ABOUT GASTON CHRISTIAN
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OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
1. THE HOLY BIBLE
We believe the Holy Bible, as contained in the Old and New Testaments, to be the only inspired, inerrant, authoritative Word of God, perfect in all it affirms and sets forth. The truth of scripture is dependent wholly on God and not on the testimony of any man or church. Scripture interprets scripture. II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Hebrews 4:12
2. THE TRINITY
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:1, John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1
3. THE PERFECT DEITY
We believe in the perfect Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death on the cross through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory to judge all mankind. Luke 2, the Gospel of John, Hebrews 10:5-27
4. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT
We believe in the work of the Holy Spirit to call man unto salvation and to indwell the Christian and empower him to seek and to live a godly life. I Cor. 3:16, Colossians 2:4-10, I John 3:1
5. THE GOSPEL
We believe that all men/women are created by God in His image. Having fallen, man is sinful in his present state before God and can be saved only by the redeeming grace of God. Romans 3:10-18, 23, Ephesians 2:1-22
6. THE WAY TO SALVATION
We believe that faith in Jesus Christ alone, as both Lord and Savior, by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is the only way of Salvation for a lost and sinful person. John 14:6, Acts 4:12, John 4:24, Hebrews 11:1-6
7. THE RESURRECTION OF MAN
We believe in the resurrection of all mankind–those who are called and saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and those who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5:29, Colossians 3
8. THE UNITY
We believe in the spiritual unity of all true believers who call on Jesus Christ alone to be their Lord and Savior. Romans 1:11-12, Ephesians 4:4-6, Ephesians 1:15-23, I Corinthians 2
9. THE LOCAL CHURCH
We believe that according to the Bible, a Christian shall by his/her life testimony, be a member, supportive and involved in a local church of his/her choosing. Hebrews 10:19-25
OUR Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality
The Gaston Christian School (GCS) Statement of faith is a summary of our core Christian beliefs which are derived from the Bible and which are also based upon historic, orthodox, Christian consensus. We believe God’s attributes are described in the Bible, including that He is loving, holy, and unchanging. We believe all people have a sinful and broken nature which manifests itself in various ways in various people. These sinful behaviors are contrary to God’s will as it is explained in the Bible. The Bible also gives us wisdom for holy living, and God has given us His Holy Spirit to grow us in sanctification so that behaviors which please God are possible. Our student body at GCS comes from a wide variety of denominations and churches which have statements of faith which may differ from the school’s position contained herein. Therefore, this statement serves to clarify the school’s views on marriage, sexuality, gender, and the resulting impact this position has on the school’s expectations for employees and students. Policies for our employees are found in a separate GCS staff policy manual.
We believe marriage has only one meaning: the covenantal uniting of one man and one woman in a single exclusive union, as delineated in the Bible (Gen. 2:18-25). We believe that God intends His gift of sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (I Cor. 6:18, 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman and that any form of sexual behavior outside of the marriage relationship is clearly outside of God’s will and sinful. Some examples include, but are not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography (Matt. 15:18-20; I Cor. 6:9-10).
We believe that God’s design is the wonderful and unchanging creation of each person as male or female in the womb of their mother. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s gender given by God in the womb is a rejection of God’s design for that person. The school does not condone intentional attempts by a person to change one’s biological sex nor will the school refer to students by gender-specific pronouns other than those in alignment with their gender in the womb.
We also believe that there are circumstances in which a school must react to an employee or student’s behavior when it does not align with our beliefs. We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of Gaston Christian School as a Christian ministry and to provide a Biblical role model to the Gaston Christian School students and the community, it is imperative that employees agree with and abide by this statement, and that parents and/or guardians agree that their students will abide by this Statement on Marriage, Gender, and Sexuality (Matt. 5:16; Phil. 2:14-16; I Thess. 5:22) while enrolled at Gaston Christian.
Our policies and practices flow from our Statement of Faith and are also intended to guard against instructional disruptions at school (see Parent/Student handbook for specific policies). When a student is behaving in ways which contradict this statement, the school’s administration will take the following approaches:
- We will focus our partnership with parents on discipling, mentoring, and helping students understand biblical thought and actions regarding marriage, sexuality, and gender.
- While we believe sexual behavior outside of God’s design as mentioned above to be sinful, we also believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom. 10:9-10; I Cor. 6:9-11). We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Gaston Christian School. Sinful treatment of any student by another is not tolerated (see Parent/Student handbook for conflict, harassment, and bullying policies).
- Student instruction, discipline, and counseling will be administered in accordance with their God-given gender in the womb. We will refer to students using pronouns aligned with their God-given gender in the womb. Students must dress, use the bathroom and locker room, and participate on athletic teams which align with their God-given gender in the womb (see Parent/Student handbook for further language and context).
SET FOR SUCCESS
OUR LEADERSHIP
Marc Stout, PhD
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Welcome to Gaston Christian School. For the past 42 years, Gaston Christian School has ministered to thousands of students in this area. Our goal is to instill a biblical worldview in each of our students. We do this in an academically rigorous, yet safe environment. Our 1075 students consistently score well above the national average on standardized tests. The Class of 2022, which was made up of 54 graduates, was offered over $2,000,000 in college scholarships.
To complement the academic program we have an outstanding athletic program with over 25 teams representing our school. Furthermore, we offer competition through Mock Trial, Quiz Bowl, and Mu Alpha Theta. We have numerous clubs and mission trips for our high school students as well.
Our middle school and elementary programs prepare our students for the rigors of a college preparatory program. With age-appropriate levels of homework, our students understand the need to work hard at school to prepare for college.
Technology plays a significant role in the life of our school. We currently have over 1500 computers, Chromebooks, laptops, Smart TVs, Smartboards, and 3D printers.
With International Students from six different countries attending Gaston Christian School, we offer a culturally diverse program that respects and honors our guests.
We would be honored to have you visit our campus and see why Gaston Christian School continues to experience significant growth at this time. This year our theme verse is taken from I Chronicles 16:34 which says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” Our prayer for the 2022-23 school year is that we be very deliberate about training young men and women to be thankful toward God and others. We want all students and parents to intimately feel the goodness of God in their lives. We want our students to know God’s love and rest in His promise that His love endures forever. We pray that God will richly bless our ministry to each and every member of the GCS family. In doing so we will fulfill our mission statement “Prepare People Teach Truth Glorify God”
For His glory!
Marc Stout, PhD
Head of School
OUR LEADERSHIP
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Dr. Jonathan Huitt
Associate Head of School
Dr. Huitt will be serving as Gaston Christian’s Associate Head of School and High School Principal. In this capacity, Dr. Huitt will oversee all operations, strategy, and programs in grades 9-12. He will be especially focusing on community relationships and strategic initiatives. He will remain an intimate part of the lives of our middle school students and teachers and we look forward to his new impact on our high school.
Lindsay Lockett
Vice President of Advancement
Lindsay is a native of Gaston County and graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. She joined the GCS team in 2019 as Director of Admissions and moved into the Advancement role in 2022. As VP of Advancement, Lindsay works directly with our Head of School to coordinate all fundraising efforts that support the school’s mission. She also provides direction and oversight for special events, parent relations, marketing, and admissions.
Dr. Jonathan Huitt
High School Principal
Gary Ford
High School Vice Principal
Pattiann Rabb
Middle School Principal
Denika Alston
Elementary Principal
Jennifer Goldenberg
Elementary Assistant Principal
Annette Simmons
Early Childhood Principal
Dr. Tina Cook
Director of Cognitive Enrichment
OUR LEADERSHIP
SCHOOL DIRECTORS
Lane Rice
Academic Dean
Heidi Brack
Director of Fine Arts
Tom Hawxwell
Athletic Director
Amanda Knight
International Student Coordinator
Nancy Roach
Business Manager
Julie Ryan
Admissions Director
Randy Erwin
Director of Communications
Ricky Collins
Director of Community Engagement
Benjy Hunsucker
Facilities Coordinator
Mark Moore
Christian Life Director
Julie Denham
Director of Women's Ministry
John Faulkner
Grounds Coordinator
OUR LEADERSHIP
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Kristen Bergan
Elementary Counselor
Summer Bachman
Middle School Counselor
Chelsea Turpin
9-10 Academic Counselor and 9-12 Social/Emotional Counselor
Karen Brooks
11th-12th Academic College Counselor
OUR LEADERSHIP
East Cleveland Campus
Victoria Ahearn
East Cleveland Campus Principal
OUR LEADERSHIP
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Front row: Steven Denton (Chairman), Yansea Taylor, Ashley Bizzell, Pamela Mumford, Zenitra McGrinson, Katie Goforth, Dr. Marc Stout (Head of School)
Back row: Ben Hoersch, Travis Nixon, Robert King, Keith Gunter, Britt Goodrich, A.J. Main and Dr. Jonathan Huitt (Associate Head of School)
OUR CAMPUSES
We have 2 convenient campus locations in Gastonia and Kings Mountain serving over 1000 students in grades PK3-12.
Gaston Christian School
1625 Lowell Bethesda Rd. Gastonia NC
Gaston Christian School - East Cleveland Campus
105 E. Ridge Street Kings Mountain, NC 28086
2023-2024 GCS Annual Report
Dear Gaston Christian School Families,
As we enter this season of giving, we’re excited to launch our Annual Fund Drive with our theme inspired by Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This verse reminds us that true wisdom starts with reverence for God—a foundation we seek to instill in each student who walks through our doors. At Gaston Christian School, our mission is not only to educate but to nurture young hearts and minds in their spiritual journey, and we cannot do it alone. Your support of our Annual Fund Drive empowers us to continue this work, extending the blessing of Christian education to all families, regardless of financial circumstances.
The Annual Fund Drive enables us to support multiple programs that are essential to our community:
- Annual Fund – By donating to the Annual Fund, you are not only investing in the immediate needs of GCS but also fostering the long-term growth and success of our school. Your generous support ensures that we can continue to provide a high-quality education and create opportunities for all students to thrive.
- Athletics – Your generous donation plays a vital role in supporting our athletic programs, providing essential resources that empower students to excel both physically and academically.
- Barnabas Fund – Named after the encourager himself, this fund connects parents who feel called to financially support our dedicated staff members who may face unexpected hardships. Through this fund, you become a part of the supportive community that strengthens our GCS family.
- East Cleveland Campus – This expansion is not about numbers; it’s about making a real impact for the Kingdom of God. With your help, we can create a nurturing environment. Together, we can build stronger families and foster long-term success in our community.
- International Student Fund – This fund ensures that financial constraints do not hinder our international students from experiencing a Christ-centered education in our nurturing environment. Our international students bring a unique global perspective that benefits our entire school community, and your donations help us welcome them with open arms.
- Financial Aid – This fund provides financial assistance to families who otherwise could not afford a GCS education. Your contributions allow us to welcome students from diverse backgrounds, enriching our school with new perspectives and experiences rooted in faith.
Your participation in this year’s Annual Fund Drive is a testimony to your support of Gaston Christian School’s mission. As you consider how you might contribute, we ask that you give prayerful thought to how your gift can be a blessing to GCS, helping us to serve our families and invest in the lives of our students for God’s glory.
To the right is a QR code you can scan to make your contribution online, making it quick and easy to support these vital programs. Or please visit gastonchristian.org/support to make a donation. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can mail a check to Gaston Christian School, 1625 Lowell Bethesda Rd., Gastonia, NC 28054.
Thank you for your continued partnership with Gaston Christian School. Together, let us invest in the future of our students and the growth of our Christian community.
I hope you enjoy reading through the 2023-24 Annual Report.
With gratitude,
Dr. Marc Stout, Head of School
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