by Rachel Ward, Student Public Relations Writer
A student’s quiet sentence turned an ordinary day into a defining moment for Cedarville University alumnus Craig Beatty.
“I know your God is the one true God,” she said.
A Nepalese student’s confession strengthens a teacher’s mission
The student was from Nepal, where more than 80% of the population practices Hinduism. For Beatty, the moment was more than an encouraging comment — it reinforced what had been shaping in him for years: Classrooms can be mission fields. Soon, other Nepalese students began asking questions, too, encouraged by her decision to follow Christ.
Cedarville education degree led to teaching overseas in Portugal
Beatty, who graduated from Cedarville in 2005 with a degree in integrated social studies, spent 11 years teaching in Portugal at Greater Lisbon Academy, an international school with students of nearly 20 nationalities, including South Korean and Indian, as well as many third-culture kids. Today, he serves as the principal of The King’s Christian School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
But the mission that carried him overseas did not begin with a plane ticket. It started at Cedarville.
As a student, Beatty joined a missions trip to Jamaica to serve at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf and took part in a relief trip to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. These trips matured his faith and widened his perspective of the world.
“It felt like God was taking a hammer and shaping my heart,” said Beatty.
And while his character was being shaped, his skills were developing as well. Beatty credits the storytelling approach of Dr. Murray Murdoch in his Social Movements class with helping him learn how to teach with clarity and purpose.
“Getting a quality education at Cedarville helped me be an effective teacher and storyteller,” said Beatty. “I tried to take that art of storytelling to the classroom when I began teaching.”
A post-graduation call opened the door to Portugal
Two months before graduation, an unexpected opportunity redirected his future. Evandro Batista, a Hall of Fame soccer player at Cedarville and the father of one of Beatty’s friends, called with a challenge: Pray about visiting Portugal for two weeks to explore long-term work there.
“I told God I’d go anywhere,” said Beatty.
After much prayer, Beatty said goodbye to family and friends and traveled to the Greater Lisbon Christian Academy, where he would teach U.S. history for 11 years. The classroom came with its own set of challenges — especially since many students’ ideas about the United States were shaped more by movies than by history.
Returning to the U.S. in 2017: faith, family and hard choices
In 2017, after more than a decade in Portugal, Beatty and his wife, Meg, felt called to return to the United States. Doors opened, but they were reluctant to step through them.
“It was the hardest decision of my life,” said Beatty.
Still, Beatty pursued job options, and the family moved in faith. Only later did he realize the timing gave him one more season with his father, who passed away about a year later.
When Beatty faces a tough decision, he said he still reaches out fellow Cedarville alumni working in similar roles. He said their guidance was essential to ease his transition into his new role as principal after moving back to the United States. He also occasionally shares Cedarville recordings and lectures when teaching about worldview, aiming to lead students with the same care he received from his own professors.
“I really strive to be like Dr. Thomas Mach (vice president for academics and professor of history),” said Beatty. “I remember him praying with me, and that’s what I do with students as a principal now.”
From Portugal to New Jersey, Beatty’s story points to a bigger purpose: education that forms students, strengthens faith and shapes leaders who serve wherever they are sent.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
