Fifteen Years of God’s Provision

Growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, I used to boast to my friends that I had an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, three baseball fields, not just one but four pool tables, and a host of other goodies at my house. I simply left out that I lived at private boarding school. As I approached the end of my high school career and moved into college, I knew I wanted to teach at a private school as my dad had done for many years. I graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major in history and religious studies and began looking for teaching jobs. In the summer of 1997, a gentleman named Chuck Johnston contacted me about teaching at a new Christian school in Atlanta and so began my career at Whitefield Academy. As I reflect on my time here at Whitefield 15 years later, I am amazed at the faithfulness of the Lord in bringing both growth and change.

The first day of school in 1997 saw 96 students and their families gathered with 20 or so faculty and staff, eating donuts and praying for the start of the school year. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and not a small amount of nervousness—faculty members wondered at their sanity of leaving safe employment for this unknown, and parents wondered if this new school would do the job its mission statement claimed. As the first weeks rolled by and the school began to fall into a rhythm, the nervousness began to abate, but the excitement continued. As with any new venture, there were lots of issues and hiccups and questions, but the leadership of the school, the united vision of the faculty and staff, the patience and commitment of the parents, and the mercy and grace of the Lord saw us through. I often laugh with Stacy Quiros, Linda Simpson, or Vesta Jones as we watch the Back to School Picnic each year. Watching more than 1,000 people running around, bouncing on inflatables, and eating from several catered restaurants, we think back to the first school picnic with three folding tables containing a tray of Chick-fil-A nuggets and some potluck dishes.

The strength of our academic program and sense of school spirit have increased dramatically over the years. The administration has done a wonderful job of continuing to strengthen our standards and draw fantastic students to our school. Students at Whitefield tend to take pride in their work and in just being Whitefield students. Though a new Christ-centered school was exciting for parents and faculty, it was not necessarily exciting for teenagers in the midst of a status-crazed private school city like Atlanta. I spent a lot of time in the early days of Whitefield encouraging students that it was okay to be at a small, private, Christian school like ours. In recent years, however, groups like the Blue Crew have arisen to seize the mantle of school spirit. Watching them yell and cheer at home basketball games stirs me with real pride and joy.

The first Whitefield campus was anything but awe inspiring. Most classes were held in a building affectionately known as the UFO building. After three years we moved to Mableton and I have enjoyed watching the development of our campus – from the first permanent classroom building to the athletic center and football stadium to the Lower School Student Activity Center and now to the new Upper School building. I make a point of often looking at the landscape picture taken at the original groundbreaking ceremony of the new campus and realizing how far we have come in such a short period of time.

The simple fact is that none of this would exist without the faithfulness of the Lord. Though we have had some wonderful trustees, administrators, and faculty, it was the Lord who brought them and saw us through all the changes. I thank the Lord constantly for the consistent call of godly men and women to the board who continue to uphold and honor the founders’ vision for uncompromising Christ-centered education, even in the face of social and educational pressure. As we entered the tough economic times a few years ago and everyone wondered what would happen to our enrollment, the Lord again stepped in and brought both the families and the money we needed, not only to survive but also to add to the buildings of the school.

In closing, this year began a new chapter in my life at Whitefield—as a parent. Each morning I have the privilege of bringing my son to the school I helped create. Watching his joy and excitement as a kindergartner fills me anew with a passion for this place. Though I do not know what the future holds, I look forward to more changes and growth in the years to come as my three children all become students and then graduate to go onto college and life with a passion for learning, for others ahead of self, and for the living and active Jesus.