Northside Baptist Church, currently located in West Columbia, will open a private school in the fall when the church moves to a new facility in Lexington.
“God has burdened our hearts for the children in our area,” said administrative pastor Scott Crede. “We are blessed to have wonderful public schools that do a fantastic job of educating our children, but their hands are tied when it comes to teaching a biblical worldview.”
The school, to be called Northside Christian Academy, will consist of an early education center for ages 6 weeks-4K, and the academy for 5K-8th grade. Crede said the church plans to add a grade each year and to eventually offer K-12 education.
Lexington School District 1 is building a new elementary school and a middle school adjacent to Northside’s new church campus. Church members will volunteer in those schools, senior pastor Rocky Purvis said.
“We will still make it a major priority to offer after-school programs and serve them in as many ways as we can,” said Purvis. “We believe the academy will enhance our opportunities to minister to the schools.”
The anticipated opening date for Northside’s new facilities is September 2011.