Monday, November 29, 1999
Church school has faith in future
Christian outfit must raise $3M to buy facility
BY MARK SCHMETZER
Enquirer contributor
The building was a school first, then a church. For the past three years, it's been rented by a church to a Christian school.
Now, the Christian school — Miami Valley Christian Academy (MVCA) — has an opportunity to buy the building, but it must raise $3 million over the next three years.
That's the purpose of the “Secure the Future for MVCA” capital campaign. Officials at the private, nondenominational school, which is being operated in the former Newtown Elementary at 6830 School St., are hoping to take advantage of the opportunity being offered to them by Faith Christian Fellowship Church, the building owners.
“The board of elders from Faith Christian Fellowship Church has approached us with a plan to purchase our current facility,” said Wayne Andrews, an MVCA school board member and chairman of the capital campaign. “We are not surprised by this. MVCA has been a miracle story from the very beginning.”
MVCA was started in August 1996 with 11 pupils in kindergarten and first grade, said headmaster David Brown. This year's enrollment is 114, from 10 local school districts and representing 27 churches of various denominations, from kindergarten through seventh grade. It's expected to grow to 140 with the addition of an eighth grade next year, development director Dody Staker said.
“Our heart's desire is to open a high school at or near our facility,” said board president Mary Lou Wambach, an original member of the board.
The 53,000-square-foot building — which was finished in 1926 and added to in the mid-1950s — can handle as many as 300 students. It includes a gymnasium, cafeteria, chapel, library and computer lab.
Plans call for the $3 million to be used to buy the building and surrounding six acres and renovate and upgrade the facility. The capital campaign was started in October and generated $446,000 in pledges in the first month, Ms. Staker said.
“We also have been offered a $50,000 challenge grant by a friend of MVCA,” she said. “The donor will match all cash donations received before June 20, 2000, up to $50,000.
“We just completed a parents banquet and grandparents day to help grandparents learn how they can help in their grandchildren's education,” Ms. Staker said.
Officials also are planning an open house in February.
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