Samuel Thomas, of Columbus, Ga., and president of Hopegivers International, delivered the commencement address for North Greenville University’s graduation ceremonies Dec. 8. The 102 graduates were part of the first class graduating under the university name. Thomas spoke about some of the 18 different attempts on his life, particularly one that included NGU’s president Jimmy Epting during his recent trip to India.
Samuel Thomas, left, receives an honorary doctor of divinity degree from NGU president Jimmy Epting.“Dr. Epting is number one in all presidents that I have met in all my life,” said Thomas. “Anti-Christian forces had promised to kill the speaker at our graduation. I tried to get Dr. Epting to deliver a taped message, but he told me, ‘It would be an honor for me to speak to your graduates and die for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.'”
He then challenged the graduates to be “introduced to the devil.” Using Job 1, where God introduces Job to Satan, Thomas encouraged students “to be blameless, upright and to fear God and shun evil.” He told those in attendance if they would do this, then God would place a hedge around their lives, families and life’s work. God would protect them inside the hedge, but he would also cultivate them. “Cultivation always hurts,” said Thomas, “but the fruit from it brings God glory.” At the conclusion of his address, Thomas was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree and was hooded by NGU president and Bennie Durham, chairman of the board.
Thomas is one of the leading humanitarians of India. A dynamic young Indian leader and speaker, he acts as the spokesperson for the Hopegivers International organization and oversees the day-to-day operations of the ministry.
During his tenure with Hopegivers, Thomas has been instrumental in establishing approximately 190 schools that educate more than 88,000 students; planting more than 87 orphanages and children’s homes for 8,900 orphaned Indian children; beginning outreaches in more than 500 leper colonies; opening a hospital and a nursing home; establishing 92 Bible institutes, including the Emmanuel Theological Seminary in Kota, Rajasthan, and the first Christian University in New Delhi; opening a home for the blind; and multiple other outreaches, schools and orphanages in Nepal, China, Burma and Thailand.
In addition to Thomas, two other honorary doctorates were awarded by the university. Georgia Taylor Roberson, of Anderson, was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters.
Roberson’s original interest was to assist the school in student scholarships, but, after seeing the need to accommodate the growing enrollment, decided to build a residence hall named The Marshall H. and Georgia T. Roberson Residence Hall. The facility was opened in 2002 and accommodates approximately 64 female resident students.
Roberson retired after 34 years of service on the faculty of Clemson University through the Cooperative Extension Service. She also worked with her husband, Marshall Roberson, founder of American Sentry Burglar and Fire Alarm Company in Anderson.
Fountain Inn resident and former Greenville County councilman George Bomar also received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.
Bomar, a retired insurance businessman, is responsible for the new George E. Bomar Department of Mass Communication suite in the Tingle Student Life Center. He is a member of the NGU council of advisors and board member of the Christian Ministry Scholarship Fund, where he serves as vice chairman. Bomar was honored with the Order of the Palmetto in 1995 and in 2004 received an honorary Alumni of the Year award from Greenville Tech. He is married to Barbara Lassiter Bomar and is a Sunday school teacher at Mauldin First Baptist Church.