Tigerville, SC - A gathering of the faculty, staff and students took place on this beautiful Wednesday at North Greenville University to celebrate the school’s 120th birthday at the Founder’s Day chapel service.
“Today is a special day,” said President Jimmy Epting as he welcomed students and faculty to the service.
This year’s speaker, Rev. Paul Jimenez, pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church, opened his message by asking the question, “What are the toughest challenges you’ve faced that are keeping you from your mission?”
Referencing the story of Gideon in the book of Judges, he went on to say that Christians allow external things to consume them and cause their thinking to become unclear.
“We are supposed to turn inward to battle challenges that we face,” said Jimenez. Four principles were given to help believers turn to God with their challenges.
“Finding the right method to meet challenges doesn’t start with our gifts and ideas, but through encountering God,” Jimenez said as the fourth principle.
He concluded by telling the audience, “I pray that whatever external challenges you face; inwardly you would meet those spiritual challenges to bring the glory of Christ not only to this institution, but the world around you.”
Founded in 1892 as a high school, North Greenville provided educational opportunities for the mountain area students. The state of South Carolina chartered the institution as North Greenville High School in 1904. Eleven years later, it was renamed “North Greenville Academy.” In 1934, a junior college was established in addition to the high school. By 1991, the college became a four-year liberal arts college and awarded its first bachelor degree in 1994. With the Lord’s help, in 2005, the school continued to grow and became a university and also opened the doors to the T. Walter Brashier Graduate School that now offers masters and doctorate degrees.