Why are you starting a Christian school in Weakley County?
I was asked this question by someone I respect greatly back in 1998. We talked on the phone for about thirty minutes, and I appreciated the concerns that were raised. But, the major reason that I shared with this person was the simple fact that I sensed God was calling me back to my home county to start a Christian school.
I’m starting this blog to have an open discussion about the importance of Christian education. My name is Larry Reagan, and I am currently serving as the headmaster of Central Christian Academy, a ministry of Central Baptist Church in Martin, TN. God has also called me to serve as senior pastor of Moore’s Chapel Baptist Church near Greenfield, TN.
I graduated from Dresden High School in Dresden, TN in 1976. I attended Murray State University in Murray, KY from 1976-1979, where I played on the Racer football team and majored in math and physical education. On August 23, 1978, I placed my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Needless to say, my third year of college was quite different from the first two years. The Baptist Student Union became my favorite place to hang out. There were several strong Christian students who helped me to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This football player who did not like to read fell in love with the Holy Bible. God spoke plainly to me in a Thursday night meeting and called me to missions involvement.
I volunteered through the Kentucky Baptist Convention BSU to serve as a summer missionary. They sent me to West Virginia. From the time the plane landed in Charleston, WV, on June 7, 1979, until the end of the summer, I experienced the joys and struggles of serving Christ in a pioneer missions field. God was clearly calling me to stay in WV. I met my future wife, Sonya, in January of 1980. God opened the door for us to serve in Mt. Top Baptist Church in Welch, WV in February of 1981.
While serving in this church, God planted in me a vision of the importance of Christian education. In the spring of 1983, I remember preaching in that church and on the local radio station, “Why McDowell County Needs a Christian School.” God had blessed Sonya and I with a precious baby girl, and we named her Amber Lynne. As I prayed with her every night before bedtime, God kept reminding me that she was my most important homework assignment. From the Holy Bible, He showed me the importance of training up a child in the way of the Lord (Deut. 6:4-9; Proverbs 22:6). He also warned me with His Spirit and His Word about the extreme danger of any kind of false teaching (2 John 1:9-11).
The answer to the question in this blog title is still, “God called me to do it!”
Keep following this blog and help promote Christian education.
Contact me at pastorldr32@gmail.com.
Some of the students at Mt. Top Christian Academy in Welch, West Virginia.
Chapel service at Mt. Top Christian Academy in Welch, WV.
Cross Country students at Central Christian Academy in Martin, TN.
Phase One of Central Baptist Church in Martin, TN.
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