NGU’s Renovated Craft-Hemphill Missions Center to be Dedicated April 29
Posted on: April 26, 2022
Tigerville, SC (April 26, 2022) Celebrating the renovation and expanded academic focus of a campus landmark, North Greenville University (NGU) will host a dedication ceremony for Craft-Hemphill Missions Center on the university’s Tigerville campus Friday, April 29. The celebration will begin with an open house at noon, followed by the dedication ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in the center.
Craft-Hemphill Missions Center opened in 2011, serving the NGU community with resources designed to promote global missions engagement. In 2021, the center was renovated and became home to the university’s College of Christian Studies. The building also houses NGU’s Institute for Global Leadership, which coordinates student service work around the world. Two key aspects of the renovation were re-working the Mission Control Auditorium on the lower level of the two-story structure, and redesigning the William C. “Bill” and Shirley H. Adams Lobby at the building’s entrance to serve as an inviting student gathering space.
“This building is a unique ministry resource for our campus, and it is fitting to have Craft-Hemphill as home to our vital College of Christian Studies,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “Since it opened, Craft-Hemphill has been a resource to help students embrace and convey a comprehensive Christian worldview. This renovation enables us to fulfill that purpose in an even stronger way.”
The 12,000-square-foot center includes nine offices, four classrooms, three resource rooms, a conference room, and an auditorium space with a two-story-high ceiling.
The renovated multi-purpose Mission Control Auditorium includes renovated walls, a new whiteboard wall, 96-inch television, writing boards, and contemporary furniture. It is used for meetings of the NGU board of trustees, as well as for special events year-round.
The building is named in honor of two families with strong missions legacies. The late Ira and Betty Jo Craft were engaged in local church ministry throughout their lives and invested in international missions through personal service in lay renewal conferences around the world. Dr. Ken and Paula Hemphill have served in varied leadership roles in the Southern Baptist Convention. A prolific writer and sought-after speaker, Dr. Hemphill formerly served as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently directs the Hemphill Center for Church Revitalization at the seminary. Mrs. Hemphill is a writer and speaker, and has served as a women’s ministry leader with Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board.
The Hemphills’ daughter, Tina Boesch, designed the center’s stained glass window, which depicts the river of life flowing from the throne of God in Revelation 22. The window was created by Greenville-area artist Lou Ellen Beckham-Davis.
About North Greenville University
NGU offers more than 115 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic. Learn more.
