Our relationship with Dr. Chapman began a little over a year ago, shortly after he wrote the article "A Case for Christian Elementary and Secondary Schools," in which he made a compelling case for Southern Baptist Churches to become more deeply involved in the development of Christian schools in their communities.
At the conclusion of his time at AOP, I had the honor of fellowshipping with him at one of our local eating establishments. (Much to his delight, they served an acceptable glass of sweet tea!) We enjoyed conversing over many subjects, but one of our main topics was his continued concern for our nation and his support for Christian education. He was kind enough to give me complete liberty in quoting him as I wished.
Like others of his generation, he has lived to see many changes throughout his lifetime, but in recent years has become increasingly concerned about the future of our nation. "The moral and ethical values of our nation are eroding quickly. If something is not done to stop this erosion, we will no longer be the nation we have been. Should we fail to see the reality, we will fail to take steps to affect the course of the history of our nation."
He strongly believes Christian education is one of the major steps which must be taken to make this change. "Teachers have access to young minds in public schools like no one else. As effective as any church may be, a church does not have the access to children like the school does. It's imperative for us to begin to saturate our nation with Christian education before the time comes when we can no longer do so."
While he primarily serves the Southern Baptists in his office, he commends all pastors "...who want to invest more of themselves in preparing children for life" through their Christian school ministries. In his opinion, "For a pastor to establish a Christian school is the most direct and immediate means to touch a growing number of teenagers and children with an effective witness for Christ."
While I thanked him in private, I also wish to thank Dr. Chapman publicly for his avid support for the growth of Christian schools. He voluntarily ends his tenure as president of the SBC Executive Committee this coming September and leaves after 18 years of faithful service in this capacity. We wish him well and pray God's continued blessing upon him in the coming years.
At AOP, we are honored to partner with leaders like Dr. Chapman and with all pastors who have a vision for Christian education. We concur with his words, "This generation could be our last hope. . . .Who is going to train them if we don't?"
Roy Faletti
Vice President of Educational Services
