IMPACT
FOLLOWS OBEDIENCE
By Ron Gordon - Renewanation Vice President
I
N LATE 2014 AND EARLY 2015, Renewanation
was engaged to spearhead a Christian school revi-
talization effort at Smith Mountain Lake Christian
Academy (SMLCA). We shared the background of this
effort in the Fall 2015 issue of The Renewanation Review.
While the path has been challenging and the journey
still continues, the impact the changes had on the school
have been significant.
While several key elements were identified for
improvement, and numerous activities have helped
reshape the character and culture of SMLCA, the
intentional focus on Vision, Strategy, Execution, and
Leadership provided the framework for the successful
transition we have been blessed to experience. Recast-
ing a vision for the school with primary emphasis on
a Christian worldview and biblical excellence became
the litmus test for the new board’s decision-making
process. This philosophy permeated every element of the
school from selection of faculty and staff to curriculum
to extracurricular programs. The hand-picked board,
specifically crafted with a diverse background of experi-
ences and skill sets, and aligned around a strong biblical
mindset, developed an overall strategy for the transition.
A comprehensive and detailed action plan was then
generated to ensure the aspirational vision and strategy
became a reality. Lastly, the selection of a strong leader
to serve as the principal and administrator was critically
important to lead and guide the school and community
through this transition on a daily basis. Over the course
of eight weeks, that person, Lincoln Bryan, mobilized a
solid team of like-minded educators, comprised of 75%
new faculty and staff, to fulfill the mission of the school.
Ultimately, the shift in leadership and staffing, along
with implementing key best practices, was well received
by students and parents; however, the initial response
was far less supportive. The school had been in existence
for seven years prior to this revitalization effort and was
viewed internally by families and staff supporting the
school as a safe, small school to teach their children. A
stagnant culture, a decreasing student body, a struggling
financial picture, and a concerning community perspec-
tive of the school told a different story. Decisions to
adjust key areas such as faculty, leadership, and curricu-
lum were met with obstinate backlash from a school
community that had grown quite comfortable with the
dysfunction existing in the school. Despite an initial drop
in enrollment of nearly 40% from 57 returning students
to 35, the board and new school leadership persevered
and held to the strategy to essentially relaunch SMLCA
around a firm biblical worldview philosophy.
As we prayed fervently, marketed the new SMLCA to
the local community, and prayed even more intensely,
we began to see an amazing response that can only
be explained by God’s blessing in staying true to His
precepts. When school reopened in August 2015, only
two months removed from the mid-June 2015 low
point of 35 students, SMLCA had an additional 58 new
students enrolled. As of this writing, the school now has
a total of 104 students, an 82% increase from the prior
school year and a record high. The financial picture has
significantly improved as a result, and the community
is beginning to hear about the positive turnaround and
strong, viable educational option now available to them
in their local community.
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