Six months after shutting down the GBA campus, the students are eager to return to a normal school schedule! No videos, no online quizzes and tests, no web meetings- just good, old-fashioned, in the classroom, with my classmates, in front of my teacher, education. The teachers are just as excited and maybe even more so than the students and their parents.

School begins next week, August 17th and we’ll hit the ground running. After all the obligatory “first day of school” photos, students will make their way to the Phelps Center for school pictures. Then, we will begin the school year officially with a chapel service led by our principal, Mr. Zarate as he reveals the 2020-2021 theme. He promised some cool activities on that first day as well.

We’re thankful to begin the 22nd year of Christian Education at Gateway Baptist Academy. God has blessed over the years with great students and excellent graduates, who continue to impact others for the cause of Christ. We look forward to seeing all that God has in store for GBA as we come out of COVID this year!

I am pleased to announce three new additions to our faculty this school year. God has moved in miraculous ways to bring these three choice servants to Desert Gateway Baptist Church and Gateway Baptist Academy.

Ms. Staci Fedden is a 2009 graduate of West Coast Baptist College. Since graduating from college, Ms. Fedden has been teaching overseas – first in Saipan, then in Puerto Rico. She comes to our ministry with years of experience teaching elementary students. Her passion is teaching reading and as a kindergarten teacher, this excites both faculty and parents to no end!

If you’ve met Ms. Fedden, you know that she loves the Lord and is confident in her God-given abilities to teach because it is, in her words, “what God has called me to do.” We thank the Lord for sending us Ms. Staci Fedden.

Over five years ago, God brought a family to our church with a passion for education. And even though Mr. Ron Alldredge came with almost two decades of Christian education experience, he humbly took on the role of a servant, not lording his experiences over others.  He faithfully served in our church, actively participating in our soul winning program, leading our men’s prayer breakfasts, and filling in for teachers whenever needed. Loyal. Willing. Godly. These are just a few words to describe our new principal and high school teacher, Mr. Ron Alldredge.

Through a series of circumstances, God opened the door for our ministry to add Mr. Alldredge to our leadership team. In addition to his time serving our country in the United States Air Force, “Mr. A” (as the students love to call him) brings to our faculty many years of experience both as a teacher and principal.

The third addition isn’t really new to the school and is definitely not new to the church. Pastor James Rowell will be heavily involved in Christian education this year, primarily through the ministry of Gateway Baptist Academy. As our student ministries pastor, Pastor James is no stranger to working with both students and parents. He will be serving as a High school Bible teacher, as well as the assistant principal for GBA. His primary duty as an assistant principal is to manage the school’s disciplinary issues. So let’s pray that you don’t get too familiar with him in that capacity.

God is so good in adding these three to our already great team of teachers. I look forward to what God will do with this new structure of leadership at Gateway Baptist Academy. As for me, I’m simply stepping into a school administrator’s role. I will still be very much involved in the school ministry (i.e. graduations, senior fundraisers, Fine Arts competition, etc.) but the everyday operational duties will fall on Mr. Alldredge’s shoulders. This allows me to have the time to improve the other educational arm of Desert Gateway Baptist Church, Desert Baptist Bible College.

We would appreciate your prayers for us in this time of transition and change. We know that God is in it since we’ve bathed this matter in many hours of prayer. Now, it’s time to “get out of the way” and watch what God will do in and through the team He has assembled at Gateway Baptist Academy. Again, I say, God is good!