Trinity Classical Academy

[This is a slightly modified version of an email sent out to my congregation a couple weeks ago.]

TPC family,

Early on in my ministry, an older pastor told me, “The wheels of Presbyterianism grind slowly, but they do grind.” We’ve been talking and praying about starting a classical Christian school and building a sanctuary for a while, but to this point there hasn’t been much concrete information to share. The session has been working on both of these projects, albeit mostly behind the scenes thus far. These are massive undertakings, and your elders want to do all we can to ensure that we commit to these works in a way that will serve our congregation well. (We certainly appreciate your prayers as we do so!) We are slowly deliberate, but not deliberately slow.

We still need a bit more time before we can roll out the sanctuary building project; we will have a congregational meeting that will bring you up to speed on the sanctuary plan soon, but we do not have a date for that set yet. We are a bit further along with the school, and as of today, we are about a week and a half away from the school’s first informational meeting, which will take place after worship on September 7. As a reminder, if you have not filled out the survey for the school, please do so. And note that the meeting is open to anyone – whether you have school-age kids or not, you are invited to hear what the session and school board have been working on, with a view to launching the school in the fall of 2026.

Looking ahead to the informational meeting for Trinity Classical Academy (TCA), I want to give some insight into how the session is thinking about the school. Think of this as a way of framing how the school fits into the life, culture, and ministry of TPC. We fully recognize that parents have the primary responsibility before God for how they educate their children. Obviously, we believe that all covenant children should be given a thoroughly and consistently Christian education, rooted in Scripture and the wisdom of the Christian tradition. But there are many ways to accomplish this – private schools, online schools, school co-ops, and homeschooling can all be great options. Beyond a basic commitment to Christian education, we respect the right of parents to make their own choices, and we definitely do not want educational choices to ever become a point of division in our church body. No family should feel pressure to put their children into TCA, as we realize that many factors go into making educational decisions. If you are the father of children at TPC, you need to do what you believe is best for your children. 

That being said, we do believe there is both a need and an opportunity for the kind of school we are aiming to start. There are obviously other Christian schools in our area, and many of our families have their children in them, and have been blessed by these institutions. These are great options and we are thankful for them. But, to be frank, none of the currently existing school options in the Birmingham area fully align with the theological and liturgical convictions of TPC. We believe building a school that embodies and extends the kind of congregational culture we have established at TPC is a worthwhile endeavor. We believe a school that flows out of what we believe and how we worship will serve not only our families but the wider Birmingham community.

Our goal in starting TCA is to advance God’s kingdom. We want to equip families and assist parents in discipling their children by offering a Christ-centered, covenantal, classical education that will enable generation after generation to boldly and competently live out their faith. TCA is committed to the reality that all truth is God’s truth, and only in God’s light can we see light; thus, TCA will seek to teach every subject from a biblically-grounded perspective. TCA will use the classical model, employing the trivium as a methodological guide, and rooting the curriculum in the history and insights of Western civilization. TCA will recognize that we are not just minds, but also bodies, and so will seek to develop the whole person in virtue and excellence. TCA will recognize that boys and girls are different and that a truly biblical education cannot treat students in an androgynous way. TCA will aim to be an extension of both our church family and the covenant families who enroll their children. TCA will be grounded in the truth that God is the God of generations, that God’s faithfulness and love extend from one generation to the next, and that building God’s kingdom is a multi-generational project.

TCA will be a ministry of TPC, under the oversight of our session. The session is delegating day-to-day oversight of the school’s operations to a session-created, session-appointed board, but the session is ultimately responsible for the school. 

The best time for TPC to start a school would have been about twenty years ago. The next best time for us to start a school is the fall of 2026. Pray for this effort, and join us on September 7 if you’re interested in learning more.