When Pastor Bobby Smith looks back on the growth of Strange Creek Independent Baptist Church, he sees a lesson in God’s faithfulness. “Whatever you are planning, God is planning something bigger,” he says. The congregation’s experience has given those words a specific meaning: a small church in Duck, West Virginia, has grown and opened Alethia Christian School beside the Elk River.

Just eight members were present for the vote to call Smith as pastor. He and his family arrived in May 2021, joining a faithful congregation that had endured the challenges of COVID-19. Families from the community began coming to the church, including people who had lost their connection with church life. The congregation has since grown to more than 100 people.

That growth brought practical needs as well as new opportunities. The church building was becoming too small, and the congregation began considering how to provide more space for ministry. Their first proposal was modest: spend approximately $10,000 to convert an existing picnic shelter into a 500-square-foot youth building. The result would eventually be much larger than that early plan.

A conviction about Christian education

While serving as pastor at Strange Creek, Smith also spent four years teaching at Elk Valley Christian School. His work there gave him experience in Christian education alongside his responsibilities in the church. At an educators’ conference hosted by the West Virginia Christian Education Association (WVCEA), he heard Jeff Keaton speak about the importance of giving children a biblical worldview.

Smith understood that message as confirmation that God was calling Strange Creek to establish a Christian school. When he shared the vision with the congregation, its members responded with enthusiasm and a willingness to work. Christian education became a shared ministry concern for the church, with a new school taking shape as part of its service to children and families.

The building project also grew beyond the picnic shelter proposal. Smith reports that God provided more than $250,000, an additional 2½ acres, and a 5,000-square-foot building alongside the church. Nearly all of the project received funding as construction progressed. The completed facility includes four classrooms, a small gym, and an administrator’s office, providing space for the school’s first academic year.

For Smith, the provision remains central to the testimony. “This is the God that we serve!” he says. He describes the church’s experience in terms of God providing what the congregation needed as it moved forward with the work.

The first school year

Alethia Christian School opened with 22 students and five teachers. All of the students attended Strange Creek Independent Baptist Church.

Renewanation’s school launch program provided guidance and support as the church prepared for the new ministry. Alethia also became a member school of WVCEA. Smith’s account recognizes both the congregation’s shared commitment and the help available through these Christian education relationships.

The opening marked the beginning of the daily work of teaching and learning. The church’s investment includes the care and instruction of children, with teachers serving students within a biblical worldview. Its testimony points beyond the completed building to the lives of the children and families the school serves.

Smith connects the journey with William Carey’s challenge: “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” Readers can join the congregation in praying for wisdom and strength for its pastor and teachers, and for lasting spiritual fruit in the students’ lives.

Based on testimony by Pastor Bobby Smith, with reporting supplied by Dan Brokke

Editor’s Note

And here’s the Good News: God’s faithfulness gives His people reason to serve with hope. The story at Strange Creek invites us to thank Him for His provision and to pray for the children and teachers at Alethia Christian School. Ephesians 3:20–21 directs our praise to the One who can do more than we ask or think. What specific way could you encourage a teacher or pray for a child’s growth in Christ this week?