Liberty Christian Academy

Last updated

Liberty Christian Academy
Liberty Christian Academy logo.jpg
Address
Liberty Christian Academy
3701 Candlers Mountain Rd

Lynchburg
,
Virginia

United States
Coordinates 37°21′38″N79°10′22″W / 37.3605°N 79.1727°W / 37.3605; -79.1727
Information
Type Private, Christian, college preparatory
Religious affiliation(s) Thomas Road Baptist Church
Denomination Baptist
Established1967
Founder Jerry Falwell Sr.
SuperintendentMark Hine
Grades K–12
Gender co-educational
Enrolment1853
Campus Suburban
Color(s)Red, White, Blue
   
Athletics basketball, baseball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, wrestling
Athletics conference Virginia High School League (VHSL)
MascotBenny the Bulldog
Nickname Bulldogs
Accreditation Cognia
Association of Christian Schools International
Tuition$7,536–$8,570 (2024–25) [1]
Website www.lcabulldogs.com

Liberty Christian Academy (LCA, founded as Lynchburg Christian Academy) is a private Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1967 by Baptist preacher Jerry Falwell Sr. as a ministry of Thomas Road Baptist Church and a segregation academy, the school is recognized as an educational facility by the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Virginia State Board of Education, [2] Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, [3] and the Association of Christian Schools International. [4] The academy consists of pre–K through grade 12.

Contents

History

During the 1950s and 1960s, Falwell spoke and campaigned against civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the desegregation of public school systems by the U.S. federal government. [5] [6] In 1966, he led the effort to create "a private school for white students," the Lynchburg News reported. Named Lynchburg Christian Academy, the school opened in 1967 as a segregation academy. [5] [6] Falwell developed it as a ministry of his Thomas Road Baptist Church. [7]

Unlike many other segregation academies, the school became racially integrated two years after its opening. [5] Historian Seth Dowland said that school officials later sought to market the school to parents who were not solely motivated by a desire to keep their children out of racially integrated public schools. [8]

In 1975, the Ford administration began trying to deny segregation academies their tax-exempt status on the basis that they perpetuated segregation. In 1979, Falwell denounced this "intervention against Christian schools", which had become a policy of the Carter administration. [9]

In 2005, the Lynchburg Christian Academy was moved next to Liberty University and renamed Liberty Christian Academy. [10]

Athletics

The LCA football team compiled an 85–6 record, winning four state championships and eight conference championships, between 2004, when Frank Rocco become the head coach, and 2013. [11] Among the team's former members are Rashad Jennings [12] and Bobby Massie.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Falwell</span> American Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist (1933–2007)

Jerry Laymon Falwell Sr. was an American Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. He founded Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1967, founded Liberty University in 1971, and co-founded the Moral Majority in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynchburg, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census, making Lynchburg the 11th most populous city in Virginia. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or the "Hill City". In the 1860s, Lynchburg was the only city in Virginia that was not recaptured by the Union before the end of the American Civil War.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Road Baptist Church</span> Megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia

Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) is a Baptist megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia, located on the campus of Liberty University, which it founded and is closely affiliated with. In 2016, a church spokesperson stated they had an average weekly attendance of 9,000. The pastor is Jonathan Falwell, the son of previous Senior Pastor Jerry Falwell and brother of former Liberty University President, Jerry Falwell Jr. In addition to a second campus, Dan River Church, Thomas Road also hosts a Spanish congregation on its main campus. It is affiliated with the Baptist Bible Fellowship International and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Liberty Baptist Fellowship is a fellowship of independent Baptist churches that grew up around Jerry Falwell, Thomas Road Baptist Church of Lynchburg, Virginia, and Liberty University. Most pastors of the Fellowship are alumni of Liberty University. In 1994, the Liberty Baptist Fellowship had 100 churches, including the 21,000 member Thomas Road church, which was also affiliated with the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. In 1996, the Thomas Road church joined the newly formed Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, thereby aligning itself with 3 Baptist bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty University</span> Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia University of Lynchburg</span> Private HBCU in Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

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The AA Seminole District is a district in Region III of the Virginia High School League. The schools of the district are located in and around the Lynchburg Metro. US 29, which passes through the area, is named the Seminole Trail through much of Virginia. All current member schools have won at least one state championship in football since 1988.

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Jerry Lamon Falwell Jr. is an American attorney, former academic administrator, and evangelical. Starting with his 2007 appointment upon the death of his father, televangelist and conservative activist Jerry Falwell Sr., Falwell served as the president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, until resigning in August 2020 amidst a sex scandal.

Brookville High School is a high school in Campbell County, Virginia, United States.

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The Liberty Flames football program represents Liberty University, a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia, in college football. The Flames compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of Conference USA. The program, which previously competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), announced it would start a transition to the top level of NCAA football in July 2017. The Flames became a provisional FBS member in 2018, and became a full FBS member with bowl eligibility in 2019. In 2020, Liberty entered the rankings in the AP Poll at 25 for the first time in program history.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falwell Airport</span> General aviation airport located in Virginia (US)

Falwell Airport is a privately owned, general aviation airport located approximately five miles Southeast of Lynchburg, Virginia. The airport has been in continuous operation since 1946 and is currently owned by Freedom Aviation, part of Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics. Falwell Airport is known for its sloped runway, an unusual feature for any airport.

References

  1. ↑ "Domestic Tuition and Fees". lcabulldogs.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2013-03-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "AdvancED - Institution Summary". Advanc-ed.org. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Member Search « ACSI". Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
  5. 1 2 3 Seth Dowland (2007). Defending Manhood: Gender, Social Order and the Rise of the Christian Right in the South, 1965-1995. p. 23. ISBN   978-0-549-71783-6 . Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 Blumenthal, Max. "Agent of Intolerance | The Nation". The Nation. ISSN   0027-8378. Archived from the original on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2018-11-26.
  7. ↑ "Liberty Christian Academy - About LCA - History". Lcabulldogs.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Dowland, Seth (20 October 2015). Family values and the rise of the Christian right. pp. 27–30. ISBN   9780812291919.
  9. ↑ Republican Gomorrah: Inside The Movement That Shattered The Party. p. 25. Nation Books, 2009.
  10. ↑ "HISTORY". Liberty Christian Academy. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2013-04-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ "Rashad Jennings". Nfl.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.


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