Raising Christian Patriots: God first, Family second and Outreach third
"For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God. …And having seen [that city] afar off, [they] were persuaded of [it], and embraced [it], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ... 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." [Heb 11:10, 15-16]
I am a 51 year Christian education veteran. My wife and I have 10 children and to date we have 53 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Nearly all of our grandchildren are homeschooled today through our church’s WCFS Academy program. Through the church that I pastor, we started a home-based education program in 1983 for our own children, and upon request, extended it to other parents desiring the same. After years of resistance, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) finally recognized our Academy Program as a full-fledged K-12 private school and not just an umbrella school, allowing our students who, though taught at home, are now exempt from all Home Instruction Regulations, being enrolled in a Church operated private educational institution. Last year, we served nearly 2,000 students, world-wide.
Our school was founded through intense advocacy with the MSDE, by which we fought to promote and preserve parental rights and authority over the education of our children as a God-ordained duty. Christian education advocacy has been the foundation of our Biblical curriculum that promotes Christian citizenship that proactively participates in the legislative and executive branches of government to preserve these rights.
We are prayerfully looking for additional resources for our mandatory .5 credit Applied Civics 101 course. We believe that being an affiliate may be a beneficial upgrade to our civics course. You may review our applied civics course here:
WCFS has a 43 year history of proactive involvement in education policy and practice in the State of Maryland.
In a blog dated 9/27/23, I responded to a WAPO article attacking our school for promoting Christian Nationalism. My response clearly outlines our proactive policies and practices of our ministry. You can read the blog here:
You may also enjoy the other blogs there that demonstrate our efforts to influence education and parents in Maryland.
Our Personal Heritage
At age 7, our oldest son, Daniel, and our other children began attending legislative hearings and other policy meetings with my wife and me. Later, Dan became my first legislative intern. During his Jr. & Sr. High years, he previewed all 2250+ bills submitted annually to the legislature. Upon attending Maryland University, he was granted 21 pre-law credits for his Jr. & Sr. High School hands-on “working with Father” apprenticeship. After graduating from law school and establishing his law practice, he was elected to the Maryland General Assembly in 2018, and was elected as the Republican Gubernatorial candidate for Maryland in the 2022 election. Dan is currently being considered as the Maryland Attorney for the Justice Department, a position that has not been filled as of yet.
Here’s a picture of Dan with Charlie Kirk in D. C. during his 2022 Maryland gubernatorial bid.
Daniel with his daughter and campaign manager, Patience, with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, 03MAY22
A Brief WCFS History
In 1983, through our efforts to preserve the liberty of our conscience, God blessed us by using our education program as the foundation for the home instruction regulations in Maryland. While we preserved our conscience, God has granted us favor and preserved our liberty! (1Tim 2:1-8; 1Pet 3:13, 15)
At the request of MSDE’s Assistant Attorney General, Ellen Heller, we began and have continued to provide mentoring opportunities for pastors, helping them establish bona fide educational programs in their churches. You can review our Heritage Educational License Program (H.E.L.P.) outreach here: https://www.wcfs.edu/help Currently, we have 7 affiliates worldwide, and are assisting an additional 4 applicants in starting new Christian Education institutions.
WCFS has advocated for parental authority in education since 1983. Family Heritage Matters (FHM) has been our vehicle for public advocacy. Our web page is here: https://www.wcfs.edu/fhm
Students are able to apply their civics training by becoming a legislative intern. Information about that can be found here: https://www.wcfs.edu/legislative-intern
Our education philosophy is grounded in Scripture.
Deut. 6, The future security and blessing of a nation formed by God is entirely dependent on parental faith and devotion that is passed on to their children generation after generation. This is done first by example, second by a saturated home environment of love for God and His Word, and thirdly, through an anticipatory vision that captures every teachable moment when the intellectual and moral curiosity of the child is aroused.
1Thess 4:11-12, Gal 4:1-2 & John 5:17-23, The apprentice model of education depends on applied learning in real life, “Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” (1 Thes 4:11-12)
This was exemplified by Jesus. There must be a robust relationship with a student’s father (and mother) for heritage education to happen, “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for what things soever he does, these also do the Son likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that himself does.” (John 5:19-20)
Furthermore, Parental Control over a child’s education is illustratively imbedded at the core of the Gospel, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” (Gal 4:1-2)
In our 43 year history, we have impacted more than 10,000 students.
