As a student in 1955, Walter Marion Adams preached in chapel at North Greenville Junior College. Out of a student body of 350, more than 100 responded to the invitation.
John Adams, his father Marion Adams, and North Greenville University president Jimmy Epting stand outside Turner Chapel where the elder Adams spoke at the bi-weekly chapel service. The sermon was Marion Adams’ first on the Tigerville campus since he spoke as a student in 1955.As a retired 83-year-old minister in 2007, Adams came back “home” to North Greenville University and spoke to more than 1,500 students in chapel. More than 50 years later, students were still moved by the gospel preached by Adams. Virtually every student made some response to the invitation on March 26.
Adams’ ministry has led him to pastor Southern Baptist churches in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. He has preached in 184 Baptist churches and in 14 foreign countries.
He has defied communist guards by preaching at the Museum of Atheism in Russia. He was brought in for questioning by the Cuban government for preaching the gospel. He then shared Christ with the communist leaders. He confronted Madalyn Murray O’Hair with the gospel at a regional atheists’ meeting.
None of this would have been possible if not for former North Greenville president, M.C. Donnan. After attending NGJC for a year, Adams was unable to find work during the summer. He called Donnan to let him know he would not be returning to classes that fall. Donnan told him, “Marion, pack your bags and come on home. We’ll make a way.” Somehow, a way was made, and Adams graduated from North Greenville, Furman University and Southwestern Baptist Seminary.
His son, John Adams, who is pastor of First Baptist Church in Easley, said his father came to the campus in the 1950s “with a passion to serve God and love people.” That passion was evident 50 years later as he challenged the current student body of North Greenville University.
As he closed his message, Adams held aloft a baton and told the students that he can no longer do all the things he has done in the past. He asked them, “Will you take the baton? Will you carry it forward now?”
Adams was accompanied to the campus by his wife, their children, their spouses and grandchildren. They sat in NGU’s Turner Chapel as Adams preached at the place he called home and which gave him his chance to begin a Christian education.
Following the chapel service, current NGU president Jimmy Epting presented to Adams a photo of Dr. Donnan, as a remembrance of the first North Greenville president who told him to “come on home.”