Evening of prayer marks 100 years at SWU
Marking exactly 100 years of excellence in education, Southern Wesleyan University will hold an Evening of Prayer and Praise.
The event will be Sunday, October 15 at 5:45 pm and will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first day of classes on the Southern Wesleyan University campus. Members of the community are invited to participate in the prayer service that will begin at Freedom’s Hill Church on the university’s campus in Central and continue as a prayer walk through the campus. Prayer leaders will mark the eras of God’s faithfulness that led to the university as it is today.
“For the past 100 years our university has been bathed in prayer and it is appropriate that we mark this date with a special time of prayer and praise as a university community,” said Southern Wesleyan University President David Spittal.
During the prayer walk, a monument will be unveiled at the location where the university’s founders knelt to pray before selecting Central as the place to establish Southern Wesleyan University.
The prayer walk is part of the university’s year-long centennial celebration that will culminate in a grand finale Oct. 28 at the campus in Central. Joy Bryant, centennial celebration organizer, said she hopes to welcome many visitors on the campus that day.
“We invite everyone to participate in lots of fun activities throughout the day and hope to have our community on campus for our spectacular fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. The best seats to see the 30-minute fireworks show will be at our baseball stadium,” Bryant said.
The Oct. 28 events include arts and crafts vendors, a car and motorcycle show, ball games, entertainment for children, celebration banquets and a Concert of Praise followed by the fireworks extravaganza.
“The Concert of Praise will start at 7 p.m. with the Rick Webb Trio and will feature current university performers, as well as reunion groups,” Bryant said. Ticket prices are $5 to $10.
Southern Wesleyan University prepares students for leadership and graduate study in such fields as religion, education, music, business, medicine, law and a variety of civic and social service professions. Southern Wesleyan offers 32 major areas of study for undergraduates and graduate degrees in the areas of business, education and ministry. The university’s main campus is in Central and there are regional learning centers across the state, in locations such as Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and North Augusta.