Yesterday was a bittersweet day for the Corbin family. It was the last day of school at Whitesburg Christian Academy – literally for the Corbin family. Because I began serving at Lakeside already three months into the school year, we made the decision to let Becky and the boys finish the school year out in Huntsville. To have moved the boys at the Christmas break would have also meant removing David from the varsity basketball team in the middle of their season. So, since the end of October, Becky and the boys have been in Huntsville Monday-Friday each week finishing school and I have been getting my feet on the ground in Birmingham as Pastor at Lakeside. It has not always been easy, but we are grateful we made the decision to let them finish out the school year. So, yesterday was bittersweet in that we are excited to finally be in a position where all of us will be together full-time in Birmingham where God has called us to serve, but we are saddened to see a wonderful chapter in our lives end and leave many wonderful friends.
For the last seven years, Whitesburg Christian Academy has been an integral part of our lives. Seven years ago, David went to his first day of 4th grade as a new kid not knowing anyone. At that time, there were around 150 students and the entire school shared facilities with Whitesburg Baptist Church. Today, the Academy is blessed to have this wonderful facility with more on the way…
So, David has spent the last seven school years at the Academy. Daniel came into the Academy as a 1st grader and he just completed his fifth year. My wife, Becky spent the last six school years as a 6th grade teacher. During these last seven years of growth and change for the Academy, it has been part of the Corbin’s lives and the Corbins have been part of the Academy’s life. It has a been a wonderful blessing to our family. I am so very grateful for Whitesburg Christian Academy. Please allow me to share why.
First of all, I am grateful for the blessing that the Academy has been to our sons. Every single day that I have sent David and Daniel to school there, I have been confident that they were receiving a great education from a Christian worldview. Every single day that I have sent David and Daniel to school there, I have been confident that they were loved and cared for by teachers and administration that had their best interests at heart. The influences on the lives of my children have been overwhelmingly Christ honoring and positive, all while receiving a great education.
I am also grateful for Whitesburg Christiian Academy because of what it stands for. The stated purpose of the school is “Developing students who are passionate followers of Christ and well-trained servant leaders…” The Academy is serious about that purpose and it permeates the school. In a culture filled with rapidly changing moral views and a Christian landscape too often filled with compromise, the Academy seeks to stand on the authority of Scripture and promote the historic, Biblical Christian faith. That is no easy task in today’s world, but Whitesburg Christian Academy strives to do it out of conviction.
I am grateful for the people who are the Whitesburg Christian Academy family. Certainly, our sons have friends for life from the Academy. However, Becky and I both have friends for life there too. As important as moving into the new building was for the school, the Academy’s two most important assets are its Lord and its people. Some of the greatest people in the world work, attend, and volunteer at Whitesburg Christian Academy. It’s truly a family. Like every family, there are occasionally some tough times when there is conflict, misunderstanding, and sin. When these times come, the Academy seeks to handle them in a Christ honoring, redemptive way. It’s a family.
Finally, I am grateful for Whitesburg Christian Academy because of its future. I truly believe that the best days are ahead. I have utmost confidence in Headmaster Jerry Reeder and the leadership team he has assembled. They will continue to lead well. However, the reasons I am bullish about the future of Whitesburg Christian Academy is because God is at work there; He has his hand on the Academy. Trust me, in the last seven years, I have seen God do the miraculous at this school on more than one occasion – most of which I am not free to write about publicly. The only reason that the Academy is still going and prospering is because of the blessing of God. Therefore, it has a bright future!
The Lord has called the Corbin family to leave Huntsville and Whitesburg Christian Academy and plant our lives in the metro Birmingham area. We look forward to staying in touch and seeing what God does in the future. It’s been a great honor to be a small part of God’s work there.
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