The answer to the above question is no—in some places. There are other places I am not so sure about. In my travels throughout the territory, I see thriving church schools, burgeoning day academies, and boarding schools. In other locations, the same types of schools, with equal or better facilities, are dying on the vine. It makes me wonder what makes the difference. Is it location? Is it the economy? Is it money? Is it relevance? Is it loss of parental concern? Is it lack of pastoral support? Is it a combination of all these?

In one place, I saw a beautiful school in a stand-alone building with every conceivable convenience. Past enrollments supported five teachers. Today the school has less than ten students and only one teacher. I was encouraged to see a large number of pre-schoolers involved in the children’s part of the church service. Will they one day swell the rolls of that school, or is it doomed to close with only a whimper?

It amazes me to see another school in our territory with abysmal facilities, poor location, and surrounded by poor economic conditions. Yet, the school is bursting at the seams with students. Again I ask, what makes the difference?

We have raised the standards for teacher certification. The Lake Union fully supports in-service training, and I believe we have on board some of the best teachers available anywhere in the North American Division. Yet, we struggle with low enrollments, puny budgets, and lack of concern. And so I have been asking these questions. What does make the difference?

Some blame the high cost to send a student through church school. Others blame home-school parents for the decline in enrollments. Still others would claim that our system is inadequate and behind the times. I have even had it suggested to me that our education is no longer relevant.

I promised, and now I would like to open a dialogue on the subject. Will consolidation help in some instances? How about technology? Are we making the very best use of what is available to us now?

I am not a trained educator, and my ignorance on the subject may be showing as I write. But I am a product of parents who sacrificed to send me to church school. They did it because they believed whole-heartedly in the value of a Bible-based education to prepare me for service, in and out of the church setting. Were they wrong? How about the thousands of parents over the years who have made the same sacrifice? Some even moved their families to locate near a school. Some gave up lucrative jobs to make sure their children had access to spiritual formation in one of our schools.

Please talk to me over the next few weeks. I want to hear what my dear brothers and sisters of the Lake Union feel on this subject. Together, we may find a solution.