The chairperson of North Greenville University’s board of trustees said Aug. 27 that school leaders “are expected to lead Christ-centered lives” and that current administrative staff and faculty members reflect the Baptist university’s “legal, moral and ethical expectations” and are held to “the highest of standards.”
The written statement, which the university sent to The Courier by email, apparently was in response to a recently uploaded Youtube video titled “Epting Exposed.” It was unclear who posted the video.
In January 2015, the university announced that then-president Jimmy Epting would take a “sabbatical leave” during the spring semester and retire in May. At the time, Randall Pannell, who would later be named interim president, said health concerns might have been a “catalyst” in Epting’s decision to step down.
In her Aug. 27 statement, NGU board chairperson Beverly Hawkins requested that the university “be allowed to focus on the traditions of our campus and our bright future as a community.”
Neither Hawkins nor Pannell were available for comment, said LaVerne Howell, NGU’s director of marketing and public relations, in response to an email from The Courier.
Efforts to reach Epting by telephone late Thursday were unsuccessful.
Epting’s 23-year tenure as North Greenville’s president began in 1991 when he was named the seventh president of the school.
Beverly Hawkins’ statement:
North Greenville University’s leaders are expected to lead Christ-centered lives and abide by all campus policies and procedures. The administration and faculty on campus today reflect our legal, moral and ethical expectations. We take our responsibilities as leaders of a Christian institution seriously and hold each member of our community to the highest of standards.
As an institution, our promise is to combine an academic environment with a Christ-like lifestyle and provide students with opportunities for spiritual growth, academic training and Christian service.
We will continue to focus our efforts on celebrating the start of the academic year with our students and ask that we be allowed to focus on the traditions of our campus and our bright future as a community.
Beverly Hawkins
Chair, North Greenville University Board of Trustees