The administrator articles for first semester will focus on the BJA mission statement. Each week an administrator will consider one of the elements of the statement. Some of the articles will examine the biblical and philosophical bases for the statement. Others will illustrate how we integrate one element into the educational program in a practical way. We hope that these articles will be a blessing to you as we consider why and how we do what we do.
“Bob Jones Academy exists to assist like-minded Christian parents”—that is the focus for this week. Perhaps, the words that jump out are “like-minded” and “assist.”
Let’s start with the word “assist.” Underlying this first phrase in the mission statement is the question of whose responsibility it is to teach children. You find interesting results when you search the Internet for “who is responsible for educating children?” You will see a wide range of opinions including parents, teachers, and the government. So, what is the answer? Ultimately, it depends on a person’s worldview. As believers, we understand that every aspect of our lives is governed by the Lord and the principles He has given us in the Bible. We view all of life through the filter of the Bible—a biblical worldview. It is clear in God’s Word that God has given the responsibility of education to parents (Deuteronomy 6) and the church (Matthew 28). Nowhere in the Bible is the responsibility of education given to the government. The BJA mission statement reflects this biblical worldview by recognizing that education is the responsibility of parents and that we come alongside to assist parents.
Why the word, “like-minded”? Not all who claim to be Christian adhere to a biblical worldview. Robert Marzano, a widely published educational leader, wrote an article titled “When Two Worldviews Collide,” in which he attempts to comprehend the passion of those who adhere to a biblical worldview that holds to a literal interpretation of the Bible and are opposed to his secular worldview, which is rooted in cognitive psychology. Marzano, a Roman Catholic who spent four years in a monastery, cannot understand why “ultra-fundamentalists” are opposed to his theories when he, too, is a Christian who is simply trying to keep church-related issues separate from governmental issues “to ensure that no religion [is] favored or discriminated against.” But, by subscribing to such philosophy, public and many private schools promote secular humanist religion. While Marzano would claim to be a Christian, he is not a like-minded Christian. As like-minded Christians, we agree on the fundamental doctrines and, in most cases, on the application of the principles of the Bible. The prophet Amos writes, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
From the beginning, BJA has chosen to minister to families of “like precious faith.” Some term such a school a covenant school. In comparison, some Christian schools are evangelistic schools that enroll students without regard to their relationship with Jesus Christ. Typically, for these schools, part of their mission is to lead to the Lord students who do not have a personal relationship with Him. There is not a right and wrong here. Each school—covenant or evangelistic—has a place.
In these ways, Bob Jones Academy has chosen to assist like-minded Christian parents to educate their children in the truths of the Word of God. Our theme verse—from the Bible—reflects the goal for our students: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Bob Jones Academy exists to assist like-minded Christian parents in challenging students to love Jesus Christ, to embrace God’s truth, to exercise integrity, to pursue excellence, and to serve others.
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