Rev. Bill Crawford

you know, God moments. I found myself with the opportunity to begin a committee to found a charter school here in Thibodeau, and that was back in 2007. The school was actually chartered in 2010. I really can't fully express to you how difficult it was. We had a... would put together a team and they would disappear and I put together another team and they would disappear.

you know, God moments. I found myself with the opportunity to begin a committee to found a charter school here in Thibodeau, and that was back in 2007. The school was actually chartered in 2010. I really can't fully express to you how difficult it was. We had a... would put together a team and they would disappear and I put together another team and they would disappear.

Got to the point where we were down to approval and I had to take out a $35,000 loan to make the first payroll payment with my own credit. And we were able to do that. We were able to pay everybody's first round of salaries and finish out the process. And today, I think it's 13, 14 years later, Bayou Community Academy is the 27th highest rated school in the state of Louisiana.

Got to the point where we were down to approval and I had to take out a $35,000 loan to make the first payroll payment with my own credit. And we were able to do that. We were able to pay everybody's first round of salaries and finish out the process. And today, I think it's 13, 14 years later, Bayou Community Academy is the 27th highest rated school in the state of Louisiana.

We are an open enrollment school that competes with closed enrollment schools for that ranking. And so it's quite, quite an accomplishment. So that's not a Christian school. It's a public school. And we have leaders in that school that are Christian and non-Christian.

We are an open enrollment school that competes with closed enrollment schools for that ranking. And so it's quite, quite an accomplishment. So that's not a Christian school. It's a public school. And we have leaders in that school that are Christian and non-Christian.

But I believe we've attacked, back to your questions about ethnicity and inclusion, what I perceive as a systemic evil here in the state of Louisiana is that our education system stinks. It's not because the people are awful. We have wonderful educators. We have wonderful administrators here in Lafourche. We are blessed with incredible leaders in the school board system.

But I believe we've attacked, back to your questions about ethnicity and inclusion, what I perceive as a systemic evil here in the state of Louisiana is that our education system stinks. It's not because the people are awful. We have wonderful educators. We have wonderful administrators here in Lafourche. We are blessed with incredible leaders in the school board system.

I'm not criticizing them, but we're just not where we should have been. And so Bayou Community Academy gets founded. Our church supported that. They have endorsed that as a ministry of my faith. My presence here is a teaching elder, so it's something I can, you know, write off the expenses. I can take work time to go and do this. And that's been a commitment for many, many years.

I'm not criticizing them, but we're just not where we should have been. And so Bayou Community Academy gets founded. Our church supported that. They have endorsed that as a ministry of my faith. My presence here is a teaching elder, so it's something I can, you know, write off the expenses. I can take work time to go and do this. And that's been a commitment for many, many years.

And I get more, I promise you, I get more hugs on my neck and more comments on the street about that school than I do most any other role in my ministry. And so, yeah. Being a small church pastor, you can engage your community in very serious ways. We're not a rural town, but we're a smallish town. A pastor is often, a Presbyterian pastor especially, is often an educated person.

And I get more, I promise you, I get more hugs on my neck and more comments on the street about that school than I do most any other role in my ministry. And so, yeah. Being a small church pastor, you can engage your community in very serious ways. We're not a rural town, but we're a smallish town. A pastor is often, a Presbyterian pastor especially, is often an educated person.

They can do many things. I have management backgrounds, I have lots of skills that were able to come to play in that. Likewise, we don't have a lot of programs because we're small, and therefore many of our leaders are also leaders in other nonprofits. And so that's kind of the quiet secret about PersPres by community church, Christian church, sorry about that.

They can do many things. I have management backgrounds, I have lots of skills that were able to come to play in that. Likewise, we don't have a lot of programs because we're small, and therefore many of our leaders are also leaders in other nonprofits. And so that's kind of the quiet secret about PersPres by community church, Christian church, sorry about that.

I've got the community academy in there. It's gonna happen. It's my fault. No, it's gonna happen. And but, you know, we are able to engage the community in leadership roles and support roles and then support each other as we do those things. And so we do shape the community in that way. I'm also often amazed and surprised by how people in our community view me, view our congregation.

I've got the community academy in there. It's gonna happen. It's my fault. No, it's gonna happen. And but, you know, we are able to engage the community in leadership roles and support roles and then support each other as we do those things. And so we do shape the community in that way. I'm also often amazed and surprised by how people in our community view me, view our congregation.

And I've had several people say when they ask me how large our church is, and I tell them 60 members, they're just stunned. And that's because we have influence. And so the small church can have influence in the small town, and we can have influence far beyond our size. And we should take advantage of that.

And I've had several people say when they ask me how large our church is, and I tell them 60 members, they're just stunned. And that's because we have influence. And so the small church can have influence in the small town, and we can have influence far beyond our size. And we should take advantage of that.

And we need to for the kingdom, because even if we're not drawing people into our facility, we are impacting the kingdom all the time. And the small church is part of a glorious story that is going on all around us. And we have a role in that story, regardless of our size. And so Karina Gambrell, lay pastor in the EPC, talks about the great big small church.

And we need to for the kingdom, because even if we're not drawing people into our facility, we are impacting the kingdom all the time. And the small church is part of a glorious story that is going on all around us. And we have a role in that story, regardless of our size. And so Karina Gambrell, lay pastor in the EPC, talks about the great big small church.