A place of peace: The history of the Todd Prayer Chapel and what it means to students
Trinity Adams, Staff Writer
From the picturesque stained glass window to the calming waterfall, the prayer chapel is known for being one of the most peaceful places on campus. Students and faculty go there for quiet time, pouring out their hearts and just sitting in the presence of God.
The prayer chapel was named after long-time NGU supporters Elton and Doris Todd from Greer, South Carolina. The benches in the chapel were created by the Greenville Woodworkers Guild and were donated by Joe F. Hayes in memory of his son.
It first opened on April 26, 2016. According to the director of development at the time, Joe Hayes, the prayer chapel was exactly what the school needed because it highlighted prayer on campus.
Hayes said in an interview about the prayer chapel that “if that building is used like it’s intended to be used, it will be the most important building on campus.” The prayer chapel is the only building that is open 24-hours, giving students unlimited access to the facility.
Since the opening of the building, the prayer chapel has been a place for students and teachers to build community through prayer. On the benches of the chapel, people can find prayer requests from students and faculty. Members of Fount and teachers have been known to read and pray over the requests weekly.
Giorgi Hunte, junior, said, “The prayer chapel is one of my favorite places on campus. It is peaceful and distraction-free when school or life gets busy and overwhelming. It is a space in which I can slow down and sit and rest in God’s presence.”
The chapel is also home to NGU’s annual 100 hours of scripture event. During this event, many students signed up to help the school read through the bible in 100 hours. For many students, this has been an impactful event and has helped them to focus on God even in the midst of a busy course load.
Sophomore Ashley Morris shared how the chapel has impacted her since coming to NGU: “There were lots of times that I went there last year around 2 a.m. to just stare at the ceiling and be reminded that there’s something higher than me who I can trust. There’s a quilt in there that’s hanging on a cross with verses and phrases that always seem to have something relevant to my situation. I’ve gone there and wept. I’ve gone there and been happy. The building is small and not surrounded by much, but I’ve seen God moving all over the world just from people’s prayers and testimonies. The prayer chapel is a testament of the fact that church is not a building, it’s a body of people.”
Many of NGU’s current students were introduced to the prayer chapel on their first tours of the school. It has been a place for comfort, peace and connections for many students.
Mia Hefner, sophomore, said, ”I love how it is a peaceful place where I can be alone. I got to share the gospel with my friend from California there, and we talked about it for three hours. He had never heard it before.”
This story had a correction on November 11,2023. The name of Doris Todd was corrected.
