PEOPLE

April 27,2002 – May 3, 2002

New

By Linda Dorsey Walker

Special to the Afro

     Many little girls dream of someday becoming a teacher, but few dream of someday opening a Christian academy.  Lisa Smith, however, is one of the uncommon few.

     Lisa Smith, 30, is a lifelong member of Colonial Baptist Church of Randallstown where she is children’s ministry director and a member of the Single Christians Fellowship.

     In September, Lisa will step out on faith to start the Colonial Christian Academy, where she will serve as principal.

     Young, single and well educated, Lisa is at a stage in life when most women are concentrating on finding a mate and career advancement.  Lisa has put marriage on the back burner for now and she has walked away from a secure position she held for six years as a public school teacher.

     Now she wants to use her spiritual gift for teaching the way she believes God meant it to be used.

     “It is my goal to produce children who can stand up for Christ no matter where they are without being ashamed,” she says.  “Prayerfully, they will help their families become the same way, and through those families, we can expect to see a lasting impact on the community.”

     Lisa’s parents, Clarence and Setenia Smith, are justifiably proud, stating, “This is definitely a big step, but we support her because she feels this is a distinct calling.  It is a dream come true for her and for us.”

     However, a dream without an opportunity usually goes nowhere.  Five years ago, Pastor Robert Anderson of Colonial told the church about his vision to have a Christian school.  Recognizing that Lisa was not a typical single young adult, Pastor Anderson pulled her aside to share with her a paper that a friend of his had written about establishing Christian schools.  He began to discuss how Lisa, who had only graduated from college two years before, could begin to prepare to move her life in that direction.

     Following that conversation, Lisa prayed about the direction in which God was leading her life.  Next, she developed a plan to position herself to become qualified, if the opportunity presented itself.  Already possessing bachelors’ in elementary education and in special education, Lisa knew that she needed to further her education.  She entered a rigorous graduate program at Loyola College, where she earned her master’s in Bible school management.

     “In Lisa, we can witness the power of singleness.  She can do what is demanded because of both her availability and ability,” Pastor Anderson said.  “I just whet her appetite, and then waited to see if God would give her the vision to do what needed to be done.  This school will be different from most public school or private schools because it will focus on academic excellence, holiness and a healthy appreciation for our heritage.  Lisa is right for the job.”

     Things have been a whirlwind for Lisa since being named principal.

     “We have joined the Association for Christian Schools International.  The academy will initially offer an academic program in three grades, kindergarten, first and second, and will accept 51 students,” she said.  “We’ve made renovations to classrooms and have a full size library.  Our computer lab has one computer per child and a $20,000 upgrade to the church playground will be completed by August.”

     She said the academy will offer music, art, physical education and computer science, and next year, a foreign language.  Meanwhile, she is preparing for an open house on May 16.