Sunday Schools and What Made Them Grow", as Thomas Road Baptist Church was number nine on the list. Towns' academic work in Christian education and previous experiences with the college accreditation process made him a strong candidate. In 1971, Falwell and Towns co-founded Lynchburg Bible College in Lynchburg, Virginia (now Liberty University), with Falwell in an executive and fund-raising role and Towns as academic director and the school's only full-time instructor.