The History of Emmanuel Christian School

*Rev. Donald E. Mathey was pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church from May 1962 to January 1975 and the founder of E.C.S.*
*Mrs. Mary F. Rosenau was the first administrator (principal) at E.C.S. and her Godly life and willing sacrifice for Christ and for Christian education was a source of inspiration to all.*

Emmanuel Christian School was founded in 1972 by the pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Donald E. Matheny with the help of Mrs. Mary F. Rosenau who served as the school’s first administrator. The school began with fifty students in the kindergarten through the sixth grades and additional grades were added each year with the school now including three year old kindergarten through twelfth grades.

Mr. Newton Anderson came to Emmanuel Christian School as principal and administrator in the fall of 1975. Under his direction several new programs were instituted, including a sports program.

Emmanuel Christian School was started in the facilities of Emmanuel Baptist Church and remains there to this day. ECS shall always be grateful to the people of Emmanuel Baptist Church for their love and dedication which is the foundation of our Christian school.

In 1976, a new three story building was added onto the campus of Emmanuel Baptist Church to keep up with the ever increasing enrollment of the school. The first yearbook was also introduced that year and given the name, Aquila, which is Latin for Eagle.

By 1978 enrollment had reached nearly 200 students and with it came several new firsts including the first graduating class at Emmanuel. In addition to a graduating class, a new hardcover yearbook was adopted as well as an official school song that was written and composed by Mrs. Joyce Comfort, wife of evangelist and founder of Ambassador Baptist College, Dr. Ron Comfort.

Through the years, God’s grace on Emmanuel has been abundant and obvious. This year marks the 50th anniversary since Emmanuel Christian School opened its doors to provide a Biblical and Christ-centered education to families in North Central West Virginia and as Mr. Batten has said, “God’s provision over that time is too splendid to fully recount.”

**1976 Emmanuel Christian School Faculty**
**Standing:** Dorothy Poore, Kathy Daugherty, Bonnie Phillips, Loretta Harris, Maxine Hawkins, Amy Anderson, Carol Harkins and Mary Frances Rosenau. **Seated:** John Poore, Allen Britt, Tony Aiello, and Jim McClain.

The Eagle
The Eagle has been our school’s mascot since our inception in 1972. It’s hard to think of more majestic creature and its representation of freedom reminds us of the solemn duty that is ours- to raise up a generation that is alert to the demands, challenges, and threats to their liberties. As former principal, James McClain once said, “If we don’t use our freedom to defend our freedom, we don’t deserve our freedom.” So at ECS, we continue this great work of building upon the freedoms we have been granted and fighting to defend what has been granted to us by God at such a costly price.

*Adapted from James A. McClain’s principal’s address in 1980.
Green and White
When ECS was started in 1972, the colors green and white were chosen as our school colors. A few years later, Mrs. Joyce Comfort would come to the school with her husband, Ron Comfort, an evangelist and at the time and now founder and chancellor of Ambassador Baptist College, and she expounded on the meaning behind the colors in our school song saying…

Green is God’s grace, the grace that made us free. White is a pure heart where sin has no part.
Later the color gold/yellow was added as an accent and sometimes black is used as well.
Isaiah 40:31
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” (KJV)
Fac Fortia Et Assurgere
In honor of our commitment to educating our children in a classical manner that is consistent with our history, we adopted a Latin motto in 2021. Translated into English, the motto simply means “do brave deeds and soar.” The motto represents one of our core messages here Emmanuel and reaffirms our desire not simply to teach our students how to make a living but how to live.
Emmanuel Christian School Song
The official song of Emmanuel Christian School came into existence in the spring of 1978 when Dr. and Mrs. Ron Comfort were ministering at Emmanuel. The Comfort family had great concern for our school. While Dr. Comfort helped establish the program at Emmanuel, Mrs. Comfort spent much time ministering at the school through prayer, music, and teaching.

Below you can not only see the original composition but you can also hear Mrs. Comfort sing it 43 years later for us!