A gathering of faculty, staff, and students took place Sept. 18 at North Greenville University to celebrate the school’s 121st birthday at the annual Founders 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, Gregory T. Mathis, senior pastor at Mudd Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville, N.C., opened his message by asking the question, “What does Dr. Epting mean when he says ‘Just One More’? He says it all the time, and I’ve heard him say it three times this morning,” said Mathis. “He is saying that if you’re not saved, he wants to see you get saved.”

North Greenville Founders Day keynote chapel speaker, Gregory T. Mathis.

“Are you saved?” Mathis asked. “Has there ever been a time in your life that you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior?” He referenced Romans 1:14-17 and asked the attendees if they felt an obligation to share the gospel, if they have an eagerness to share it, if they are willing to be bold enough to share it, and willing to put sharing the gospel at the top of their priority list. Mathis concluded by telling the congregation, “We’ve put so many things on our priority list above sharing the gospel. Maybe we’re not as ready, willing, and bold as we ought to be.”

During Founders Day, NGU reflects on its history. Founded in 1892 as a high school, North Greenville provided educational opportunities for 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’s degree in 1994. In 2005, the school continued to grow and became a university and also opened the doors to the T. Walter Brashier Graduate School, which offers master’s and doctoral degrees.