NG approves Christian athletic organization
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By Carmen Ensinger
The North Greene School Board approved the formation of a new organization at the high school called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). The only thing a student needs to do to be a member of the organization is to participate in one or more athletic activities during the school year.
The group is being organized by high school restorative discipline instructor McKea Jones, who was a member of the organization while attending her alma mater, Winchester High School.
“I have been at North Greene for three years now and It has been a goal that I wanted to achieve to get a chapter of the FCA started here,” she said. “I was a member of it growing up in Winchester and I wanted to introduce it to the student body here.”
The FCA was founded in 1954 and has been challenging coaches on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the platform of sports to change the world through the gospel.
At North Greene, the mission is much more simple.
“Basically, we are just a group that allows student athletes who are Christians to come and fellowship together,” Jones said. “It is our belief that we are all rooted in Christ and that they can grow their hearts to be more compassionate as a competitor.”
The organization was only approved at the Sept. 15 school board meeting, so there has been no official meeting yet, but Jones said she asked around how many would be interested in joining before ever proposing the organization to the board and there were several that were interested in it.
The board also approved an activity fund for the organization so they can do fundraising.
“It is my hope that we will be able to get a scholarship or two for the graduating seniors at the end of the year,” Jones said. “So we would need a place for any donations or any money we raise to be kept in a secure bank account so that is the reason for the need for the activity account. Plus, throughout the year, if we can raise enough, we might be able to provide different things for the student body.”
One thing that the FCA does on a national level is called the Fifth Quarter, something Jones would like to see North Greene be able to do one day.
“This is something where they have an event after a football or basketball game (hence the name ‘fifth quarter’) for the entire student body to attend,” Jones said. “It is a chance for them to get together in a safe place and maybe grab a little bit of food after the big game. This is for everyone, not just the kids in FCA.”
For those wondering how a school district can allow a Christian group to meet on campus, Superintendent Mark Scott said he ran the idea past the District Attorney Brian Braun.
“I was wondering if there was going to be the issue of separation of Church and State so I ran the issue past our attorney, Brian Braun, and he said it is not going to be an issue,” Scott said. “He said this is a well-known, reputable group and he has no problem with them establishing a club or us setting up an activity account for them. We can give them a place to do it and allow it to happen as long as employees and staff do it as long as we are not recruiting and saying you can’t be on the team unless you join this club.”
