Driving past Mansfield Baptist Temple at 752 North Stewart Road, it might be easy to assume the red brick building is simply a church. However, the church is also home to Temple Christian School. Despite the general public being occasionally unaware of Temple Christian, the school has been around since 1974.
“We’ve been around for 40 years, but talking to people out in the community about Temple Christian, they don’t even know it’s here,” said Temple Christian Principal Paul Baird. “They always say they thought it was just a church.”
Temple Christian is home to 152 students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade, taught by 15 teachers with an average of 12 students per class. According to Baird, the school’s mission is to “assist parents in equipping their children spiritually, academically, physically, so they may experience God’s best for their life.”
“That’s our goal, and working with parents and the church,” said Baird. “We believe if those three things work together, the child has a better chance of being successful and growing with the Lord, and serving the Lord the rest of their life.”
Temple Christian started in 1974 as an option for private, Christian education in the Mansfield area, for parents who wanted an alternative to public school or home schooling for their children. Baird noted it is a little unique the school is housed within the Baptist Temple church, but the staff and students make it work. He said when the church has activities during the day the school has enough rooms to spare so there is no interference, and many classrooms are used as Sunday school rooms on church days.
The average tuition fee per year for a student to attend Temple Christian is $3,000, which is one of the more affordable fees for private Christian education in the area, according to Baird.
“Part of that is because our church helps; financially our church is well established, and basically, without our church, our school would not be able to survive financially, but our church has taken that on as a ministry,” said Baird. “Christian education in Christian schools is becoming a battle because of home schooling and a lot of other options, so it’s hard to compete with. When people have those options and then with the economy, a lot of people are battling to pay bills.”
Another way Temple Christian keeps tuition low is through fundraisers, like the school’s Vision Banquet held last year that raised around $40,000 in just one night. Much of the money raised last year went to technology in the classrooms like iPads, laptops and mounted projectors, with some additional funds going to promotional material such as billboards and updating the school website.
This year, Temple Christian’s fundraiser comes partnered with the school’s 40th anniversary celebration weekend. Starting on Saturday, April 5 at 5 p.m. the school is hosting a benefit auction and dinner to help raise funds to go toward technology, promotional material and renovations for the school. Baird said the school is expecting around 80 alumni to return and participate in a choir for the evening.
“That’s going to be really neat to have a lot of the alumni back, and hopefully we get more than that, that would be pretty neat to see them all in the choir,” said Baird. “And Debbie Donough has been our English teacher here for 34 years and this is her last year, so she’s going to lead that choir. We’re having food and fellowship, and then we’re going to have the auction that night.”
The benefit dinner and auction will be the highlight of the 40th anniversary weekend, but Baird noted the weekend pairs with an open house on Tuesday, April 8 where members of the public can tour the school, visit classrooms and learn about Temple Christian. He added the church will also celebrate the anniversary in a service on Sunday, April 6.
“On Sunday we’re doing a special service for the 40th anniversary so we’ll have special music and testimonials from our alumni, parents, students, teachers, and celebrating and thanking the Lord for what He’s done,” said Baird.
